Author's note:

I feel that it is important to mention that this next section contains a trigger warning for anorexia. All chapters following this one that contain the same or similar themes will also be tagged.

Cleo followed behind her father, leaving Nefera in her room with several servants. Of course Nefera had been faking, and their father had seen through it this time. It was disappointing that he hadn't been more harsh on Nefera for wasting his time, but Cleo still had to smile at the fact her sister hadn't had her own way this time. "I'll go back to my room now, daddy. If I see that horrid rat again, or find out how it got in, you'll be the first to know."

"You will bot be alone, daughter. I hope you did not forget about my rules already!" It seemed like Ramses was angrier at Cleo for saying this to him than at Nefera for faking a sickness. "There will be several servants with you in your room. Always." It was silent until Ramses remembered something else his daughter had to know.

"Oh, and, Cleo? I've just called Headmistress Bloodgood. She was as rude as the other commoners, but that was not surprising. She seems to know Medusa Gorgon and I do not think anybody who is conneceted to THIS WOMAN can act respectful!

Anyway, you are going to be home schooled again after the holidays. Just like in the old days when you were a lot smaller."

Ramses did not seem to want to discuss this subject. It was something he just told his daughter because it was important for her to know. Nothing else! Ramses did not wish to be bothered by his daughters for the rest of the evening. He had much work to catch up on.

"Of course I didn't forget daddy…" she decided not to mention having overheard his phone conversation. "… I'll try my very royal best with the new mentor, Daddy. I'm sure you'll be very impressed."

"You had better do that, daughter." Ramses said darkly as he left his daughter.

Cleo followed the two servants back to her chambers for the evening. Maybe tomorrow would bring something better.

There were no more troubles happening in the evening and Cleo went to sleep.

It was a sunny morning when she woke up.

Sitting up in her bed and stretching, Cleo thought to herself that today already seemed better than the day before. She had gotten a full night's rest, without a certain someone bothering her, the new night light glowed wonderfully (she had managed to keep that from her shopping spree, at least), and the rich and wonderful scent of breakfast was already wafting in through the door to her tomb.

There was a lot of work still to be done to regain her father's approval, but today seemed like an excellent day to start.

Nefera was already awake. It was nice weather outside, so she and her father decided to eat their breakfast on the balcony. It was huge and golden, full of luxury of all kind.

The discussion Ramses and Nefera had was anything but pleasing though. It was about the appointment Nefera had tomorrow. Nefera told her father about her horrible health state and that she could not possibly go out tomorrow, but he did not seem to care.

That wasn't fair! He could be happy that she was even alive after the traumatic spectacle yesterday! Nefera felt exhausted. It was a wonder that she even survived last night! Not even the white truffles in front of her could make her feel better. Her father was so cold-hearted! Didn't he have feelings?! Nefera was feeling sick! In the end, it would be Ramses' fault if his poor, god-like daughter died!

Cleo took her breakfast in her room, contemplating what she should do today. She couldn't exactly leave the building, and it would probably be for the best if she didn't leave her room either. But what was there to do? There was no way Cleo was going to start studying again yet, that could wait until home schooling began.

Perhaps she could spend some time reorganizing her jewellery and wardrobe. She hadn't exactly spent much time on it while unpacking the day before, and if she couldn't buy anything new for now, then resorting the old usually gave her a smile anyway. Perhaps she would find some old, forgotten gem of an outfit to wear today.

Minutes passed and Cleo heard steps near her room. It was Nefera who was going to her own room. She needed to be alone now. The conversation with her father had been extremely traumatic for Nefera. She honestly just wanted to sit in the corner and cry her eyes out about that stupid appointment. Again she felt so pressured by her father. She was seriously scared to go there, but nobody knew that, and Ramses would not tolerate another excuse or take 'no' as an answer.

The risk that someone could hear or see her crying, made Nefera decide not to get too emotional about it. Crying was for pathetic losers and she was not one of them. No, she was a winner… Wasn't she?

With a big feeling of insecurity, Nefera walked to her mirror, critically looking at herself. She wondered if she would be the prettiest model at the audition tomorrow. She had to be! And did Nefera have eye problems or did she seriously gain weight? As fat like that she could impossibly face so many skinny models! Oh Ra, why was life so cruel?

Cleo was still busy organizing her earrings - but where were her purple scarab wings? Nefera could take her dresses, there were even some pairs of shoes she didn't mind being 'borrowed', but she could not have those purple scarab wing earrings!

Cleo knew full well that her sister had returned to her own room from breakfast - she had a very distinctive gait, even audibly - so perhaps it was time for an intervention.

She turned to her servant overseers. "Escort me to my sister's room, I wish to speak with her."

The servants looked at each other and eventually nodded at Cleo. They escorted Cleo to Nefera's room, just as ordered. When they opened the door, WITHOUT KNOCKING, Cleo saw her sister, standing in front of her mirror in underwear, critically touching her waist and hips. Nefera got a shock when she heard the door opening. The princess screamed dramatically. Were these losers unable to knock on the door?! She just wanted to be alone for some minutes! Was that impossible?! Stupid peasants, argh!

Cleo looked in through the open door and saw her sister parading around in her underwear. In her own opinion, without the layers of bandages covering her abdomen Nefera looked more than model-thin. No wonder Cleo struggled to wear her sister's custom clothing. "I take it you're getting prepared for the interview." Cleo stated, innocently enough.

"Get! Out! Of! My! Room!" Nefera yelled, throwing shoes after them. It weren't her shoes though. It were the ones she had 'borrowed' from her sister.

Nefera would go to her father later and tell him about their servants' inappropriate behavior! These perverts needed to get fired! It was clearly their plan to stalk Nefera why she was almost naked!

Cleo dodged a shoe as one of the servants closed the door. She yelled to her sister through the sealed entryway "I just want to know if you have my purple scarab earrings!?"

No answer. Three minutes later, the door opened again. Nefera stood there, wearing a short, golden dress. But that was not the only thing she wore. Together with the dress, she wore exactly the earrings Cleo had asked for. She hadn't been wearing them before. (Another clear sign that Nefera was made out of pure evilness…)

"Oh, do you mean these?" She asked, pointing to the earrings while wearing a fake smile.

"Yes, those." Cleo said bitterly. "Will you be wearing that to the audition?"

Nefera laughed at her sister's reaction. "I don't know," she answered almost happily. "I would give them back to you, but they look much better on me." She laughed again.

After the fat disappointment she had seen in the mirror, putting Cleo down was something that she needed to do to feel better about herself. Nefera tried to think of more things to hurt Cleo with.

"How was breakfast? You were all alone, weren't you? No wonder, nobody likes you anyway." Nefera fake laughed. She was depressed from the ugly figure she had seen in the mirror and it added to her insecurities. It really did. Nefera hoped that Cleo would feel as bad as Nefera did now.

"Breakfast was fine, thank you. I take it you ate with daddy. Not in your underwear, I hope." She tried her very best not to let Nefera get to her. Everything she said was a lie, anyway. Of course she was loved, and of course those earrings looked better on her.

"Tzzz," she pushed Cleo away, sadly not hard enough to make her fall down the stairs. What a shame.

Even if she honestly thought the opposite of herself right now, Nefera kept on making herself look strong. "I look beautiful in my underwear."

Keep going, Nefera!

"Even daddy knows that."

…Uhm… maybe that addition was a little too much…

"You will never be as beautiful as me, and if you don't get out of my way now, I am going to tell daddy that you… Whatever, I will think of something. Now leave me alone!" Nefera said angrily, pushing her sister again.

Deep, deep inside, she actually felt very embarrassed. Nefera hoped that Cleo didn't think of her sister that she was fat and ugly.. But what if she did?

What if Cleo told everyone what she just had seen? Everyone would talk about it and laugh at Nefera! That was something she couldn't handle. She grabbed her sister's shoulder in an attempt to keep herself from fainting. Nefera didn't feel good. Not at all.