"Mrs Blake."
Surprised to hear an unknown voice called her in a place she could recognized everyone voice without looking at them, the professor turned arching her eyebrows at the man infront of her, Sloan she knew he was named, better known around as shadow one, in reference to professor Kamali. The second being Norman. The others were everywhere.
The men were completely shadowing her every moves like everyone around could be a thread. It was too evident that the protocol in regards to her was different from the princesses who could moved more freely without a bunch of men in formation behind them.
After working with the Queen for almost two decades she was accustomed to all her guards movement, which were the same around here. A fool could think she was related to her, which she was not.
Plus to confirm that, She had overheard princess Alicia who was complaining to doctor Killian one day she came to visit the museum that they could not even go for a simple day out without it making the bodyguards uncomfortable, that was given in response to the doctor inviting them to a her partner family gathering. Too visible they would be, was Norman answer. Finally she knew only the princesses were abled to go.
Shaking herself out of that thought, she completely gave him her attention then looked down at the files he was handing her, the man never talk too much only when he did it was directly too Kamali.
Apprehensive of what could be inside she took it poking her right cheek with her tongue then opened it slowly, all under the bodyguard stare.
Sloan took it all unimpressed by how human sometimes acted like machines. That is how he prefered to think of humanity. She was a tough one though, her code he made sometimes to crack. No thread was the result. She was forever indebted toward the Queen. With no way to repay her. Whatever the Queen said it was a reality.
For the time being, he could see she was bothered by what was written under her eyes. He would have been too if it was him doing the tasks she had to perform. He was discharging it on her he had to admit.
Clenching her jaws to not say whatever wanted to come out of it, the professor inhaled eyes closed before glancing at her right. Her eyes landed on her now young fellow professor. She felt that intuition rise again in her mind. She did not know if it was correct but it seemed like a part of her knew what all of this was about.
The delay of informations by the Queen details had set something in Blake mind that was now reaching for all that could served that theory. Everything pointed to Kamali.
Nodding at the man, she could only see how his blanked face opened for a brief moment to something she could read as a plead, then completely closed again as he nodded back before pulling away to his previous position, not far from Lorelei. It had been seconds, maybe just one, but microexpressions was something Blake had mastered ages ago.
Breathing out she shook herself out of it before looking around in search of Michaela, with Dimitrio out of the project she was the only one available for what she needed to be done.
When she found her not far away lurking at Kamali, Blake sighed softly wondering what to do with her. Whatever she was up to she knew was far more dangerous than what her best friend did to the young woman.
Feeling someone eyes on her, Lorelei who felt earlier overly sensitive on matter like that, kept her eyes on the artifact she had in her hand looking at it from all angles. She was well aware of the designer inclinations on her, who was she kidding the woman was clearly infatuated. It would have been difficult otherwise if she did not know how much hatred Alicia had for her. Those two were like water and hot oil.
Just as predicted she felt a presence near her immediately recognized by the perfume that spread around them. It was a peaceful scent that Lorelei recognized as Black Opium she knew, because her mother love for perfumes had her tried them all. Though she preferred for herself natural essences, those never fade when used and the could never irritate her where exposed to the kind she was smelling now agitation was never far.
"What is up with that one? If, if I can help that is."
Placing it on its previous position, at the top of a high boot Lorelei smiled at the woman near her witnessing how she responded to it with a wider one. It was adorable how clearly she was giving her all to pursue her.
She remembered how Katia gave it all to her, wasting no time herself. Like woman in an important mission she just took what was here. Maybe it was a pattern? Who knows? They always do it though.
Even Alfred, maybe clumsily but between him and his mother, the fight was lost on his side before they met. Not oblivious of it, she was well aware the Queen had handled him properly because he never tried to reach her again. She may have lost a friend but the compensation was worth it.
Breathing in and out slowly she tilted her head to the side thinking about the dating scheme. Long or slow? Which rate was the best? The fact was clear for her. When something is meant to be, why wasting time? She had lived the best moments of her life with her lover, in a span of time that was a record of happiness in her lifetime.
But not different from her frequency with things. Being born genius with all the weirdness around her persona always made her live things quicker than the others. No surprises there.
For sure they made memories that was written in her heart as on her body. Shaped her. So much that she knew her soul was irredeemable. Completely tied to her lover. Moments like theses she knew by looking at Michaela that she was completely off any form of dating market or flesh needs, the Italian was gorgeous, like a real beauty with all that come with it but she was not IT.
Pursing her lips she bite one of it focused in her thoughts then shook her head, oblivious of her opponent stare on her."Katia, she is IT. My wife, my soulmate. I know it."Â Even her unconscious self kept reminding her that.
Since the moment they set foot here her nights were like an open gate to parallel world were she could see different kind of life patterns of them, Katia was the one she would see invariably in them.
It felt messy, she knew it was a combination of event that ran in the past, present and future mingling so much informations she sometimes fear to sleep because most of them had happened in plain days many time here. An attitude to take, a response to give. How she decided to seek for this weird flower and even place it where it was now. A gate had opened in her, and she had no one to confide in.
She knew the pattern, her parents tried but they were quickly afraid of her, she had to pretend it had stopped to have them relaxing around her again. Only Katia did not fear her, but she was not here. Mostly she knew she was in a place that was physically and all the way out of her reach, swallowing hard she blinked to push tears away, just wondering how it would end. To that question she had no answer but the promise of happiness waiting for her.
Used to her weird mannerisms sometimes, the blue eyes studied her mesmerizing face slowly, astonished by how expressive it was, dying to know what ran inside. She had face people with autism in her life and could related the young woman to them, to crack her was something hard, determined to have some kind of proper conversation with her for once, Michaela took one step ahead looking at the bizarre sculpture she was looking at wondering what she thought of it, for her it was just sadly block of rock.
"I mean, maybe you want to transform it as you do everything you touch? Seriously, you work like... Magic. I barely did something here. It is all your work."
Almost near her as she kept talking while approaching, the designer in the pretence of looking at the small object that looked like flower curved in the clay bend forward then felt her nostrils welcome the best scent ever when she came near the young woman, it was nothing she ever smelled.
"Do not mention it like that. We all worked for this to happen. Do not downplay your participation. You were a great help too."
Meeting her gaze was like looking in a child excited one on a Christmas day, Lorelei wondered what it would be like to be with someone like that but knew she was not for her. She really wanted to tell her off, to stop hurting herself but she refrained hoping she could read her non interested attitude as a cue.
The way her eyes kept going on her scarf like she wanted to say something made her obliged by making an understanding face tilting her head to the other side focusing on her, it was the same process than with children. Give them your undivided attention and they tell you all you want.
Smiling apologetically the Italian designer scratched the side of her neck blue eyes looking everywhere before going for it. Taking a hold of the item that was on Kamali shoulders she brought it to her nose to smell it again lights spreading in her brain, it was a heavenly scent she could be in all days. Looking up she met Lorelei understanding eyes as she let go.
"Sorry, I never... Smelled something like this. It is-- it is strong but soft... Rich and exotic!"
Smiling widely at how exact she just explained the rich perfume, Lorelei took an inhale herself going back to that side of her mind where only Katia was saved. The way she loved her, her attention, her all. Yes her all even here. She had discovered by Norman that the mansion they lived in was put in her name as a very generous bank account, in fact all her account here were at her disposition to do whatever she wanted with the money.
The craziness behind that had made her laughed, Katiandra Fendrik was noone fool. She knew what she was doing, Lorelei had seen fear in people eyes when they had learned her name, she knew it was not her name that caused it but the invisible shadow behind her.
She promised to gift her the world, she did making it easier for her to move on her way, focusing on making the world a better place. She knew it starts with what she was doing in the museum, making it the best version of what it had to be.
She had seen the pleasure it gave when doctor Killian and her partner, Malone, when they brought her little siblings and nieces to visit the museum at her request, to accept her apologies for not going at the nieces birthday. The way theirs eyes shone with wonder and happiness when they walked around the huge place was a pleasure to see.
She could feel her body going alive by the reminder of why she was here, why she was a part of this life. Between that all Katia, her love, was the only link that shaped all the chapters of the book her lifetime form.
All of a sudden it was like before, only that she could not reach her even by a phonecall. She had forbidden those saying she would be the one initiating them.
Lies? She could not decide because she was completely off with nothing but whatever vision she could have of her.
"Where... Is it possible to have one of it?"
Shaking her head no, Lorelei turned to the artifact that reminded her of the flowers in Katia garden, they were strangely the same. But those had no other color but a crisp black almost translucent covering it.
The informations gathered on it, said they were AÃADA flowers, something powerful in the spiritual realm. They grew up in the middle age century in Porys, then disappeared to only be the possession of enlightened owners. The fact that it had not broken in this form was a surprise by how it was found forgotten in the attic room on the floor.
So small but strong.
Its color and the way it was polished was almost a process of mastery or an instant creation. The thought made her wondered about the ordeals of AÃADA Spirits, once in her life she had heard about the term, she was sure but her mind refused to let her access that information. It was frustrating.
'Do Katia know about this? Was she the one planting it in her garden?' All those questions she wanted to ask her so much it hurt her to keep them in.
For the time being it was placed at the center place of the museum like a flower in its garden.
"Why is that? Sorry if I am intrusive." Persistent Michaela forced an intrusion in Lorelei troubled mind again, knowing it was the only way to keep the conversation flowing. Witnessing how she refocused in the reality by multiple blinks of her eyes as she looked at her still smiling.
"No you are not." Coming out of her daydream, Lorelei fingertips caressed the item wondering how to answer the woman near her.
"I, I did not want to embarrass you. But it just smell so good."
"I am not embarrass. It is just a personal scent the kind that is made for one usage. You already know that brands do it. Only this one is made with plants that only grow in our home land, they are very special flowers. There are not others of this one."
It was the same perfume the Queen wore, she had decided one day she liked to smell herself on her lover body, that it suit her better, it her made feels complete. From that day she had made it her mission to make sure Lorelei never run out of it. It was not a surprise to see Norman bringing them one day at the mansion. She had a full level of her makeup cupboard feel with them. Even Ali knew to not touch them.
"Seriously!? Wow, it sure look like royalty treat."
Meeting her gaze in a non committal way, the gray orbs stayed blank her face completely a poker one, her smile still on before she looked back at the artifact focusing on it, feeling the way it could calm her down, when she touched them again, there was a sort of tingling sensation that was not all bad if it made her feel good afterwards, it felt like it was a part of her.
"You have no idea..." Her eyes focused on the flower she mumbled audibly, knowing the limit in speaking to people that she did not know well.
Lorelei smile never fade as she stood there wondering when she would be able to hear her lover voice again. She felt deprived, like a junky running out of drugs in their system.
Working was a good distraction while it lasted, she just not thought, with Alicia around she never got distracted. Now she could feel it all resurfacing making her unsettled inside. Grabbing the thing in her hand again as a lifesaver she held it for a moment.
The quizzical last answer left Michaela on the edge for a moment when she was about to voice it Blake appeared near them like a gosh. Clearly she was so lost in the moment that her surrounding always fade away.
"Hey girls? Lorelei can I have your attention for a moment?"
Looking her way the gray eyes placed the artifact back before giving Blake all her attention feeling relieved to stop the interaction she was having. The woman closed face waking up the earlier feeling of something bad coming she felt from the moment she walked out of the house.
Taking a hold of the scarf that was on her schoulders she accepted the files that was handed to her after they stepped away from the designer who kept looking at Lorelei previous interest trying to find what fascinated her on it.
"I believe we will have to make some rescheduling and security check. Lower it or not."
Taking in the telegram while listening to Blake, Lorelei stopped frozen at the garbage it was. She could feel anger rising inside of her, just to be pushed back by her reason. A battle that had her frozen under the impressive woman stare. Blake may have been feared by the rest but Lorelei knew better. Katiandra was the epitome of intimidating, but still human behind it. That was no different for Blake which made her able to see the message beyond the older woman attitude,
CONCERN, which only mean she knew something was up in regard to her. Why not giving it to Ali or Kayley? Or stop it to her level ?
"She knows" Before her intuition told her that, she saw it. There in her eyes Lorelei could see how the realisation of something was unfolding in the woman eyes, she knew that she knew too.
Clenching her jaws, the older woman could feel something moved inside of her, agitating her soul, she wanted to said something but a glance at her left had her eyes landing right in shadow 2 eyes, AKA Norman, the man held her gaze for a short time warningly before turning his back to exit the room making her restrained herself.
This she understood was a perfectly oiled machine that would not be messed up by her stupidity. It was meant to happen at some point which was right now.
The interaction between Norman and Blake was not wasted on Lorelei who witnessed it all on her peripheral vision like an IA was launched in her mind, feeling defeated. Questions she had no answer to start popping in her mind as her eyes stayed glued to the paper in between her fingers.
She knew the Queen was preparing something like this. She had felt it from the beginning and it just scared her to no end. Right here in the middle of people she had to hold herself back and be that strong woman Kate want her to be from the beginning. She had said.
"You will learn how to be a strong woman one day, then you will know how to keep your head up even when it hurt."
It was a difficult task when it felt like pressure was constantly applied to her chest making it hard to breathe, feeling like she could lost it any moment.
A panic attack, she thought before shaking her head twice, while she could feel sweat running underneath her armpits and one cold one underneath her left breast like an uninterrupted running line, weird but that is how it always happens. It felt like an evacuation process, a sign she could succeed in pushing the wave away.
Focussing on her memories of her partner while her eyes were still on the paper she could feel her body letting go of the tension riding away the panic attack that showed it's head. It was just then she became aware of the hand on her forearm holding it firmly. While it's owner mumbled soothing words she did not registered behind Katia voice in her head.
"I will give you sometimes sweetie. We can talk about it later." Thankful her face was not tensed anymore Blake murmured in a soft and tender voice understanding the delicacy of the moment her mind wrapping on the real deal here.
Without waiting for an answer Blake squeezed her forearm twice before going away pulling Michaela still near with her. The woman clearly did not know the meaning of giving space.
A clearer picture of the situation made it easier to understand princess Alicia behavior. THIS was way dangerous than Dimitrio outburst. One thing every one know about Queen Alister was the fact that she was really possessive. Many was crushed under her weight for less than looking at what was hers.
Her brain processing the new explosive information was only then starting to comprehend the extent of the price she already started paying without knowing it by being simply being around.
Knowing it was not life threatening as she had thought it would be made her relaxed removing a weight that never left her since they came back home.