Chapter Eighty Seven: The Queen Wouldn’t Eat My Soup
Christina's Arc: Bend or Break
I felt so warm in the darkness of a silent room, and something soft kept brushing against my lips. Fingers dug into me, gently kneaded my skin, followed by soft moans. I tried to open my eyes, but the weight was too much. Then teeth found my neck, scraping away layers of calcified armor. My body shook, and when I thought I couldn't take any more, my eyes opened, and Christina was out cold, drooling all over my arm.
Well, that explains the wet feeling.
I gently tugged my arm, trying to roll her off me so I could slip away.
I tugged until she started to roll away.
"Antwon…be gentle with me," she moaned, and then she rolled back into me. She wrapped her arm around my neck and nestled her nose in me.
"It's morning, Christina."
"It's still the weekend…let's sleep some more."
I thought about wasting another day lying around and rejected the idea, but she seemed hellbent on keeping me here.
I scoffed.
"You know, we've got school tomorrow."
"I have school tomorrow."
….
"Antwon…you're mine, and I'm the queen of…the Iron Fan; you don't have to work, hani."
I furrowed my brow, but she didn't even notice.
"I want to go to school. Keeping me here is wasting my potential to better understand this country. Besides that, I'll get lazy and fat."
…
Her breaths were warm and slow. She fell asleep, or she was pretending.
"Wake up…Christina, I'm serious."
I squeezed her tight and kissed her forehead softly, and again. She raised her head until I kissed her left eyelid and left cheek, and once I could have kissed her lips, I stopped. I waited.
"Aw, why did you stop?" She said, slowly opening her eyes.
"No more of that until you stop holding me hostage, or, at least, let me go to school."
She took a deep breath.
"Why the fuck do you want to go back? Everything you could ever want is right here: friends, other boys, and anything you want me to buy."
"How about freedom?"
Her eyes cut low.
"If you behave while we're there, I'll let you. But the moment you start acting foolish, I'm pulling you from Crimson High and sending you to Royal High School in the Courts territory."
"What do you mean by 'act foolish,' Christina?"
"Must we continue this—" I nodded. "You are constantly denouncing my claim. While I suffer it here, because it doesn't matter, I will not tolerate it in allied territory."
I fought the urge to roll my eyes or sigh, but it was so damn hard.
"Fine, but can we eat something now?"
"After you give me my kiss, and let's make this a morning routine."
This is so annoying. I'll play along, but these days are numbered. Sakura will get me out of this.
I leaned in and gave her that damn kiss.
***
We showered and then went to the dining hall, but this one was different. It was filled with servants, and when we entered, they all stood and bowed. I started to bow back when Christina stopped me. "You won't bow to anyone who isn't a queen," she said.
We walked around for a bit. The boys looked on with glassy eyes. I guess her being here was an oddity. We walked until we found Jun, and when she sat down, I sat next to her.
"Carter," he said, his eyes shaky, "she's the queen…the actual queen."
I touched his shoulder and shook him lightly while pointing at Christina with my thumb.
"Who, her? Nah, she's a—"
"Consider this my benchmark for our school life," Christina said.
"She's the queen…" Yup, I nodded.
"But how can…how do you know…" he wiped his forehead.
"You're Saito, correct?" Christina asked.
Jun damn near leaped from his seat and threw himself to the floor. I wanted to stop her because she really hadn't done anything. All I've seen either of them do is act like asses.
"Is this necessary?"
"Yes, but you can get up now."
He stood slowly and gradually sat back down.
"So, you are leaving soon to be with Tetsuzaki, and my consort has taken a shine to you—"
"Consort!" Jun screamed. "I-I was mean to you…I'm so sorry, Mr. Carter."
"No, I told you that it's Antwon."
The dining hall erupted into murmurs.
…
"I see what you did, Christina, but why? I only wanted breakfast—"
"I'll get you breakfast, just tell me what you want, sir!"
"No, let me!"
"Would you all stop! I haven't touched mine yet. You can have mine," Jun said.
I looked at Christina, who flashed her wicked grin and proved her point, and in doing so, I may have lost the only friend I made at this foul estate. If Sakura couldn't beat Christina, this was my life. I'd have no true friends, just court-appointed fools, chasing after her power.
I stood up.
"I'm done here," I said, and then circled around the tables and exited the dining hall.
***
I walked back to the first dining hall, where we had the stupid queen's consort ceremony. It was empty, but there was plenty of food, and I mean plenty. I filled a pot with water and boiled some meat. I wanted to boil some cow tongue, but whatever. I chopped some vegetables and tossed them in, too.
The kitchen door opened, and one of the servants peeked in before running out.
Oh, no. He caught me cooking.
A few minutes after the servant ran off, Christina walked in.
"Antwon… Why did you leave?"
I didn't say anything to her, just continued cooking. I added some seasoning.
"You shouldn't do that. I brought you there to eat, and they would have served you whatever you wanted."
I tasted the broth, which needed more garlic.
"I understand that you are upset, but this is how the other students will see you now, and I wanted you to adjust before you went back to Crimson High."
I turned the stove off because the water started to boil. Christina's voice got closer with each rant.
I walked to the cabinet and pulled out two bowls.
"How dare you ignore me, as if I were nothing!"
I found a pair of chopsticks and placed them next to the bowl, but I could only find one.
"If you keep this up, I won't let you see your family, Antwon! Do you hear me?"
I poured soup into both bowls. I looked around for a stool and found two. I brought them to the bowls of soup.
…
Christina stopped talking. I circled around her and pushed her toward the seats. She sat down, and I moved a bowl and a pair of chopsticks.
"Try it."
She looked at the bowl, then around. I knew what she was waiting for.
"Well, Christina."
I took the chopsticks from her hand and fished out some meat and vegetables. She watched without words as I ate them.
I felt stupid because they were still hot, and I was scalding myself to prove this freaking point.
After I forced them down, I panted like a dog, then I sucked in air.
"I made the soup, Christina, and you wouldn't even try it without someone," I said, my eyes soft, watery from the scalding food, "and you wouldn't even try it without some noble idiot trying it to make sure it's safe."
She looked into my eyes.
"That's the life you live, so different from mine."