“You’re really making too big of a deal out of this!” said Anne.

“Anything could have happened to you while I wasn’t with you!” said Eva.

“But nothing did happen to me!” said Anne.

This argument had been going on for a while, and more or less going in circles the whole time. They’d continued to argue while Eva helped Anne get dressed for the day and while they’d eaten breakfast together. Eventually they’d tracked down Agis and dragged him into it as well.

“I was perfectly safe the whole time, wasn’t I, Agis?” asked Anne.

Agis, who was sitting slumped over in a chair with a dead look in his eyes, stirred slightly. “Hmm, what? Yeah, it was perfectly safe,” said Agis. “None of the humans there even seemed to care that we were elves or anything. Or at least the Bastards’ Club humans didn’t care. We didn’t talk much to anyone else.”

“The what club?” said Eva. She sighed and grabbed the bridge of her nose. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Safety concerns aren’t even the whole problem. You have no idea what this might do to your reputation. Attending that kind of party immediately after a big scandal…”

“I don’t know if it’s helpful but the people there all seemed to really like her,” said Agis. “She was really popular.”

“That’s very helpful, Agis,” said Anne.

“That’s not helpful, Agis,” said Eva. “It’s not just about what the people at the party thought of her. It’s about how attending the party at all will reflect on her character in the eyes of all the people who weren’t at the party.”

“Okay, but do you know for sure that it will make me look bad?” asked Anne.

“Well, not absolutely for sure, but that uncertainty is part of why it was a risky choice to make,” said Eva.

“Yes, but it was my choice,” said Anne. “Eva, I know you’re only trying to look out for me, and I truly appreciate all your help, but I need to be able to live my own life and make my own decisions without being constantly terrified of you getting mad at me! Plus, I hate to say it, but I’m pretty sure I technically outrank you. So you can’t really order me around.”

If Anne had been calmer, or if this argument hadn’t been going on quite so long, she probably wouldn’t have said all that. Pulling rank on her friend felt wrong. But as much as Anne had relied on Eva when she first found herself in this unfamiliar word, Eva’s over-protectiveness was starting to get pretty annoying. After all, in her previous world, Anne had been an adult living on her own for quite a while. She was used to a certain level of independence.

Still, having said all that, Anne fully expected Eva to strike right back with an argument just as strong. She braced herself for it.

But there was no counter-attack. Instead, there was a long uncomfortable pause. And Eva, whose expression was usually so unreadable behind that smile of hers, suddenly looked like she was about to cry. Like she was genuinely hurt.

“You… you’re terrified of me?” asked Eva, finally. Her tone sounded uncharacteristically vulnerable.

Agis and Anne shared concerned glances.

“I mean… you are a little strict,” said Agis.

“We know you mean well, though!” said Anne. “It’s just… when people disagree with you or do something you don’t want them to, you can be… kind of scary. It’s not that big of a deal, though!”

“…I understand,” said Eva.

“You do?” asked Anne, nervously.

Eva closed her eyes and turned away. “I will take a step back, as you seem to want me to,” she said. “I’m sincerely sorry to have frightened you in any way.”

“It’s okay…” said Anne. “And, I mean, I still value your opinion a lot! I’m not really that good at politics still, and I know you’re really smart and skilled at planning and stuff. It’s just… maybe if it felt a bit more like you were advising me and less like you were ordering me around.”

“If that’s the case, then Anne,” Eva turned back to look at Anne and her expression was almost pleading. “I would advise you to stay inside the Cathedral. Just for a few days. Just until we have a better idea of the situation. So many people are depending on you, and I fear you may not fully realize just how precarious our position is right now. Please…”

Anne felt a twinge of guilt seeing Eva respond this way. “Yeah, okay,” she said. “I can do that.”

“Thank you,” said Eva, her usual smile returned. “Then if you’ll excuse me. I have much work to do.”

“Oh, Eva, before you go,” said Anne.

“Yes?”

“I was thinking you should probably start taking a day off at least once a week,” said Anne. “Like, as a regular thing. After all, you also deserve to be able to live your own life.”

“Of course, my dear Saintess,” said Eva. “As you wish.”

After Eva left, both Anne and Agis let out sighs of relief.

“I’ve never seen you talk back to Eva like that before,” said Agis. “That was insane.”

“Really?” said Anne. “In all the time you’ve known us, I’ve never disagreed with her before?”

“I mean, not really,” said Agis. “You’ve never done anything she didn’t want you to before, either. Not until recently.”

Surely normal childhood friends would argue occasionally, thought Anne. But The Foundling’s Wings hadn’t really included that much detail about Eva at all, let alone about Eva and Anne’s childhood together. And admittedly Eva did have a bit of a forceful personality, behind all her gentleness. And the original Saintess had seemed kind of timid, in the book.

Anne thought about how Eva was framed in all her half-remembered dreams seemingly sent by the original Saintess. How often Eva was symbolically placed alongside Duke Marshall…

“I guess I should maybe go patrol the grounds or something,” said Agis, uncertainly.

“Oh, Agis, actually, while you’re here, before I forget,” said Anne. “Do you have any way to get in touch with the other two elf princes?”

“Our older brothers?” said Agis. “Um… Zaos has a tendency to run off without telling anyone where he’s going so it’s kind of a gamble if a messenger will be able to find him or not. But Elyon’s always really careful about making sure he can receive messages wherever he is, and he usually writes back pretty quickly.”

“I guess we should write to Elyon then,” said Anne.

“About what?” asked Agis.

“You missed it at the party last night but Corvina came up with a plan to avoid the bad events of the prophecy,” said Anne. “You see, we’re going to kidnap—”

There was a knock on the door and Acolyte Betty poked her head in. “Forgive me for the intrusion, Saintess, but there’s someone here to see you.”

The rest of the door was thrown open and the Crown Prince strode in.

“Yoo-hoo!” said Sebastian, cheerfully. “Who wants to have tea?”

----------------------------------------

Eva felt like she was dying. She couldn’t breath.

Anne had always been somewhat timid and easily frightened. When they were children, Anne used to hide behind Eva, clinging to her friend’s dress, whenever they had to deal with other people. Even as recently as the Summer Ball, Anne had still been relying on Eva to see her through a frightening event.

Ever since they had first met, when Eva had saved Anne from those bullies, Eva had been determined to become a source of strength for Anne. To protect her from everything that would harm or frighten her. To be Anne’s refuge.

To think that she had instead become a source of fear…

How could she possibly have failed so entirely?

And yet… wasn’t it a good thing, how Anne had bloomed lately? She was so much more confident now. She seemed happier. She was making more friends…

She was showing that bright, unselfconscious smile of hers to so many more people now. That smile that used to be reserved only for Eva, when the two of them were alone…

Eva paused on her way to steady herself against the wall of the hallway she was walking down.

Eva had only agreed to take a day off at all because Anne had invoked their childhood promise. To do so, and then to go behind her back to go out and party like this… it almost felt like a betrayal. Still, surely, even with Anne being this newly… rebellious. Surely if Eva invoked the same promise, Anne would still obey without question.

But Eva could feel Anne starting to slip through her fingers. If she tightened her grip now she risked pushing Anne further away… possibly even losing her entirely.

No, it still wasn’t the right time to take such drastic measures… it wasn’t the right time.

The current situation called for a much more… subtle approach.

She had just the thing.

Her mind and heart steadied, her course of action now decided, Eva took a deep breath and pushed herself away from the wall, continuing on her way.

It was all going to be okay. She would make sure it was okay. Always. Whether Anne wanted her to or not.