Sehjaah stalked off down the hall. She simply could not STAND openly licentious women. It was rather vexing.
Darn cryptex.
"Sehjaah!" A someone bellowed huskily.
Sehjaah was too deep in thought to hear them.
"SEHJAAH!"
How the heck am I going to crack that stupid cryptex!
"MISERABLE EXCUSE OF A SCHOLAR! TURN AND FACE ME, LEST I BE FORCED TO MAKE YOU!"
For some reason this snagged her attention. Maybe because the person hollered it.
She spun around.
High Priest Seto stood glaring at her, his arms folded across his chest.
"I happen to know you're feeble-minded, but are you hard of hearing as well?"
Ohhh, you picked the wrong day to tick me off.
She frowned at him.
"I happen to have chosen to ignore you. And furthermore—"
His eyes flickered with an obscured sentiment before quickly regaining their icy glare.
"Here." He handed her a golden envelope.
She widened her eyes curiously.
"And what's this?"
"The dates of your exams," he stated placidly, quietly studying her.
He quickly salvaged his natural air of superiority. "Be punctual. It—"
"I always am," she interrupted stonily.
His lips bowed into a snarl.
"And, for some reason unbeknownst to myself, you were requested to attend a court assembly tomorrow,"
She smirked.
"Are you sure it's so unbeknownst?"
"Just be there," he snapped, walking past her.
Sehjaah blinked.
Is it his time of month?
She laughed to herself.
Reminds of a colder version of Ninazu. OMG!
Suddenly, she realized Seto never told her where to head to for the conference. She glanced down the hall but it she was too late. Seto had disappeared.
He's got the same twisted sense of humor as Akunadin. She thought mournfully.
Sehjaah lapsed into her seat, exhausted. She had dashed all around the Palace before stumbling upon (quite literally) Priest Shada, who kindly revealed the meeting's location.
It was held in such an aired room it was nearly outside. Large, octagonal windows lined the sides of the wall, as colorful beads of flora were strung from the ceiling and posed in the room's corners. It was rather exotic for a meeting room.
It resembled an indoor amphitheater, in a sense, with seats arranged in a staircase manner; each row a step below the last, with long tables to write on.
She stretched her arms before bending down to reach for her satchel. Sehjaah fished out a parchment and a plume, and straightened up in her seat.
She smirked. She'd come prepared. Seto couldn't say a darn thing now.
"What are YOU doing here?" someone demanded harshly.
She contracted her eyes spitefully.
"I should be asking you the same question."
Malik stood towering before her, accompanied by Mahad and Karim, who were debating heatedly behind him.
He leaned down onto the desk.
"But you're not in that position now are you?" he countered icily.
She turned her head away, appalled.
"Obviously, I was invited," she voiced emotionlessly.
"And you chide me for etiquette?" he scoffed. Malik clamped a hand roughly onto her shoulder, the pressure forcing her to face him. He smirked.
"I suggest you polish up what manners you have," he drew back his hand. "It would do you well."
She snarled and turned to face the front.
Malik took his seat.
Sehjaah raised her head from the desk, wearily.
DEAD. BORING.
The only thing the famed congregation had been so far was tedious lecture after lecture. Occasionally, she jotted notes and asked intellectual questions, where questions could be asked.
Priest Seto had personally taken it upon himself to treat anyone fool enough to dare bother voicing an obtuse query one of his signature glares of condescension at it's fiercest. Needless to say, it silenced many would be annoyances.
She doodled absentmindedly in the corner of her parchment.
doodle, doodle, doodle…
Something whirred by her ear. She idly glanced to her left.
Mmmmm?
Sehjaah figured it to be the wind. She resumed sketching her stallion.
This time it scraped her nape. Sehjaah brushed her neck distractedly.
After a few moments of peace, she assured herself the breeze had gathered a few twigs.
She heard muffled laughter behind her.
Before she could turn around, it bonked her playfully on the head.
She whirled around to face the source of her suffering and it clouted her forehead. Sehjaah released an inarticulate gargle of protest.
She caught Seto snarling at her disturbance and irritably returned to her sheet of papyrus.
It hit her again, tousling her deep brown hair.
Her eyebrow ticked tetchily.
Once more, and so help me I'll-
It walloped her skull.
She slammed her quill down onto the table.
Sehjaah swiveled around in her seat, glaring upwards.
The "wind" had light blonde hair and piercing violet eyes.
He was slouched leisurely in his chair, arms a few rows behind her, Karim snickering next to him.
She wondered if it was coincidental how the seats in the rows directly behind her were empty; void of anyone.
Before she could bombard him with a fuming torrent of insults, Priest Seto stepped in.
After letting them all know what he thought of them, he turned to Sehjaah.
"You're supposed to try and deem yourself exceptional in the first meeting," he informed her callously. "Not partake in their idiocy."
Malik growled audibly, as an angered Priest Karim tried to restrain him from tackling Seto.
"'Partake?' 'PARTAKE?' Unless you couldn't see, I was the subject, the victim, of their torment!" Sehjaah snapped.
Priest Seto narrowed his eyes at her.
"Shall I—"
"Thank you, but you needn't do anything," she answered icily. "I'm sure they'll behave now."
They all stared at her incredulously.
"What makes you so sure?" Priest Karim asked.
She lifted her satchel and turned to glance at him over her shoulder.
"The meeting's over," she replied, before striding down the stairs and out the door.
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Soraya dashed out of the hall to the imperial library.
Finally out of that tedious assembly! Tiresome harangue after tiresome harangue…
She snickered to herself. And as soon as it is adjourned, I run to the library? Hahaha….how much better is that…
If she wasn't in such an excited hurry to escape to her lavender-eyed problem, among others, she would have halted abruptly to admire the tremendous size of the hall. The vast immensity of bookshelf after bookshelf teeming with papyrus scrolls; their enormous amount mind-numbing itself. She trotted down her specifically chosen avenue, with towering fortresses of bookshelves parading as hedges.
Sehjaah drew one scroll out after the other, briskly skimming through a few words before hastily returning it with an dissatisfied groan or mutter. Irritated, she leaned back against the bookshelf, which ominously dipped backwards, threatening to fall. She shrieked and leapt off, glancing at it petrified as it wavered slowly to a stable standstill. As Sehjaah sighed in relief, a scroll toppled down and its wooden knob battered her head. She cried out and rubbed her head. A menacing snicker broke out from behind the shelf. Grasping the scroll tightly, she darted to the next row, scanning the aisle, and turned back upon finding nothing. Grumbling she opened the scroll, then beamed upon its contents. She ran out of her corridor, elated.
OMIGOSH! THIS IS IT! I have to read this I'll finally be able to help At--
She slammed into something hard and fell onto the ground.
"Quite the klutz, aren't you?" someone murmured huskily. She found herself at someone's feet; with a cape hanging to the midst of his ankles. Shrewd lavender eyes silently taunted her. He extended a tanned arm out to her, proposing to help her stand. Smacking it lightly away, she mumbled, "I can help myself up, thank you."
He seized her shoulders and roughly jerked her up, paying her n heed.
"Have you any respect for those around you?" she hissed, furious.
"Why not asked them?" he replied, bemused.
She sighed.
"Pardon, but I haven't the time for any of your games! I need to study this to--"
He slammed her into the nearest bookshelf, glaring. Sehjaah waited anxiously for it to tip backwards. When it didn't, she gaped with sudden realization.
"You purposely pulled that shelf backwards that I was leaning on!" she accused.
"Your catching on…" he mused.
"Tell me what you came here for and get it done with, because I haven't the time to waste with riff raff like you!" she snapped.
She instantly regretted speaking sharply when she saw him narrow his eyes.
To her surprise, he stepped away from her, and turns to gaze at the door.
"Gorgeous day for the gardens." He said nonchalantly. "Shall we?"
Sehjaah sneered in return, seizing the moment for her sharp wit.
"I'll simplify the response to your idiotic level: NO!"
His lavender eyes darkened ominously as he turned to her, glaring, "You are mistaken; I didn't invite you; I ordered you."
She folded her arms across her chest.
"Why in the name of all that is righteous would I ever obey you?" she inquired sarcastically.
Malik leaned closer to her, smirking devilishly, as Sehjaah shrank away.
"Because you value your wretched excuse of an existence," he whispered threateningly.
Unable to think of a further demeaning insult, she rolled her eyes and followed him out of the library.
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"Malik, Sehjaah!" someone called.
Sehjaah turned around to face the voice.
" Isis…." Malik muttered somewhat irritated, still facing the exit.
Sehjaah, on the other hand, was grateful for the interruption. She was not, in any way, looking forward to spending time alone with…with a…sadist seems too gentle…a MALIK.
She waved.
"Priestess Isis! Priest Mahado! What a pleasure to run into you!" she spoke warmly. Being still relatively new, it was courtesy she address them by their formal titles.
They approached Sehjaah and stood sophisticatedly before her.
"We were wondering what became of you after the meeting! You both disappeared!" Isis said, smiling.
Sehjaah turned to Malik.
Both of us, eh? That's interesting…I needed a book. So what was he up to? Like I don't know…
Malik turned around to "greet" them, countenance void of feeling.
"I had an urgent matter to attend to." He said gruffly.
"As did I." Sehjaah added.
"Oh, it's relieving to finally witness you and Sehjaah acting amiably in midst the other's company."
Malik smirked.
"Yes, quite; in fact, we were just heading to the gardens to discuss something, weren't we?" he asked, sneering at Isis' ignorance. He spun toward Sehjaah, who widened her eyes.
"Yes! The gardens! Just going down!" she pronounced cheerily, lengthening Malik's smirk.
Mahado and Isis exchanged glances briefly and laughed.
"Malik, I never thought you one for botany!" Mahado exclaimed.
"Funny, neither did I…" muttered Sehjaah under her breath, glowering at him.
Hearing her Malik slid his arm behind her and pinched her elbow, causing her to squirm.
"I merely wished to clear my head." He answered calmly.
Sehjaah nodded rigorously, vouching his feigned innocence, eager to regain control of her elbow.
"The gardens are most soothing." Isis agreed. "Well, do not let us delay you! Enjoy yourselves!"
Mahado nodded curtly in farewell and Isis waved as they turned back and strode quickly down the hall; immersed in conversation.
Still gripping her elbow, Malik quickly slashed through contrived geniality and wrenched her to him.
"Do not dare to contradict me before anyone!" he growled fiercely, bright eyes flaring with anger.
She jerked her arm out of his grasp defiantly.
"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? I'll say what I please before whomever I choose!" she hissed indignantly. Suddenly, she became aware of how near to the column she was, with Malik looming over her.
He roughly twisted her arm painfully. Sehjaah collapsed onto the ground in anguish, trying to tug her arm away.
"Care to repeat that?" he asked, smiling cruelly.
She kicked him harshly behind his knees in a futile attempt to bring him to the ground. Malik stood unflinching. He twisted her arm forcibly harder, bending it back. She cried out, agonized, and repetitively kicked his shin as she pulled her arm frantically. A burning sensation nipped the corners of her eyes.
"That doesn't seem to be working now, does it?" he stated critically.
He pressed her firmly into the column, sharp marble ridges digging into her back. Yelping, she tried desperately to wrench her arm away.
"Let this be a…lesson…for a scholar" he murmured poisonously.
After a ruthless while of excruciating pain, he threw her arm back at her, carelessly. She cradled her sore limb and continued to kick him severely as he stood resolute.
"Get up! We need to go to the gardens!" he said impatiently, watching her struggle to stand.
Malik extended his hand before her, offering assistance. Sehjaah slapped his hand furiously away before giving him one final kick.
"You need to go! I'm going back to the library!" she whispered angrily.
He sighed crossly.
"Look, there will be plenty of time to bea nerd later! For now, there is something of greater importance!"
"No, I've had enough! I'm leaving!" she declared fiercely, and stomped off toward the library; heedless to any imply of his.
Something foreign glimmered briefly in his amethyst eyes before quickly being replaced with the usual fury.
Malik muttered something inaudible. Her blind, defiant, courage is amusing….and stupid; among other things.
"What!" she demanded, not bothering to face him.
"Your anger seems to be getting the best of what little sense you had…Do you truly will me to "make you" follow? I am the High Interrogator, I personally have ordered and overseen every inquisition, torture, and execution served to anyone in the past half a decade. I will be more than joyous to ensure your joining of me by coercion. However, after your witnessing, er, enduring of that little display, I'm not entirely sure you sincerely want me exploit force upon you; am I correct?" he asserted coolly, leaning against a column.
"Giving me a choice? My, my, to what do I owe this generosity, Malik?" Sehjaah scoffed.
Noticing his eyes narrow, she quickly added, "But I have acquired a sudden urge for the gardens…"
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Without a glance, Sehjaah and Malik continued toward the gardens.
They strolled silently down a stone path; without a look, without a word, without a care.
Every slight clatter in the garden seemed an unbearable racket to Sehjaah, a deafening hush. The melodious twitter of birds were shrill shrieks, the soft drone of insects was a frustrating buzz, and the gentle breeze rustling through leaves was a pounding cataract. The sun itself seemed to glower with vulgar, blinding ashen glow.
Her heart pounded thunderously within her; it's timed beat petrifying her.
She was alone with him.
HIM.
Unable to further bear the torturous stillness, Sehjaah spoke up.
"Did you want something in particular….?" She started unsurley.
He paused, and looked at her emotionlessly, before continuing down the path.
Sehjaah swiftly swelled with old infuriation.
"The least you can do is answer!" she shrieked, aggravated.
He turned around once more and stood staring thoughtfully at her.
"Take a picture, why don't you? It'll last longer!" she snapped.
Suddenly, he seized her and dropped her in a fountain. The water's icy caress swiftly seeped through her clothes as she raised herself on her hands. She gasped in disbelief; mouth gaping, as her thick, russet hair dangled limply from her ponytail
"Snippy, aren't we?" he asked her casually.
She stared at Malik incredulously.
He shrugged.
"You looked like you needed to cool off." He stated simply.
She screeched inwardly.
This time, he didn't wait for her consent. Snatching her off the fountain, he set her upright, and walked down the path.
She folded her arms across her chest and stood glaring at her soaked gown, streams of water trickling down her cheek.
Oh great…it's wet…and three guesses to what happens to the wearer when silk gets wet?
"Where are you going? I can't possibly walk around in this!" Sehjaah howled at Malik.
"So go change…" he said blandly, still striding down the trail.
"You said wehad to go to the gardens..." Sehjaah trailed off.
"And were here." He added intolerantly.
"You said it was IMPORTANT," she said crossly.
"Oh; that!That doesn't concern you," he replied carelessly over his shoulder.
She stood glaring at him in disbelief.
"YOUR INSUFFERABLE!" she screamed and stalked off toward the palace, missing the devious smirk that played upon his lips as he watched her leave.
Sehjaah muttered incoherently as she dashed through the palace, wishing her quarters were nearer.
"If only I could retract whatever fault I possibly could have committed toward him…He's always doing this to me! Always! Why doesn't he go pick on that strumpet of a—"
"Sehjaah?" Someone asked in amazement.
Sehjaah's head snapped up.
"What happened to you?" Rochelle queried, bemused.
"Erk—long story…" Sehjaah answered unwillingly as she reached her door.
Of all people…
She laughed.
"You do know what you look like, don't you? Or are you simply foolish?"
Suddenly, a thought struck her. Just as she was about to open her door, she turned to Rochelle, sneering.
"Hey Rochelle! Your friends with Malik, right?" Sehjaah called out.
She stared at Sehjaah from over her shoulder.
"Yes…", Rochelle replied slowly, unsure where the conversation would head.
"Ask him what happened. He'll tell you! Much better than I can! He rather enjoyed it, after all," Sehjaah finished, smirking, before triumphantly striding in her room.
Rochelle took one more glance at Sehjaah's dress, added the last comment to her contemplation, and dropped the glass she was drinking, flabbergasted.
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A dangerously livid Malik stormed into her room.
Sehjaah turned to him curiously.
"How did you get a key to my room ? You can come in here whenever you want through the adjoining door—that's bad enough!"
"WHAT DID YOU TELL ROCHELLE?" he roared, ignoring her.
"Exactly what you wanted me to," Sehjaah stated calmly, returning to her book. She fought to suppress the smirk that was threatening to curl the fringes of her lips.
He strode to her desk and snatched her book, flinging it against the farthest wall. Sehjaah's eyes shrank to slits.
"DON'T LIE TO ME! She ran in though a courtroom nearly everyone had been residing in, loudly asking me WHAT I HAD DONE TO MAKE YOUR DISHEVELED DRESS SOPPING WET! You can very well imagine the response to that! The entire room turned to stare! WHAT DID YOU SAY?" he shouted.
She sighed condescendingly.
"Do you recall an incident that occurred previously today in which I provoked you into warning me not to 'contradict you before anyone'?" she began lethargically.
"WHAT OF IT?" he bellowed loudly.
"She wished to know how I had come to the, er, "sopping wet" state she had viewed me in, and I was about to voice the events of the day when I remembered your instructions—I was strictly not to contradict you, under any given circumstances. Well, in fearing I might actually do something of such", she placed her palm dramatically over her heart, "I resolved the matter by telling her to ask you. And I see she listened!" Sehjaah smiled at the end and rose from her chair to fetch her abused volume.
Malik pushed her back down in the chair.
"Do you find this amusing?" he hissed forebodingly.
"Your instructions, your humiliation, or simply you?"
He dug his nails into her right arm; the arm he had earlier twisted. She screamed and struggled in the chair but he forced her still.
"You still take this lightly, don't you?" he asked viciously. "DON'T YOU?"
She hurled her knee into his stomach. Malik grimaced in pain and clutched his side. Using the distraction, she leapt to her feet and was about to sprint to the door when he tightly latched onto her wrist and threw her across the room.
She slammed into the wall with a nauseating thud and dropped to her knees limply. Groaning, she glanced up, horrified to see Malik standing over her. He crouched down before her and, grabbing her chin, forced her to look into his burning lavender eyes.
"A girl your age should act more mature...more weary of her consequences", he murmured poisonously.
Suddenly, he grabbed the collar of her dress and yanked her toward him. His lips crushed hers, taking her aback.
She struggled fruitlessly to cling to consciousness before her surroundings suddenly dove into black.
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She was enveloped by something soft, and warm; but something was not right.
Moaning, Sehjaah's eyes flickered open. She found she was tucked neatly in a bed; her bed, with the covers up to her neck. A cold, clammy object perched on her head. Shaking her head frantically, the item, a cooled cloth, slid down the side of her face.
"Finally awake…" a malicious voice filled the room.
Sehjaah froze. Terrified of what was to come, she turned her head slowly to the source of the sound. Staring back at her from her chair were two vivid, lavender eyes.
"You were out for quite some time," he continued. "It is now some hour in the dead of the night."
Her heart started pounding.
"Night?" Sehjaah exclaimed.
"Yes, the night," he said irritably. "Must I restate everything?"
"I had something important to do….," she said faintly, examining the tight bandages on her right arm, baffled.
Who could have…? My arm seems to have been wrapped professionally... He wouldn't dare tell anyone what he did; would he?
Malik stood and made his way toward her.
"You would have had time if your actions were better calculated."
She inched away,
glaring at the wall next to her.She felt something stroke her hair.
She tensed, glancing at him.
He ran a hand through her thick, russet curls, twining his finger the coils of her hair. He twirled it delicatley, mesmerized.
Sehjaah jerked away from him.
"They were perfectly calculated," she spat.
Snarling. he wrenched his hand back and turned toward the door that connected his room with hers.
"Wait!" she murmured.
He turned to look at her.
"Thank Isis for me…" she croaked.
His brow furrowed in incomprehension.
"What for?"
"For the healing. The bandages ease the pain, and the cloth was very; refreshing."
He narrowed his eyes.
"I treated you," Malik said coldly.
Sehjaah couldn't bring herself to look at him.
An unbearable silence settled between them, throttling Sehjaah. He turned away from her and directed his anger at the wall. She coughed as her gaze darted from one bookshelf to the next. With that, he left to his room through the adjoining door, cape waving behind him.
With much effort, Sehjaah lifted herself off the bed.
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She never imagined his room to be so spacious and exquisitely furnished.
"Malik", she called quietly,
He had been lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He lifted his head in shock.
"I never thanked you…" she stammered grudgingly, "for, the treatment and all…"
"So….thanks…" she quickly turned and slipped out of his room, aware of the astonished lavender eyes following her out.
Curse the forces that compelled my mother to teach me to breathe by manners…
Sehjaah thought bitterly