Broken Ties Pt 2

This chapter's song is:  Arcade by Duncan Lawrence!

Sylvia's POV:

"No... I'm sorry, I must go," Mikaeyla says as she runs out.

"Mikaeyla!" Lianey calls after her, running behind her.

"Well... Does this mean she just rejected my invitation?" I asked.

"Give her some more time. I think she's just scared of overstepping her boundaries," Monique says.

"I agree, miss Garrison has been stepped on by any noble who has a few coins in their wallet. To add to the fact that she has a decent face, I'm sure that she would receive a lot of unwanted attention. I guess she just doesn't want to make a target of herself..." Violet says.

"I hope she does come around. I would really like to be friends with her; she seems nice," Rin sighs as she sips her tea.

"Leave it for now, we should be getting home," I say as I get up. As we leave the cafe, a bird flew over to Rin and perched itself on her shoulder, tweeting in her ear.

"Oh my, It's going to rain soon," Rin says.

"Did the bird tell you that?" Violet asks.

"Yes, they just come to me and warn me of these things, how caring of them," Rin smiles as she pets the bird gently. The bird tweeted a happy tune before flying away.

"If it is going to rain soon, then let's head to the carriage quickly, I don't want to catch a cold in summer," Monique says as she walks to her carriage. Rin and Violet followed and I was about to as well, until I saw a very familiar silhouette near the alley.

I stop walking and tried to narrow my eyes to see the silhouette better.

"Sylvia, are you coming?" Violet asks, noticing that I stopped walking.

"You girls go on ahead, I think I want to go and buy some desserts for my mother," I lie.

"Okay then, be sure to get home safely," Monique says, before walking on again. I wave goodbye before walking towards the alley where I saw the silhouette. As I was following him, the masked man began walking faster. I picked up the pace and followed him all the way to a dead end.

Wondering where he could have gone, I look around to see any hiding spots when all of a sudden, a hand came out from the shadows and grabbed my arm, yanking me into a tight spot. I try to scream but my mouth was covered. I was about to impale the stranger with an icicle, but then I heard him speak in a voice that I knew all too well.

"Shh," the man says, his face close enough to whisper in my ear.

"What is the meaning of this, Ace?" I whisper. Ace took off his hood, revealing his grey locks and ashen eyes.

"I was wondering the same of you, my dearest fiancee. I hope you don't just follow suspicious strangers daily, that's very dangerous," Ace says as he lets go of me.

"Why are you dressed so suspiciously?" I ask, eyeing his ensemble.

"I was just visiting an acquaintance, nothing unusual," Ace said.

"Visiting your acquaintance in an unknown alley right next to a bar filled with hoodlums and thieves?" I raise my brows.

"Is that not normal?" Ace smirks.

"Not in my books, it isn't. Now, are we going to get out of this cramped position or do you want to stay here the whole night?" I say sarcastically.

"I don't know about you, but I'm very comfortable where I am right now," Ace says, his body in close proximity to mine. "Unless you wish to be even closer?" He whispers.

"In your dreams," I scoff as I leave the spot.

"And what sweet dreams they are," Ace remarks as he follows me out. I begin walking out of the alleyway, but immediately stop as I see Lianey and Mikaeyla. Ace bumps into me from behind and I usher him behind the building.

"How bold of you to be taking the lead," Ace says as I push him to the wall.

"Hush it with your quick lines already," I say as I peep from behind the building, trying to listen in on the conversation.

Mikaeyla turned around, her eyes looking down. "Lianey, I've told you time and time again, you shouldn't talk to me!"

"Why can't I talk to you?! We're both girls, the same age, and nobles-"

"That's exactly it! Lianey, I'm not good enough for you, I'm not worthy enough to be your friend!"

Oh, I see now, Mikaeyla does seem to think she's not worthy enough to be Lianey's friend.

"Of course you are!"

"No! I'm not! Sylviana de Crystal Scilla, only daughter of Duke Scilla and the future queen of Hefelia. Rillaine Listeria Shuya Kagamine, the only grand duke daughter in this country, Monique Layla Deveraux, daughter of the Minister of Finance, Violetta Ayala Abberson, daughter of Prime Minister Abberson, and you, Lianey Garil Swivel, only daughter of the minister of foreign affairs.

Do you see, they are worth your friendship. They have good backgrounds, respectable families and high status. They're the perfect group of girls who you fit in with. There is no room for Mikaeyla Garrison, daughter of a poor, gamble-addicted Baron in that picture. I don't even have a middle name!" Mikaeyla screams, looking up at Lianey, tears streaking down her face.

"Mikaeyla... I..." Lianey was at a loss for words, she always knew that Mikaeyla had a problem with being her friend, but she didn't know it was to this extent.

"Lianey, I love being your friend. I value it the most in the world, and it is so precious to me. I know how you defend me from anyone who has ill intentions towards me, you put on your best front to protect me, but I know that I'm just dragging you down. Invitations for you have lessened, up to the point where you even attended miss Cromble's tea party because it was the only one who allowed me to come."

Lianey started tearing up too.

"Should we intervene?" I ask Ace, my eyes not taking off of the scene before me.

"No, we should let them sort it out, coming in between them will do them no good," Ace says as he rests his chin on my head, looking over me.

"But I can't allow you to ruin your bright future and happiness for mine," Mikaeyla finally says.

"But what about your happiness? Does that not count here too?" Lianey argues.

"Only those with enough money can achieve happiness. My father gambled away everything: our house, money, my dowry. My mother died because we couldn't afford her expensive medicine. Even after all that, he still gambles. You say I'm fit enough to be your friend because we're both nobles? I'm pretty sure I won't be for long," She says so quietly that I almost couldn't hear if Ace didn't tell me what's happening.

"I DON'T CARE!" Lianey shouts as she hugs Mikaeyla. "Kaeyla, I don't care whether you're a noble or commoner, we've been friends since we were born, if you have no home then you can share mine, if you need a shoulder to cry on, you can use mine, just don't stop being my friend," Lianey weeps.

Mikaeyla wiped her tears, biting on her bottom lip to make sure that she can deliver this next sentence without breaking down. She pushes Lianey onto the ground. I let out a quick gasp, only to be shushed by Ace.

"Ha! You'd do all that for me! Well, I wouldn't do that for you!" Mikaeyla screams, her face contorting into a crazed one.

"Kaeyla..."

"I've been using you damnit! You're nothing more than just a shiny new purse for me! But you're useless now! Get out of my face!" Mikaeyla screams as she runs away.

"Kaeyla!" Lianey screams after her, still on the floor. Mikaeyla must've accidentally pushed her too hard.

Suddenly, it started to rain just like Rin said. Ace took out an umbrella from the inner pocket of his cloak and opened it up.

"Let's go," I say as I walk out from behind the building and towards the crying Lianey. She looks up at me, and I smile at her. Right now, I think she could use one.

"Can you move?" I ask. Lianey looked down at the ground, before shaking her head. When I tried to touch her, Lianey batted my hand away.

"Don't touch me, I'm dirty. I might ruin your dress," Lianey says quietly.

"Are you afraid of a little dirt Sylvia?" Ace asks.

"Shut up Ace," I say as I pick Lianey up from the ground, "Why the hell would I care about a dress when one of my friends is on the floor?"

"I don't know, it's a really nice dress," Ace says smugly.

"Then I'll ask my aunt to make you one so we can match," I shoot back as I help Lianey limp into my carriage which was waiting for me in front of the cafe.

"No, I don't think pink suits me, although it looks very flattering on you," Ace replies as he folds the umbrella and sits in the carriage.

"Your highness? What are you doing here?" Lianey asks as she finally realises who the man in the good was.

"It's a long story," I answer. I gave Ace a look that said 'don't say anything that'll upset her.' He simply smiled at me as he sat there with his legs crossed.

Lianey stayed quiet, now shivering.

"Ace, give me your cloak," I say. Ace unties the cloak from his neck and hands it to me, then I wrapped it around Lianey.

"Don't catch a cold. It'll make you look stupid from catching a cold in summer," I say, remembering Monique's remark on colds in summer.

"Aren't you cold my dearest fiancee?" Ace says as he moves closer to my face.

"You wish!" I shout as she pushes Ace's face away.

"How cold of you, and here I was, trying to warm you up," Ace says as he conjures a ball of fire in his hand.

"You do know that I have fire magic too?" I say as I raise a brow.

"Ah, but your fire magic can't do this," Ace says as he spreads out his fire until it turns into a thin sheet before draping it over me.

I sigh at the warm feeling. Lianey smiled too which was nice because it helped her bring her mood up just a bit. We soon arrived at Lianey's house, I was still helping Lianey walk to the gate. Ace was waiting in the carriage, just like I ordered

When we arrived at the entrance, a bunch of people were waiting. A boy who I assumed was Lianey's brother was the first to spot her and ran towards her, the entourage following tow with umbrellas and blankets.

"Lianey!" A woman shrieks as she runs towards the girls. The woman had dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was accompanied by a bunch of maids with umbrellas.

"Lianey!" Her brother shouted as he knelt down to feel her skin. "Get some towels!" He yells to the maids.

"Is she okay?" Lianey's mother asked as she knelt down onto the wet ground, her skirt being soiled by the rain.

"She's just tired, and her ankle seems hurt," I say as I hand Lianey over to her brother. I immediately recognised him from the Boutique, who could've imagined that he was Lianey's brother.

"What happened?" He asked me.

"I'd be more than happy to tell you everything that has happened, although I do not believe that now is the time, nor do I believe that I should be the one to say anything," I say, thinking that Lianey would rather not have the whole world know that she was friend dumped by her long time best friend.

"Thank you Sylviana, if you'd like, I can prepare a room for you to stay in for the night," Lianey's mother said.

"No thank you, my carriage is waiting. Although would I be allowed to visit Lianey tomorrow in the morning?"

"Of course, please get home safe," Lianey's mother said as she and her group walked back inside with Lianey. I walked back to the carriage, where Ace was waiting.

"That was hard to watch, wasn't it?" I say, thinking back to the scene from before.

"It was honourable of that Mikaeyla girl," Ace commented.

"Calling your best friend a purse and pushing her to the ground is honourable?" I raised a brow.

"That was obviously a ploy to make miss Swivel hate her so that their break up can go easier," Ace said.

"... It must've been heartbreaking for Lianey," I sigh, thinking about the pain she must be feeling right now.

"And even more heartbreaking for Mikaeyla Garrison," Ace adds. The rest of the carriage was spent in silence. I got cold so I laid by Ace and eventually fell asleep for the rest of the ride, he only woke me up when I arrived at my house, before saying goodbye and zapping himself away.

I am so hungry you won't believe it, sadly there is no food in the fridge which literally makes me wanna cry so I'm ordering pizza for Iftaar. PIZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!