Elira
"What?! They can't be serious."
No. Nope. I had to read it again, just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.
"Aurelia and I have been best friends since childhood, and being roommates now is just so amazing. We get to spend more time together practicing…"
I let the tablet drop onto my lap, staring at the words like they were written in another language. Then I looked up, summoning a fake calm I'd perfected over years.
"Rebecca," I called sweetly. "Are you guys serious with this?"
She was standing a few feet away, clipboard clutched like it was her child. She stepped forward, her voice coated in that fake bubbly tone. "Elira! Is there an issue with the wording?"
I tilted the tablet so she could see and gave her a tight smile. "Yeah. Tiny issue. Apparently, I've been besties with Aurelia this whole time and no one told me? I would've baked cookies or something."
A quiet stir rippled through the room. I felt Aurelia shift beside me.
Rebecca blinked, still calm. "Oh, that! It's just narrative shaping. The public will love seeing a sense of unity between,"
"We're not united," I cut in. Then I glanced at Aurelia.
She looked unfazed. "I agree. We're definitely not united."
I turned back to Rebecca. "I'm not saying any of that. It's not narrative shaping, it's a blatant lie."
Rebecca's gaze slid to Aurelia, maybe hoping she'd back her up. Instead, Aurelia nodded, agreeing with me.
"Rebecca, I'm an influencer. Do you think my fans wouldn't clock this the second it hits their screens?"
Her expression didn't waver. She stepped closer, lowering her voice so only we could hear. "Elira, you're in the Trials now. This isn't just about your fans anymore, it's about the whole country and beyond. We're curating relationships for a national broadcast."
I stared at her.
"You think I'm here to sell a storyline?" My voice sharpened. "I'm here to show talent, my powers. We all are. I'm not here to broadcast my nonexistent situationships."
Aurelia choked beside me. I ignored her.
Rebecca's smile thinned, but the sugary tone stayed. "Think of it as PR. A temporary performance."
"I'm not a performer," I muttered, tossing the tablet onto the seat beside me.
Aurelia's voice cut in, firm. "I agree with Elira. We're here to compete, not to play house."
That caught me off guard, but I didn't let it show.
Rebecca scribbled something on her clipboard. "We can tweak some lines, but the core stays. This came directly from the royal council. The script wasn't made by me or my team. You can talk to the director, but it won't change much."
I rolled my eyes and leaned back, arms folded. "Fine. Whatever. But I'm not playing besties with her. Saying we're roommates should be sweet enough for the viewers."
Aurelia nodded again. "Yeah, I agree with you."
I scowled. "Stop agreeing with me."
"Can't be helped, you're talking about me." She had the audacity to glare.
"Just shut up, Aurelia."
"No! You're clearly obsessed with me, so I'll shut up when you stop talking about me."
"Who do you think you…"
"Girls!" Rebecca's voice cracked through the air like an angry parent. Then she inhaled, exhaled, and forced the smile back on. "Let's please calm down."
"I'm calm," I shot back. I wasn't calm.
Aurelia shoved her chair back, stood, and stalked out, slamming the door.
Rebecca clapped her hands, still smiling like she was trying to herd toddlers. "Right. So, no 'besties' mention. Stick to the other questions, go with the flow, and we'll keep the roommates part."
I straightened, smirking. "I'm ready when you are."
Shooting finally started, but as I spoke into the camera, I couldn't stop thinking about Aurelia. I had never seen her so mad.
No, come to think of it, I had never seen her mad at all. Not since we were five.