Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 125 125: Avoid Her

Third-person POV

Electra pushed open the door to Seraphina's room, and even the sound of the door was enough to grate against her nerves. She hated that she was here, hated that Seraphina had called her so late at night and, worse, that she had come without a second thought.

It felt like a betrayal of everything she had told herself since finding out that Seraphina was the Seraphina she had always known.

Seraphina Hook was still the same person, no matter how much power or status she currently had. She was still the same little dove, floundering in a world she didn't belong to, or at least, that's what Electra told herself to make herself feel slightly better.

But despite that belief, here she was, standing in Seraphina's room like an obedient dog. She hated it.

As soon as Electra entered, Seraphina looked up from where she was sitting on the bed, her expression neutral. "I have to admit," Seraphina said, tilting her head slightly, "I'm surprised you came so easily. I thought I might have to resort to other means to get you here."

Electra scoffed, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. "For your information," she said sharply, "now that I know who you really are—little dove Seraphina—I'm not scared of you anymore."

Seraphina's lips curved into a small, amused smile, her eyes gleaming with something Electra couldn't quite place. "Oh?" she said, her tone light but curious. "So you really were scared of me when you thought I was Seraphina Vale?"

Electra stiffened, realizing too late what she'd just admitted. Embarrassment flared in her chest, and she quickly shrugged, trying to play it off. "Scared isn't the right word," she said dismissively, avoiding Seraphina's gaze. "I was just… careful. I figured you might be as unforgiving as I was when I was the one with the Vale name."

Seraphina let out a soft laugh, leaning back on her hands. "How thoughtful of you," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I'm curious—what exactly made you think I was so terrifying?"

Electra narrowed her eyes, feeling a spark of irritation. "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart," she said, pushing off the doorframe and stepping further into the room. "I wasn't terrified of you. I just didn't want to deal with whatever power trip you might've gone on if I pissed you off. That's all."

Seraphina's smile widened. "Well," she said lightly, "it's good to know I made such an impression."

Seraphina patted the bed beside her, gesturing for Electra to sit down. Her face was calm, almost neutral, but there was a trace of insistence in her eyes that made Electra bristle.

She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall. "You know," Electra said, her tone sharp, "I really don't like how you seem to think you can order me around."

Seraphina rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by Electra's irritation. "I wasn't ordering you," she said flatly. "I was just suggesting you take a seat, but if you'd rather stand there looking moody, be my guest."

Electra let out an exaggerated scoff before opting to sink into the sofa instead of joining Seraphina on the bed. She crossed her legs and leaned back, staring at Seraphina with a mixture of skepticism and annoyance.

"Alright," she said. "You called me here. What do you want? Because as far as I'm concerned, we finished our conversation earlier today, and I have nothing more to say to you."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow, her expression calm despite Electra's hostility. "Oh, really?" she said lightly. "You have nothing to say? Not even after what I told you earlier today?"

Electra clenched her jaw, her irritation bubbling to the surface. "You mean what you told me after you lured me with sex, cuffed me to a rooftop with barely any clothes on, and made me the school's top gossip? No, Seraphina, I don't have much to say except that I'm still pissed off, and it might take me a while to feel more accepting of this situation we're unfortunately in."

Seraphina didn't flinch at Electra's words. Instead, she leaned back slightly, folding her arms as she regarded Electra with an almost bored expression.

"Well, I'm not exactly losing sleep over whether you forgive me or not," she said bluntly. "And honestly? You're the one who should be asking for forgiveness, not me."

Electra blinked, taken aback by the audacity of Seraphina's statement. "Me?" she repeated incredulously. "You think I should be asking you for forgiveness?"

Before Electra could launch into a tirade, Seraphina held up a hand, cutting her off. "You know what, sweetie, just save it," she said sharply. "I didn't call you here to argue about a situation that's now past tense. What's done is done. I called you here because I need a favor."

Electra narrowed her eyes, her arms crossing tighter over her chest. "A favor?" she asked skeptically. "And what exactly makes you think I'd want to do you a favor?"

"Because," Seraphina said calmly, leaning forward slightly, "if you don't, I might embarrass myself tomorrow, and I'll blame you for it."

Electra furrowed her brows, the confusion evident on her face. "Tomorrow?" she echoed.

Seraphina sighed, running a hand through her hair. "The Queen's banquet," she said, her voice quieter now. "I asked you about it earlier, remember? I have to attend as the princess, and I have no idea how to act like one. I don't even know how to address your mother, much less survive an entire evening surrounded by Elmerian royalty."

Electra stared at her for a long moment, trying to process what she'd just heard. Then, slowly, a smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "Let me get this straight," she said, her tone laced with amusement. "You want me to teach you how to fit in with the Elmerian family so you don't embarrass yourself tomorrow?"

Seraphina met her gaze, her expression serious. "Yes," she said simply. "That's exactly what I'm asking."

Electra scoffed. "Well," she began, her tone casual, "I usually don't bother attending banquets during the school term unless my father explicitly requires me to, and even then, it has to be something important. Anyway, if you're wondering how to deal with the queen tomorrow, just do what I always used to do."

Seraphina tilted her head, frowning slightly as she considered Electra's words. "And what exactly did you used to do?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Electra's lips curved into a faint, sardonic smile. "Avoid her," she said simply. "If you can go through the entire evening without running into Queen Jella, do it. Trust me, it'll make your night a lot easier."

Seraphina's frown deepened as she processed what Electra was saying. "Avoid her?" she echoed, her tone skeptical. "That doesn't sound like something you, of all people, would do. You don't strike me as someone who avoids anything."

Electra shrugged, her expression neutral. "You're not wrong," she said. "But Queen Jella is... different. Trust me, if you can stay out of her way, you should."

Seraphina's curiosity grew with each word, and she found herself leaning forward slightly. "So," she began hesitantly, "does that mean you and your mother didn't get along?"

Electra's shoulders stiffened for a fraction of a second before she forced a nonchalant shrug. "You already said it yourself," she replied, her tone light but guarded. "I seem like someone who's lonely and unloved, right? That should answer your question."

For a moment, Seraphina thought she saw a flicker of sadness in Electra's eyes, but just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by the same detached, almost indifferent mask Electra always wore.

Seraphina's chest tightened at the thought, but she kept her voice calm as she asked, "So, that's your advice? Avoid her and hope for the best?"

Electra nodded, leaning forward slightly. "Exactly," she said. "Stick to the end of the room, mingle with whoever you need to, and keep your distance from her. The less she notices you, the better."

Seraphina considered Electra's advice, but something about it didn't sit right with her. "What if I don't want to avoid her?" she asked after a moment.

Electra raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by Seraphina's question. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Why wouldn't you want to avoid her?"

"Because," Seraphina said, her voice firm, "this is my life now, or at least, it's the life I have to live until we figure out how to switch back. If I keep running away, I'll never learn how to deal with this world or understand the family that's supposed to be mine. I need your help to understand what I'm dealing with, Electra."

Electra rolled her eyes, her frustration clear as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Fine," she said sharply, her tone biting. "If you're not going to take my advice and avoid Queen Jella, then here's a better idea. Go to the banquet, act exactly like I do on a daily basis, and stay right in her face."

Seraphina frowned, tilting her head slightly as she tried to gauge Electra's tone. "Stay in her face?" she repeated cautiously.

"Exactly," Electra said with a humorless smirk. "Make the whole banquet about you. Steal the spotlight, talk over everyone, and make sure every single person there knows that you're the most important person in the room." She leaned back, crossing her arms. "Trust me, you'll get more than enough understanding of how my family works if you turn it into your show."

Seraphina stared at Electra, her confusion quickly giving way to suspicion. "You're joking," she said, her tone flat.

Electra's smirk widened, her eyes glinting with something that could only be described as mischief. "Oh, I'm dead serious, sweetheart," she said. "You want to understand my family? That's how you do it. Be bold, be loud, and make sure everyone—especially Queen Jella—knows you're the star of the night. But don't say I didn't warn you."