A/N: IT'S ALIVVVEEEEEEE! And here we finally have Day 2! Hopefully not all the days will be as long as Day 1, but after the end of this chapter, they just might have to. Hope everyone enjoys! Thanks for still reading this absolute crack!

Day 2

"Who would have thought that the palace had such great quality upholstery?" Talis looked over to the sitting area, its furniture sporting large holes where the fabric used to be. "I feel so Maria Von Trapp from the Sound of Music."

They had spent the better part of their second day in quarantine with Addison...or, rather, tearing her room up in the name of fashion. It wasn't like the royal family wasn't rich enough to afford some reupholstery once the quarantine blew over. The choice between some old couches and their nerves was an easy one. So, they didn't think twice before putting their shears to work and sewing their little heart out.

Reclining in the remains of an armchair, they assessed their work. The results were truly astonishing. Genius.

"I don't know about this, Talis," Addy said, moving her arms from side to side to test her mobility. "The sleeves...they're a little bold. You know boho isn't my style"

Talis gasped and placed a hand to their chest, offended. There was nothing boho about this spur of the moment recycled neo-dystopian hipster collection! This was definitely going to blow Evelyn D'Aramitz out of the water, perhaps even get Talis their own fashion house. They didn't say any of that out loud, however, keeping their emotions in check.

Addison is in distress. She needs you. She doesn't mean to hurt your feelings, Talis repeated like a mantra. Even speaking (read: squealing) to her beloved fiancé for an hour last night hadn't pulled her out of this mercurial mood.

They got up and walked over to Addy, taking her hand.

"This is a nation-wide crisis! Now is the time to be bold, and you can't be bold without a wardrobe to match. God forbid someone catch you wearing yesterday's clothes. It's a small palace and we all know rumors spread like a disease. That's the real pandemic," Talis gave Addy's hand a final squeeze and a quick smile before returning to their chair. They kicked their legs over the arm. "Now, turn for me."

Addy did as she was told and turned in a circle. The high slit on the skirt was a tad risqué, but she had the legs to pull it off. The sleeves billowed as she moved. The cut outs in the back and in the singular legging were just the right amount of chaos. Perfect.

"You sure they're not too loud?" Addy asked as she picked at a hem, unconvinced that blue florals were the right choice. Talis, themself, was so confident in the choice that they wore a crop top and cut out harem pants in the same material.

Talis frowned. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Addy sighed and gave up, as she always did. Talis smiled, pleased with themself that they had once again steered the princess into greatness. She buckled her platform gogo boots - a relic from Halloweens long ago that she could not bear to part with - and Talis had to admire her eye for accessories.

"Now, let's go," Addison stepped out into the empty hall and expected Talis to follow. "I want to get some footage before the sun goes down. Golden hour is so hard to time, and I don't want to disappoint my followers."

Addy's blog had all of eighty-five followers, most of which were bot accounts Talis paid for, but they didn't tell her that. Addy's dream was to be a lifestyle blogger. It wasn't her fault that no one wanted to see her flaunt all her wealth and privilege.

"You, Housekeeper!" Addy snapped her fingers, drawing the attention of a frazzled blonde woman pushing a cart of food. The woman was confused to be summoned away from her current duty. Addy rolled her eyes. "Yes, you, over here," she sighed, waving the woman over. The servant eventually abandoned her cart and came over to curtsey before Addy's greatness. "Clean this up, will you?" Addy asked, though it was more of a demand. "Not a single feather left on the floor by the time I get back."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Talis offered the woman a quick smile of appreciation before hurrying after Addy. She was on a war path today, focused in a way Talis rarely saw her. What ever it was, it was better than last night: non-stop sobbing over how hard it was to be separated from the love of her life. Talis had heard Addison compare Li-Jun's existence to everything from the stars in the sky to the air that she breathed. Somehow, his phone call only made his absence worse. If she wanted to make blog posts instead of cry, Talis was all for it.

They ended up on the landing just before the main foyer. It was remarkably busy, which reminded Talis just how real this quarantine thing was. They were stuck in a palace with total strangers for the unforeseen future. Would Talis ever get used to this?

"Oh my god it's my brother," Addy jumped behind Talis, making herself small as to avoid being seen, the blog forgotten. "Hide me!"

Talis barely had time to react before the Prince of Illéa himself came bounding up the stairs in their direction. They didn't understand why Addy insisted on being so terrible to her only brother, but they were well past the point of trying to remedy that relationship. Addy had her own flaws to work on...not that Talis would ever tell her she had flaws. They did value their head.

"Hiding behind a skinny twink?" Avery asked, bending himself to look behind Talis' body. "I'd say that's a new one, but I've seen your fiancé so - "

Talis had to physically hold Addy back from gouging Avery's eyes out, and she wasn't even the one being insulted! Sometimes Avery could be such a jerk!

Kill him with kindness, Talis told themself and plastered on a smile. They took Avery's hand in their own, much like they had taken Addy's minutes before. "Honey, it takes one to know one."

'Excuse me!" Avery took a step back and yanked his hand away, his voice going up three octaves, scandalized. "I am completely heterosexual! I love women, thank you very much."

"Mmmmmmm and I'm the Pope."

Talis kept the smile on their face until Avery decided to get his act together.

"Have either of you seen JR? Tall, unfairly gorgeous musician?"

Talis had never heard of this JR person, but they must have been important to Avery. Nothing made Avery nervous, and that boy was a bundle of nerves. He kept bouncing on his toes and peeking at the crowd of people down below. In his hands, Avery held a CD - an actual silver compact disc, where did he even get one of those these days? - and drummed his fingers on the pink plastic case. He had written on the CD in hot pink sharpie: Super Cool Playlist, Much Better Than Beethoven!

"Did you stay up all night making him a mixtape?" Addy scoffed, a wicked smile on her face. Her confidence always bounded back when she could be mean to her brother. Talis would take the time to analyze that, but they simply didn't care. "What happened to 'I am completely heterosexual?'"

"I am! And I didn't!" Avery's ears burned bright red. "He just - he has terrible taste in music. I need to educate him!"

"I thought you just said he was a professional?"

"That means nothing," Avery sniffed and turned his attention to the crowd.

"It's probably just a one hour loop of S&M slowed and reverbed," Addy muttered to Talis. They nodded in agreement.

Avery remained oblivious. He scanned the crowd like a man possessed, until finally he cried, "Oh my God, there he is! JR!"

Whoever this mysterious music man was, Talis couldn't pick him out. And he certainly wasn't rushing over to join their entourage.

"Maybe he can't hear me," Avery said and adjusted his volume even louder. "JR!"

"Okay, love, that's enough," Talis said, placing a hand over Avery's mouth. There was only so much off-pitch screaming their poor ears could take.

"Wait him?" Addy asked and pointed to a man trying to not-so-discreetly remove himself from the room. Talis didn't blame him, wishing they, too, could follow after this JR person. "That guy looks exactly like you."

"I knew there was a reason he was so handsome," Avery gasped, overcome with revelation. He turned to the mirror on the wall and studied his reflection, watched himself run a hand through his coiffed hair. "We share the same, perfect face."

"Gag me with a spoon." Addy rolled her eyes so hard it was a surprise they didn't roll out of her head.

"Addison!" cried a girl from across the hall. She had showered and put on a fresh face of make up, so she had to be one of the more important guests. She also had zero chill and was dressed like a modern day Audrey Hepburn. She acted like Audrey too, down to the double kisses she planted on both Addy's cheeks. "So good to see you again, darling!"

"Who are you?" Addy asked, shaking herself from her stupor.

"Oh Addison, you're so funny!" the girl said with a laugh, batting at her. That, or she was trying to show off her gold tennis bracelet. Hard to tell.

"No, seriously, who is she?" Addy said, to Talis this time. It was hard not to laugh at how hard the girl's was trying not to let her annoyance slip through the cracks. The end result was something between botched Botox and constipation. Talis recognized her, of course. They had a knack for faces.

"Rori Winfield. She's that actress from..." Talis trailed off, scratched their temple, and smiled apologetically. "What were you in, again?"

Rori was over trying to play nice with them. She turned her back to Addy and Talis, moving her focus to Avery, who had yet to acknowledge her existence as he was too busy staring after the space JR used to inhabit. God only knew what kind of sick and twisted fantasies were running through that shallow, empty brain.

"I've been looking everywhere for Cameron. The little hussy asked to borrow my favorite diamond earrings for the party and now she's not returning any of my messages," Rori complained, as if any one of them cared.

"Well, it's not like she could have gone anywhere," Avery said.

"Not unless she snuck out before the lockdown."

"In that case, I wouldn't want to be her."

"Shut up! This is serious!" Rori whined. She actually stomped in her red bottoms. "Those earrings are Winfield family heirlooms! Mommy and Daddy will have my head if I've lost them."

"Can't you just get Niko to buy you a new pair?" Avery suggested, put out. He looked two sentences away from a tantrum. Clearly, Rori knew how to push Avery's buttons. Talis had to respect it.

"He already offered," Rori said with a flip of her hair. "But those diamonds are special. They mean a lot to my family. It has to be them. Won't you help me find Cameron? Pleaseeeeee Avery? For me?"

She bat her eyelash extensions in Avery's direction. Talis wondered if she knew she had a better chance at seducing a flower pot.

"Fine," Avery sighed and pouted his bottom lip.

Why Rori thought Avery could be of any help was beyond Talis. Avery frequently needed help opening his foundation jar or reaching something on a top shelf. And she wanted him to find someone for her? Addison and Talis shared a conspiratorial look.

You thinking what I'm thinking? Addy's brows asked with a subtle arch.

Follow them and enjoy the absolute chaos? Talis's gaze over the rim of their glasses replied.

YAAASSSSS!

It wasn't that Talis enjoyed watching people struggle. On the contrary, it hurt their heart to see someone so helpless in a situation. It was just...Avery needed to be knocked down a peg or ten at all times. Watching him be humbled by doing what he probably considered a 'servant's job' was a satisfying experience anyone could enjoy.

"Okay...where was Cameron's assigned room?"

"Umm, next to mine I think." Rori pulled out her phone and shot a quick text. "I'll get Niko to meet us there. We can use him for the heavy lifting."

"Thank God. I just got my nails done, and who knows when I'll get the chance again."

"Same!"

The two compared manicures while Talis and Addy trailed behind. So far they showed surprising intelligence. Talis had been half convinced they would spend half a day walking laps around the palace.

"A hundred bucks says they quit in fifteen minutes," Talis bartered.

"A hundred and fifty says they quit in ten," Addy countered.

"Done."

They shook on it, sealing the deal just as they approached a standard set of double bedroom doors. Niko was waiting for them, one shoulder leaned up against the doorframe. Rori was exceedingly pleased to see him, beaming from head to toe. Niko looked like he would rather be back in his room.

The doors opened with surprising ease. No one was inside, surprise surprise. It didn't even look like Cameron had checked in for the night, not a single Louis, Michael, Chanel, Hermes, or Balenciaga in sight. Talis took it as a gross misuse of space. There were servants sleeping in the halls like dogs yet this gorgeous space went empty! The inhumanity was jarring.

The group of them turned the lights on and spread out through the room.

"Alright, we're looking for diamonds people. Let's get to it!" Rori clapped her hands and got to work, expecting everyone to follow suit. She had another thing coming.

Addy plopped down on a chair and started scrolling through her phone, no doubt pulling up her live feed for her blog. She could probably spin this as some kind of mini-mystery to entertain Talis - er, her followers. Meanwhile, Talis took to studying the drapery in this room. The patters were different - bold gold strokes overtop a black backdrop - but the material was the same. It could make a good addition to their collection. Maybe as some nice deconstructed gauchos, or a floppy hat. All they needed was a couple samples -

"You're not looking hard enough!" Rori snapped as she overturned a pillow cushion...as if a grown ass woman could legitimately use it as a hiding place.

"I'm not a miracle worker!" Avery fired back. At least he had slightly more brain cells, choosing to check behind the curtains.

"It's not like she's gonna be hiding in the closet," Avery sighed and rolled his eyes, so similar to Addy had earlier it was scary.

"You would know," Addy muttered under her breath.

As soon as Avery turned the handle, a body fell out of the closet.

Avery jumped and ran smack into Talis. Addy screamed so loud it rattled the chandelier. Rori flung herself into Niko's arms and buried her face into his chest. Niko looked like he was two seconds away from passing out and falling on top of Rori.

But this wasn't just anyone's body...it was Cameron Garcia's body.