Hiding in the shadows like a thief, Camrin wonders if she should just leave it at that. Lila clearly has what's coming for her based on Stacey's reaction. She herself has to go back and make sure another one of her dear friends doesn't figure that she's here and make things worse for her like Lila did. Still, she watches the joyous crowd for a moment longer.
"You should really try and hold your bladder right now. I know how loose it can get when you're scared. And as your dearest friend, I'm here to remind you of that." Camrin purrs, enjoying the feel of throwing her words back in her face. She doesn't even get to appreciate the fully capacity of Lila's red humiliated face before she drags herself out, walking confidently in the other direction.
She ignores the obvious issue that she doesn't know where she is or where to go and instead basks in the glory of metaphorically slapping people in the face. Though she wouldn't refuse a physical one too. Serves her right after what she did.
Still, Lila is an old friend, and Cam needs to stop harboring anger in her heart. She takes the time to look around. The orange wing seems to be a lower ranked wing then the one Lila is in. That means she must be getting closer to some kind of stairs that will lead her downwards. Cam wanders around the palace, her guard falling further and further the more she sees nobody around.
Eventually, after walking enough for her stomach to ache, and for her to remember she hasn't eaten breakfast, the smooth walls turn rough with ragged edges. Cam's lazy walk turns into eager jogging. A little more, that all that's left. The halls turn darker with the broken lights no one cared to replace. She's close. Close to the lower level, she can feel it. Finally, she comes across a door with a mark on it. The stairs! She whips the door open and quite literally runs into someone. Her head slams against a chest, feet stepping on expensive shoes.
Oh no! Oh no! Red alert!
But it's already too late. And the face she looks up to....Val. Oh my God. He's going to kill me. An ambassador! He'll make me wish I was dead. Honestly doesn't take much though but whatever.
Camrin flings herself away and falls into a bow. All she hears is a low chuckle as a set of arms lift her into a standing position.
"You weren't this polite the last time I met you."
"I was simply tired. I hadn't processed what was happening around me. I apologize for that." Camrin says with a shaky voice, eyes downcast and pitiful.
This is definitely just my persona. I'm not scared out of my mind right now. Just an act obviously.
"Oh? And have you processed your surroundings now?"
"Yes sir."
"Well then I see no reason why we shouldn't enroll you in classes now. Come. Walk with me." The girl trails behind Val, afraid to go with him but left without a choice.
After a minute of thick silence, Val turns to his student.
"Tell me? Why are you here at this hour?"
"Well, my dear friend invited me over, but our fun got chaotic and we were separated."
"Is that so?"
"Y-yes sir."
"Do you know where you were right now."
"No, sir. Like I said, I got lost." Val chuckles again, like he's thoroughly enjoying this, eyes glinting with a knowing look, even in the dark.
"Since I am your mentor and wish the best for you, I want to warn you myself. The stairs you were going down lead to the palace dungeon. If you were found, you'd be held there indefinitely." Cam's breathing sounds shaky even to her own hears. She can come up with no response, only questions on by Val was there.
The man beside her grins at her silence, grabs a handkerchief from his inside coat pocket, and wipes some sort of liquid off his hands. It's not clear in the dark but a shiver goes up her spine anyway.
God, is that blood? Please don't tell me that's blood. Oh God. That's a clear warning.
They walk quickly back until they reach the smooth walls again, until they reach the golden ones, in a wing Camrin knows even Lila hasn't been in.
The royal wing.
Knights bow to the man beside her before giving her a look. Ladies curtsey as they get out of his path and what look to be important visors stop and greet him. When she finally reaches his room, he opens the door, painted with a peaceful angel, of course, and ushers her in.
"Now Camrin. Let's discuss what we'll start with. What are you really skilled at? What's something we can teach you easily and quickly? To be honest, we can discuss this with the visors right now. Elizabeth too. They might have a second to spare. Well, let's go."
"Wait.... Sir wait. I- I haven't eaten breakfast yet. And I haven't bathed in a long time. And my clothes are pathetic. Sir, may I do that first."
Val looks at his watch, something Cam hasn't seen thus far and eyes basically water from actually being able to tell the exact time, then looks back at her clothes.
"You're right. Alra! Come here. Please bath Lady Camrin. I want you to make her shine. Style her hair, get her a new closet, and a new set of jewelry from my safe. And Alfred, go to her room and see what's there. Yes, it's in the red wing, with the palace staff. Thank you. I want to know what she has there and what she does with her free time. Inform me if there's any books, or equipment of any kind. Oh, and tell Dan to double check what property I own in the Par residence. I'm thinking about making some changes."
Sounds and people move around her with quickening speed. The elite really do get anything they want. In the middle of all that motion, Val glances at the stunned girl in front of him, eyes a frozen lake.
"Don't worry sweetheart, I will rebuild every aspect of you."
That sounds more like a threat and less of assurance.
"Now. We have no time to waste. God Alra, I apologize, I forgot to mention this, but can you tell the head chief to repair a breakfast plate for our lady here." He smiles easily.
"Now in the meantime, you go ahead and go to the bathing room. It's the third door on your left. Alra will see you there."
The suite is bustling with people walking in and out of all the different rooms. Despite the nerves racking her stomach, Camrin appreciates the life and motion here. Lila's room most definitely doesn't have this, and it has been weeks since she's seen people walk back and forth around her.
When she gets to what she assumes is the bathe room, she finds a kind face look back on her. Long braids are tied behind her back, dressed in beautiful soft blue, skin a deep tan.
"Good morning, Lady Camrin. I understand you must be hungry but first I'll have to wash you then take your measurements for new clothes. Please, get comfortable." Alra turns back, puts some kind of oil on her hands then turns back to Camrin.
"Should I undress you or would you like to do it yourself?" Cam freezes but the girl takes no insult.
"I have been fully informed about your situation. If you need time to adjust to the way things are here, I do not mind finding a way to put you at ease."
Facing kindness she hasn't seen in months, Camrin takes a deep breath, willing her body to unfold.
It's ok. This is something they're used to. It's normal. They won't judge you. Well... they won't judge you more than they have already. To them, you're a dog, and you don't look too closely at the body of a dog. Oh god, this is not really encouraging.
Camrin stares at Alra as she stares back.
"Ok, um, I would like to take my clothes off myself but can you please...just... turn back for a moment while I undress and move to the...tub?" Camrin trails off as she realizes there's no tub. Only a marble seat with soap and water.
"Go ahead."
After that, everything blurs together. She holds her breath while Alra washes her, but her gentle hands and soft humming soften her taunt muscles. She's dried in the softest of towels. She's dressed in pure silk that runs over her skin like it belongs there. She's fed six different types of protein in one meal. Everything passes in a blur but in enough time for her to contemplate whether leaching off the elite really is a bad thing.
After two hours, as the semitransparent time on the wall says, Camrin is walked to the waiting room. Walked because the clothes are so ridiculous, she keeps tripping on them. She doesn't know how she looks like or if the clothes even look good on her. She is simply shipped to the waiting Val. He has just come back from talking to one of the visor and "scheduling" a meeting. When she comes out, Val's smile is bright, his eyes laughing.
"There is our Lady Camrin. Shall we go?"
And with that, she is out of the suite and under the pressure of a thousand pairs of eyes.
Here goes nothing.