Hello, Chimera Here.

Avantika really hated that Chimera smiled so much. It made her skin crawl. His purring voice was even worse, calling her 'darling Avantika'. She wasn't his darling. She wanted to say it, to scream it. She wanted him to act like a polite guest instead of the uncouth brute he was. But she couldn't say anything. She was too afraid to, and she hated that even more. He asked how she'd been and how Art had taken the news of the refused alliance. "He took it well," she replied. They didn't need this alliance, anyway, even if Art did want it. They'd been doing just fine on their own.

Finally, he stood up, tossing his package to her feet. She dipped her head in thanks for the gift, but the king kept talking. 'Why Avantika, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that you weren't happy to see me again.' I wonder why, she thought dryly. It wasn't that far of a journey, so he had no reason to complain. 'Speaking of your brother, are you going to take me to see him or are you planning to keep me all for yourself this evening?' If he said anything like that again, she was going to fight him, alliance or no alliance, fear or no fear. But she only nodded. "Of course."

She trotted away, fighting the urge to backpedal like an idiot so she didn't have to turn her back to him. Where the hell was Art?

"Speech"