For long hours, neither Black Diamond nor Pearl woke. They huddled together beneath the blankets, unmoving, as the daylight grew more and more intense.
On a few occasions, one of White's Pearls came to check on them. She would poke her head in, observe the slow-breathing lump beneath the covers, and leave. The process repeated until Black Diamond opened her eyes and sat up, peeling back the heavy layers, and rubbed the sleep from her lashes. She looked at Pearl, whose hair tangled from her sleeping on it while wet. She snored softly and didn't even twitch when her Diamond moved some of the hair from her face. Black allowed her fingers to coast along her cheek before exiting the bed.
Pins and needles claimed her legs upon contact with the ground, but she continued regardless. Black's blurry and fresh vision had brought her toward the table at the other end of the room, where a pile of cherry pits and bread crumbs awaited on a dirty plate set at the right most corner. What remained was still a fairly adequate feast, but someone had made a substantial dent. About ten whole cherries remained, with one loaf of bread and a healthy basket of other fruits Pearl had yet to victimize.
Black Diamond began popping cherries into her mouth and spitting out the pits when a pale Pearl knocked on the door frame. Without expecting an answer, she stuck her head in, met gazes with Black Diamond, gasped and stood back outside immediately.
"You can come in."
"My apologies, Madame." She bowed upon reentering and avoided eye contact by setting her focus on the floor. "My Diamond requested that I check on you, and make certain that you're satisfied. Do you desire anything at all, my lady?"
"No, Pearl. Thank you. You're free to go."
"Thank you, Madame, but I have one other matter my Diamond requested I speak to you about."
Black broke off a piece from the remaining loaf of bread. "What is it?"
"White Diamond would like to speak with you over dinner, Madame."
Her fingers crushed the bread flat. "No, thank you."
"Yes, ma'am. I'll let her know momentarily."
"You won't get in trouble, will you?" Black turned to her, but the Pearl continued to bow with her attention to the tiles.
"No, ma'am. I doubt that I will."
"In that case, thank you, Pearl."
"Yes, ma'am," and the servant went away.
Black Diamond continued to eat. She finished the last of the cherries and made her way through half of the loaf of bread, but each new bite only brought out the emptiness in her stomach. She finished the loaf and wiped her eyes, cleaning them continuously as she made her way to the strawberries, plums, and apples. With one hand, Black Diamond fed herself and with the other, cleaned her tears. They nearly choked her on a few occasions, but she didn't stop eating, nor did she stop crying. Black continued until her stomach felt full, at which point she sat at the end of the bed and collected each slow-rolling drop.
The sheets shifted. "My Lady—" Pearl's joints cracked as she landed next to her Diamond. "Are you okay?"
Black hid her face inside her hands.
In response, Pearl wrapped her arms around her mistress and all of her wild hair. The embrace hung around her like a necklace someone had set over her head, and eventually, Black Diamond returned it.
"I'm sorry you're upset."
"I am too, Pearl. I feel as though we need to leave, but I'm not sure where to go and I don't want to stay here a moment longer. I'm compelled to take some kind of action, but I haven't any idea what and it's terrible."
Pearl held her Diamond a little tighter.
"I suppose we should go soon," Black said. "I don't want to risk running into her. I'd rather not speak."
"Are you sure? I was hoping I could show you the bathhouse."
"Bathhouse? But there's a river not too far from here."
"But—" Pearl furrowed her brows and gave up. "Alright, my lady. It's up to you."
Black Diamond set her hands upon Pearl's shoulders. "If you want to show me, we can go. I didn't realize it was important to you."
"It's not really that. I guess—I just wanted to wash your hair, My Lady. Maybe you'll feel better."
"Okay," she wiped beneath her bottom lashes again, where the stress had made dark bags and water flowed like a riverbank, then cleared her throat. "Let's go then, if that's what you want to do."
"I do. It's been a long time, hasn't it? I feel like I haven't washed your hair since we left."
"It's been years." Her focus clung to the tapestry, presenting White Diamond's garden and all its flowers in bloom. "I can't believe how long it's been."
"Let's go then. Show me, please."
"Yes, My Lady."
Black Diamond and Pearl exited the room with soap in hand and made the long trip down the hall together. With an empress by association in tow, the pair caught even more attention than Pearl by herself, and passing gems began to stop and bow. Their eyes widened when they caught her, and they might have gasped as they dipped their heads in reverence. Black Diamond responded by sighing.
It went on that way until they finally reached the bath, having been gasped at when they removed their clothing, and gasped at when they went to the water, and gasped at when they entered it. Black Diamond didn't look at any of them. She barely regarded Pearl, focusing on her hazy feet beneath the steaming water while Pearl set shampoo into her hair.
All the others had moved to the corners of the pool to allot them plenty of room. Many quickly finished, leaving only Black Diamond and Pearl.
Both sat in silence as the waves whispered. Even when Black Diamond shed a few tears, she never spoke to accompany them, nor did Pearl respond. She simply did her work and distributed the shampoo through her lady's thick locks.
The water swirled with the remnants of dusty pink soap, but no gold glitter settled along the water's surface as it had years ago. Instead of collecting the markings of a queen, the soap brushed away the dirt and sweat of their travels. This bath was much too large, much too public; the private moment shared between Black Diamond and Pearl became a spectacle for the curious gazes of White Diamond's court.
They finished when Black took the soap and cleaned her body herself, rinsing her dirt away. Then they dressed in their old clothes, returned to the room, and began preparing their bags.
Black Diamond had already loaded hers by the time Pearl had taken her pack from the ground.
"My Lady," she said, "Are you feeling better?"
Black rolled her lips. "Perhaps a little? I'll have to see, once we leave this place."
Pearl hesitated. She picked beneath her nails and swallowed the sentence fragments in her throat. "Are you certain you don't want to stay just a little while longer, My Diamond?"
Black gave her a look that was nearly as sharp as one of the corners of her gem, but looked away once Pearl's face wrenched in pain.
"I am certain, Pearl. And I wish you wouldn't call me 'My Diamond,' even if you are nervous." She started toward the door. "Let's try to find somewhere no one will recognize us."
"Alright," Pearl said and followed her Diamond into the wilderness.
All of White's servants greeted them on the way out. Each of the Pearls, the Quartzes, and any noble lady stopped and bowed to Black Diamond. Every one of them waited until she passed before going back to their business. Some stood there, long seconds after both she and her Pearl had moved on, having stared at the floor in reverence.
After corridor upon corridor of groveling servants, Black Diamond and Pearl finally reached the back entrance which led directly to White's garden. They squinted in the sunlight but were blinded by the added glow of multicolored scales and the nonstop sparkling of a certain stone.
"Are you truly leaving?"
"We are. Thank you for your hospitality, White." Black took a few steps into the grass before the other Diamond spoke again.
"You're welcome to stay longer. You both only just arrived here."
"I'm aware, thank you."
White took her hand from Luna's chin and kept pace with Black, walking by her side. "Will you speak to me for just one moment?"
Black kept up quick steps before White passed her. They caught one another's glances and Black stopped, but didn't relent. The light hit her irises and showed her Diamond-shaped pupils—the same variety she connected stares with at that moment.
Black crossed her arms. "I'm listening."
"Thank you. I'll try and make this quick. I understand that you're angry with me, but if you're not going to stay, I'd like to at least pay you back somehow. After all, I wouldn't be here to enjoy my newly unified empire if it weren't for you. I've prepared gifts—"
"I don't need any gifts, thank you." Black began to walk away and Pearl followed.
"Don't you care to hear what they are?"
"No, thank you."
"Black, please." White followed closely, easily. The pace led them all to the edge of her garden.
Black Diamond turned around. "Stop. I don't want you to follow me and I'm not interested in your gifts. I appreciate your generosity, but you've done enough."
"I'm sorry."
Neither moved. Where any lesser gem might look away, White held Black just as fiercely in her gaze. Her silver brows had bent and her plump lips frowned, but she didn't turn away. "Even if you won't accept my gifts, I'm grateful to you, Black Diamond. If you ever find yourself less angry with me and you're in need of anything at all, come back. You're always welcome here. That's all I wished to say."
With that she turned away and walked back to Luna, who set their foreheads together after releasing a mouthful of smoke. Black stood exactly in her place, fists clenched, and she too made a fire in her throat. For a brief moment, she turned to look at White, whom Luna cuddled mercilessly. For the few seconds their attention sparked, the dragon set her chin upon her master's head and closed her eyes, having flattened some of her silver hair.
Black Diamond turned away and continued down the lush side of the mountain.