Later that afternoon.
Peace is a lie. Especially when it is bought with caramel.
Lady Ellia sat on the floor, scraping the last bits of golden sugar from the jar with a focus that was almost admirable. She looked like a small, sticky angel. Her golden curls bounced as she hummed a little tune.
I sat opposite her, still picking goose feathers out of my hair. My shoes were still tacky from the tree sap, making a wet shluck sound every time I shifted my weight.
Okay, Primrose, I thought, watching the Lion Cub. She's fed. She's sugar-crashed. Now is the time to strike with education.
I knew I couldn't just open a textbook. She would shred it. I needed to be smarter. I needed to use Gamer Logic.
"You know," I said casually, leaning back in my chair. "It's actually a good thing you hate studying. The Emperor was right."
Ellia paused, the spoon halfway to her mouth. Her ears twitched. "What did the Old Man say?"
