Sonder

It was a cool day in the capital, through the window of the shop; Lovata could look down below at the citizens of Suluvia that littered the streets like a heard of sheep, all headed to their individual destinations. Morning rush hour was one of her favorite things to see; witnessing the hardworking people of this kingdom, who work so hard every day to make it the world power that it currently is today; was one of the very few things that warmed her heart now.

Though you could've never told how busy it was outside if you didn't bother to look out the window as it was unbearably quiet inside the shop. The only sounds present inside was Mrs. Nim’s low humming, the ticks of an antique clock located on top of the shelf, the occasional flock of seagulls that flew over the shop, and the sound of her mentor changing the page of an outdated newspaper in the corner of the room. The structure of the building was almost made entirely of wood, which was rare considering for over two centuries suluvians had opted for stone and marble interiors to help prevent the ever-growing tree scarcity crisis in Eswos.

Mrs. Nim’s sweet humming is suddenly cut short by the rough sound of someone clearing their throat, much to her annoyance as she was enjoying the melody.

”Excuse me but may I give my input for a moment?”

Lovata turns her sight from the window to find her mentor Ms. Erith up and close, scanning her front side.

”Back up and give me some damn space, ” Lovata growls. Ms. Edith in return simply ignores the threat and waves her off, pissing Lovata off even more than she already was.

”Perhaps you could heighten that part right there near the chest area a little bit... remember Mrs. Nim, this is one of the most important events in history not a lady in the night party;” Ms. Erith says as she walks around the platform that lovata stood on, she rubs her chin with her hand clearly revising the dress in her mind.

Lovata could hear a low almost nonexistent grumble of annoyance from behind the platform, she couldn’t help but smirk a bit. It was nice to see someone experience, even if just a little bit of what she has had to deal with for the past four years.

”I am simply following the measures sent to me from the wedding coordinators ma'am, ” Mrs. Nim says as she carefully measures the train; clearly trying her best to not lose her focus.

”Oh the coordinators, ” Ms. Edith rolls her eyes.

“Leave the woman be, she has already done more for me these past few hours than you have ever done for the past four years, Erith;” Lovata sighs, respectfully she should address Erith as ma'am but that's the problem; she holds no respect for her at all.

She was assigned to Lovata four years ago after her parent decided that she wasn't up to par with the social standards held for a royal lady. She'd wondered why she was sent here supervise the appointment when they should've sent the woman to go book a hair appointment down the street; she needed it no doubt with her vastly receding hairline. She also had wrinkles where Lovata never even knew wrinkles could exist at, she was a horrid thing to look at.

She looked to the left corner of the shop to where the middle-aged woman stood observing each and every outdated newspaper from off of the shop’s shelf. She hated the woman with a deep burning passion in her heart so much so that if she was given the okay, Lovata definitely would not publicly admit it out loud but there is a chance that she could kill her with ease and not feel any remorse... But that's not on the top of her bucket list, yet at least.

“I am only having your best interest at mind child, this is your sister’s, the crown princess’s wedding. It is absolutely imperative that you look appropriate at this event, there surely won’t be another one like this in a long time to come,” Erith’s face becomes stern.

”Hopefully it never happens again, ” Lovata’s voice was quiet but her heart and body shook with rage at the mention of this joke of a wedding. That's what she hoped it was, a joke... an elaborate and pathetic way to, ”Unite the Drezlis and Suluvian people as a whole again.” As her future brother in law had said in an even more pathetic speech when he and Arlayna had finally announced their engagement to the public.

The response was not kind if both nations had thought the relations between drezlis and suluvians were bad before... They were highly mistaken. People of bother lands we're attacked unprovoked by the other for months after the announcement. Drezlis and suluvians alike went missing, Suluvia’s flag was burned; perhaps the only time Lovata would excuse such action of disrespect. Riots ensure in the capital where we had to call in the military to hold them off from infiltrating Waerlden Palace.

Their mother and father was surprisingly a lot quieter than she'd thought they would be. Father seemed more extensively against it while mother on the other hand... Nobody had any clue of where her mind is at the moment. When Lovata had asked her older brother Feno’s thoughts about it he had simply stated;

”May Mother Nature's grace still be with us, ” and simply gave her fabricated reassuring look.

The youngest of the family, lensa, was undoubted excited by the extravagant decor and outfits that would be present.

”Lovata we’ve been assigned a tailor for our dresses that we will wear at the wedding!” Lensa’s eyes gleamed and her body was jumpy with excitement.

”Oh really?, ” she'd plainly said in response, no matter how hard she tried; she could not match Lensa’s happiness for the situation.

”Yes really... are you okay sister?” Lensa’s brown eyes dimmed with concern.

Lovata suddenly felt a wave of guilt hit her, she hated to take away from her sister's happiness, but perhaps it would be doing good to show her that this wedding could mean the death of Suluvia and what it stands for. She ultimately opted for the easier way out, ”Yes I'm fine, it's just my medicine... It tends to wear me out;” she fakes a reassuring smile.

Lensa’s smile returns full force, ”Oh really? Well, why don't you get some rest then?” Lens suddenly plants a strong, right hug on her and whispered, ”I love you... Well, bye then see you at the fitting!” She skips off and soon disappears around a large marble pillar.

You'll learn soon enough Lensa

Mrs. Zim suddenly tightens a corset around her waist, causing Lovata to suddenly snap out of her daydreaming and take a large breath intake.

”What the hell, why don't you just rip out my lungs while you're at it?” She turns and sneers at the seamstress, Mrs. Zim moves to apologize but is interrupted as Ms. Erith’s face becomes a horrified expression as if someone had walked in on her while she was in the bathroom.

”By her grace, your language your highness!” She exclaims, ”A royal lady of Suluvia uses no such vulgar words, ” She then scolds.

In return Lovata with a face free of expression simply stuck her index down at her

translation: ”Go to oblivion.”

”You have got to be one of the most kubold little brat I've ever served! You are the only person that can make me believe that Mother Nature can make mistakes because there is no plausible way that she allowed you to be born so privileged, as you absolutely don't deserve it!” Mrs. Erith suddenly stands red in the face with anger, her newspaper now on the floor.

”how typical, mentioning , ” Lovata says in a mocking tone.

With that Mrs. Edith stomps across the room in her dress shoes, creating loud clicking sounds across the polished wood floor; the room shakes in rhythm with her steps. She stops in front of the platform that Lovata stood on. The seamstress backs away terrified, while Lovata’s face remains amused and unchanged.

”U-Uh I must go grab more thread... I'll be right back your highness.” Mrs. Zim does a hasty bow and quickly paces out of the room and disappears around the curtain that seemingly leads to the back of the shop.

”You watch your tone girl when you speak of the Mother, she has blessed the world; but I am sure that she has blessed Suluvia even more, you could have been born in the slum countries such as Elabal or may the mother forsake it even, Drezlen,” Mrs. Erith seems to find it difficult to say the name of Suluvia’s dreaded rival. Perhaps that is the only thing that she a Erith could agree on, they both had a deep hatred for the Republic of Drezlen.

Lovata’s face slightly becomes a grimace when the name of the wretched nation reached her name, ”I see Erith, ” she nods with a thoughtful look.

”Do you really?” Mrs. Erith asks irritable, clearly not believe a word of what Lovata said.

”Yes, I truly do this time... you do visit the temple quite often?”

Mrs. Erith’s face that was full of anger a few seconds ago is now replaced with confusion, ”Yes I quite regularly do... Why do you ask? Whenever I bring up anything related to the temple, you immediately shut it down.” She pushes back a graying piece of hair back into her tight bun.

”Yes I am aware of that, but one thing did catch my attention... On the plaque outside the temple there is something written, if I can remember... it was the ’Seven Deadliest Sins’ correct?” Lovata’s eyes close with concentration.

Mrs. Erith’s eye immediately light up, ”Oh yes! What do you wish to know about them?” She beams.

”If I remember correctly, pride... Yes, pride is the number one sin am I correct?”

”Why yes it sure is, it is thought to be the capital of all the other sins.”

”If that's true then why are you the way you are?” Lovata sneers.

”W-what?”

Lovata opens her eyes and her expression becomes a mix of smugness, disgust, and hatred. The platform gives her a much higher height boost, ”Pride is the deadliest sin, did I hear you right? Well how ironic that you say that when just a few minutes ago you were going on and on about how much more blessed and better Suluvia was compared to the so called ’slum countries’, Lovata leans forward causing her shadow to tower over Mrs. Erith, And yet you still claim to be this so-called saint over me when you and me, even though I hate to say it, are similar in some aspects.”

” No we are absolutely not!”

”Yes we are, there is no doubt in denying it Erith, like me you believe Suluvia is the best place in all of Eswos; if I'm not mistaken that is considered prideful, no?” She smirks.

Mrs. Erith is now visibly shaken, her beaming face is now overshadowed with fear.

”My point is Erith, don't you ever talk to me as if you are my superior; because the hard, cold truth is... Pride is the number one sin, and you're full of it dear... Just like me.” Lovata no longer hides the hatred that she held for the woman in front of her no longer.

It seems like an eternity where Mrs. Edith and Lovata look at one another, truly for the first time ever, and see each other for who they really were.

Lovata sees a sad pathetic old woman pathetically trying to hold on to whatever authority and youth she had left, and what Mrs. Erith saw was... A monster.

Lovata broke the stare first and simply looked above Mrs. Erith with an unchanged expression as if she'd just decided to ignore her existence in this world.

After a few longer agonizing seconds of standing in front of the platform; Ms. Erith finally unfreezes and silently grabs her belongings and exits the shop building without saying a single word.