For Meg, because she needs to feel better now! It's femmeslash.
Delia had been well-accustomed to dealing with women when she had happened upon Cythera, whose greatest fault lay in the fact that she had caught the Prince's fancy. Consequently, Delia had employed various tried and true tactics to ensure Cythera knew who really mattered in the palace.
First, she had intimidated Cythera, had watched the fear flash in her rival's eyes.
Cythera had learned to be wary of Delia and had begun to curb her tongue when she spoke, but really, it had changed nothing.
Second, she had tried isolating Cythera. It hadn't worked. In fact, it had driven Cythera still closer to Jonathan when her friends had started to ignore her.
Familiarity did nothing when Cythera didn't understand the concept of stealing another's man.
Then and only then had Delia used the last resource at her disposal. Sometimes, years later, she could still taste the bittersweetness of that first kiss. And that had worked; Cythera had stopped speaking to Jon completely because she had always been able to love only one person at a time, and she would always give her all to that person.
In time, though, Delia had grown to hate their relationship. Oh, it had been something to occupy her when Alex and Roger had been busy. Occasionally, she even admitted that it had been more than that, that she had actually begun to feel something for Cythera.
The realisation had come upon her suddenly. Cythera had murmured, "I'm not good enough for you," and Delia had smiled and ridiculed her and privately known that she wasn't good enough for Cythera.
They had finished the following week, but not before Jon had lost interest in both of them. Cythera had caught Gary's attention, and Delia... Delia was biding her time.
Beautiful, unsuspecting, Queen-Lianne's-favourite Josiane was her next victim. Delia hadn't wasted time with her usual methods. She had simply waited.
All it had taken was one night, one time when Jonathan's affections had wavered and then Josiane had been hers.
The Copper Islander was different to Cythera; more passionate, more demanding, less sincere. She was easy to teach. Delia gave her "hints" about Jonathan, each carefully designed to drive them further and further apart.
Then the Queen died and King Roald's health deteriorated rapidly. Delia knew that if she slipped up now, Josiane would be Jonathan's queen, not because he wanted it, but because his mother had. She worked harder, pushing Josiane so she exploded publicly, and making it up to her later with soft caresses and sweet words. Josiane's true personality, the one Delia had seen, was laid bare to the world, especially to Jonathan.
When King Roald died, Delia breathed a sigh of relief. Jonathan had not taken a wife. Of course, he was nowhere near choosing her, but he wasn't choosing anybody else either. She hadn't dared to make a move on him yet, not when she wasn't sure of Roger's plans. She couldn't risk her loyalties being discovered just yet.
Now, though, now Thayet is here, and Delia doesn't know what to do. She can't read this new princess; she can't see what her motives towards Delia's Prince are. Time will tell, but Delia can't wait for time. If she did, then everything would simply tumble down like a pack of cards.
So, she tries flirting.
Thayet is unresponsive, but Thayet has been impervious to any form of flirting thus far, even Jonathan's.
She tries befriending Thayet.
Thayet is unresponsive.
She tries kissing Thayet.
Finally, Thayet responds. She kisses better than Delia's other two court ladies, but she pulls away faster.
Delia's breath catches in her throat at the look in Thayet's eyes.
The princess says nothing. She doesn't need to say anything, because her eyes tell Delia enough.
Her eyes tell Delia to stay away.