The war had ended. No more cannon fire rang out into the night and the woods returned to their regular, serene state.
In the early morning light, Black examined a golden coin that sat little in her large hand. She ran the ridges of her thumb over the print of a jagged tree with hard branches. It shone, just as the thin edges of the coin when caught at certain angles, but she never turned it over. Pressing the profile on the other side well into her palm, she put the piece away once the light lost its sherbet colors. The purples, pinks, and oranges disappeared for white, and Black laid back down upon her mat.
Pleasant hours later, Pearl touched her shoulder to wake her.
"Madame, we're running low on food."
"Hmm?" Those long-lashed eyes opened. "Are we really?"
"Yeah. Should we start heading toward the city?"
"Certainly," she yawned and with no warning at all, clasped Pearl against her chest. Black smashed her poor servant inside an embrace and rolled onto her side, as Pearl yelled. Black laughed and kissed her cheek. "We'll head to town after a while longer. I was enjoying that dream."
Both laid there a long time before heading to town.
The moment they arrived that day, a sobriety inhabited the air. Wherever Black and Pearl walked, the eyes of various gems would cling to them. Ladies dressed to the teeth gasped and covered their lips while lower class gems hid behind houses or tucked themselves into alleys.
They came to the marketplace and the beggars with whom they shared a rank only days ago bowed. The silence came again, washing over the scene as if it radiated from Black Diamond herself. Then a few vendors approached her, and standing amongst them, Topaz came forward. Even visible from a distance away, a worry claimed every muscle of her face, until she stood on nearly equal ground with Black Diamond. At that point, fear sparked within her eyes, and she reached out only to stop halfway to Black's shoulders.
"Is it true?" She asked.
Black Diamond took a step back.
"I'm so sorry," Topaz said. "I should have realized, but I had no idea. To think I could have disrespected you-"
"You've never disrespected me!"
The shout caused the crowd to step back. "I'm so sorry," Topaz said and got onto her knees, bowing. Everyone else followed suit.
Black Diamond shook. The sun beamed down and caught the edge of her gem, sparkling against her lower stomach, to which the crowd pushed themselves further into the dirt, and Black clenched her fists.
"Stop bowing this instant!" Her voice boomed above them. "Get up, all of you!"
Slowly, the people pulled their faces from the ground. Most of which readied to cry as their owners prepared to be hit.
"I don't want any of you to bow to me! I haven't done a damned thing to earn your praise! Get up and treat me like you always have, please!"
Guards watched her from the corners of the square. When they would have arrested anyone else for causing such a ruckus, they let her be. None had even placed her hand upon her sword; they merely glanced on, doing nothing in their polished armor.
"She told someone—" Black marched forward and Pearl followed. "And now the rumor's gotten out. Maybe she told all of them! How could she—"
Any of the gems that saw her coming cleared the way.
"Where are we going?" Pearl, despite her long legs, nearly had to run to keep up.
Black Diamond stopped and showed her the tears in her eyes. "I'm going to give her a piece of my mind." She smeared the streams upon her cheeks. "She needs to answer for this. After we save her life, this is how she repays us? I've never—" Black didn't finish her sentence, but continued onward, driven by fire. Pearl tried her best to keep up.
White Diamond's palace took up the same space a small village would. From just about any point inside the city, one could observe it sitting upon its perfect, grassy hill. A clean, white staircase led to the front gates of the palace, which glowed in silver at the very top like the doorway to heaven itself. Two guards stood before it, watching as that enormous woman and her little Pearl made quick time past each impressive step.
They shook as she came into earshot. Black shouted, "I want to speak to White Diamond!"
"J-Just a moment, Madame."
They whispered amongst one another until one slipped inside the gate and ran into the palace, leaving the remaining quartz to stand and quiver.
"What—" the guard began, "What do you wish to speak about, Madame Black Diamond?"
Upon hearing her name, Black sat upon the stairs and buried her face inside her hands. "They know—they all know. This is a nightmare."
"Oh, my lady." Pearl came to hug her. "I'm sure some gems don't know. Maybe we can go to a secluded village until everyone forgets and this whole thing blows over."
Black merely held Pearl, crying quietly upon her shoulder and only granting her enough room to breathe. In return, Pearl held on as tightly as she could, but only caused her Lady's tears to grow in size and passion.
Finally, the guard returned and took her time in speaking, "Madame—" Black heard her gulp. "My Diamond has agreed to talk to you. She said you're welcome to come in, and that she needs a little time, but we're setting up a waiting area for you now."
Black stood and followed the Quartz. The only sound was that of her shifting clothing and her feet upon the stairs as the three of them walked into the palace.
The columns held the ceiling so high that everyone inside appeared minimal. White Diamond's Pearls, all the same size and wearing the same hairstyle, passed with purpose. Each of them greeted the guests politely before hurrying away, down different corridors.
The main room held sofas, a grand fireplace, rows upon rows of bookshelves, paintings, and a statue of White Diamond herself. Pearl stopped a moment while her lady slowed down.
"It's only a little further, Madame."
"I think this one room is bigger than our old house. I've never seen so many Pearls…"
Black didn't respond. All of them continued to walk until the guard led the guests to another parlor. An entire cornucopia of fresh fruit, cooked meat, and fine cheese awaited them, along with cushions where they could sit.
"White Diamond should be in shortly, Madame."
The warrior still shook.
"Thank you."
When she went away, Pearl ate about five cherries in a few seconds. Black sat and dried her eyes, and both waited.
Pearl, despite keeping one set of fingers going from the table to her mouth, placed her free hand upon her Diamond's. Neither of them talked to one another, but twined their fingers together as the seconds passed. Black went for a cherry just as footsteps neared.
In walked White Diamond, still missing a strand from her bush of hair. She had dressed in a long, flowing robe that displayed her fit arms and legs and the light battle scars that decorated them.
"I'm glad you've come."
Black looked up and White stopped in her tracks. They stared at one another as the breeze blew the curtains around and those wells of ink leaked droplets of water.
"How could you?" Black's words held White in place, as though she had nailed her feet to the floor. "You've ruined everything." Her rivers overflowed again, but her eyes kept tossing their daggers. Only when the current grew too strong did she finally relent.
"I'm sorry." White took a few steps closer. "You have to believe me, I only told a few of my closest gems, but it looks like word got out anyway. I never wanted to hurt you, especially after what you had done for me and my people."
"What are you going to do about this?"
"I can't make it so they don't know, Black Diamond. My questions is: why don't you want them to know?"
She cleaned her face by sweeping her palm across it. "I hate it when they bow to me."
"That's what you're upset about?"
"What did you not understand when I told you I wanted to live a normal life?!" Standing, Black pushed White back one step. "When I came into town today, they all laid down in the dirt and tried to offer up entire baskets of food, like I'm some sort of angry goddess come to smite them! I never wanted my presence to be that kind of burden! Why did you tell anyone at all?"
White watched her, breathing slowly. "I couldn't help but tell someone, but I can have them punished—"
"Don't you dare punish them for something you've trained them to do!"
"What do you want from me, then?"
"I want things to be like they were, before you stabbed me in the back."
White sighed and ran her fingers through her silver hair. "I don't have the power to turn back time."
"It's too bad you couldn't use your powers to keep your mouth shut, but maybe you don't have those abilities either. I would offer to teach you, but I think I've done quite enough for your sake. Come on, Pearl."
"Madame, wait—"
Black Diamond had turned her back, but stopped to listen.
"We came here for food and shelter. Maybe—"
"Is that what you two need? My offer still stands. You're welcome to stay here."
Black didn't respond right away. "Do you want to stay, Pearl?"
"Well…We've been walking all day and given the situation…"
"She's right. I'd be happy to set up a feast for both of you, now that you're here."
"You did this on purpose." Black turned around to accuse White. "You wanted to own me like you do everyone else in this city. You made it so I wouldn't have a choice but to come to this gaudy pit. But I'll stay, only because if I refused, Pearl would follow me."
"That's very considerate of you."
Black walked to the door.
"I never intended to own you, but I am glad you're here."
"I'm sure you are."
"Pearl—" White called one of her servants, who happened to be passing by. "Black Diamond will be staying with us. Please show her to the largest available guest room."
"Yes, My Diamond." That pale thing came to the visitors and bowed. "Please follow me, Madame. We'll be there shortly."
Black and Pearl left White in her parlor, but her eyes followed as they disappeared behind a corner. She then walked back into the room, set a cherry into her mouth and spat the pit into her open palm.