Nemia rummaged through the drawers in the dresser but to no avail. There was nothing else in there that would fit, everything else was to large and if it wasn't to large it was less professional than the T-shirt and jeans she already had on and stuck in the green heels from the formal. God's I really need to go get my clothes...
She sighed, abandoning her search and walking back out of the bedroom to find Julia doing the same. Greeting each other with a smile before linking arms and heading down the hall and stairs until finally making it to the dining hall.
It smelled delicious this morning, the scent of freshly cooked bacon and sausage mixed in with the sweet smell of syrup poured over pancakes. Her stomach rumbled in its anticipation. She rubbed it softly as they made their way to a table and sat, the server maids quickly bringing over plates loaded with breakfast foods.
The two dug in without a word said between them, both hungrier than they had even realized. Roughly thirty minutes passed by as they stuffed their faces in silence, pushing their plates away at the same time.
"Ugh, I can get used to this." Julia sighed, full and satisfied while wiping away the last remaining crumbs around her mouth.
Nemia laughed lightly. "Yeah, food is definitely a good way to bring us in."
Julia reached over and gently smacked her shoulder. "Are you trying to say something?" She giggled.
"Not at all." Nemia replied with flared sarcasm and giggled along with Julia.
Julia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "The food is good though."
"Of course it is, we are at our kings palace." Nemia replied with a shrug.
"And our king... But your mate." Julia wiggled her brows. "I could really get used to being here."
Nemia scoffed and gently smacked Julia's arm. "Stop it." She giggled, feeling the blush creeping into her cheeks and Julia took notice.
"Oooo." She started to joke.
"God's, how are you over a hundred and still so much a child?" Nemia chastised playfully.
Julia shrugged. "I'm still a child when it comes to the fae's world. Also, not cool... Announcing how old I am like that. Don't you know better than that."
"Good point. Also, true but, I didn't say a specific age, I just said I we a certain amount so it didn't technically spill your age. Don't tempt me though." Nemia warned playfully, then let her face fall into seriousness. "But speaking of getting used to here..."
Julia rolled her eyes again at Nemia, but sat up straight in her seat and stared at her. "Yes?"
"We need to go home today."
Julia frowned and slumped back in her seat. "Now why would you lead me on like that." She huffed.
"Home isn't that bad, now is it? At least it doesn't take fifteen minutes to walk from one end to the other." Nemia huffed back though she didn't really mean it. She didn't plan to stay there, she just wanted to get her belongings. Her clothes and art supplies, wanting to put that desk in her current room to use.
"But what of Dorian? I really don't think he's going to want us to leave, you least of all." Julia questioned.
Nemia bit down on the tip of her tongue, not liking the caged tall Julia was giving her. "I'm not a prisoner here." She stated simply.
"But the dangers surrounding you right now, means he's not going to let his mate be anywhere that he isn't." Nik's voice cut through from behind.
Nemia twisted her head around. "8:45 already?" She started to stand.
"It is. But back to what I said..." Nik pressed.
"I just want to go home and get clothes, we will come back. I just need my clothes." Nemia sighed, giving them the truth of her plea to go home.
Nik and Julia both seemed to relax. "Don't scare me like that. We can get our clothes though, I'm sure that will be fine?" Julia sighed with relief and aimed the stated question to Nik.
He nodded curtly. "Arrangements can be made for that. Maybe not you specifically going, but something can be made to happen for sure." He stated.
"I'll be getting my clothes, that's a firm line." Nemia stared at Nik, her eyes daring him to argue.
He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "We can talk to Dorian about this after the board meeting."
"Nothing to talk about, but okay." She stared a moment longer, not backing down from her statement but conceding for the moment to speed things along for now.
"Be back in a bit, Jules." Nemia leaned over and pecked the top of her head, showing an affection she rarely showed. Which caught Julia off guard, she could tell be the sudden stiffness and the neck turn to give her a questioning look. Nemia just shook her head causing Julia to shrug and wave bye.
With that, Nik and Nemia walked out of the dining hall. It only took them about five minutes to get to a door with a plaque drilled into the wall stating: CONFERENCE ROOM C.
"How many conference rooms are there?" She asked curiously, pointing at the big C on the plaque.
Nik shrugged. "Eight I think, though only three of them are used on a regular basis. This being one of them, specifically for the C.J.L.S." He answered casually.
"Oh cool." She mumbled softly as he opened the door to the conference room for her. Upon entering she was greeted with a large, oval table sitting in the center of the room. A small bar back on the far left and a projector at the center of the table but bolted to to ceiling, aimed at the far right side of the room. The windows on the back wall looked out over the back yard, showing the patio that hid the view of the gardens and it's maze.
There was fifteen chairs wrapped around the oval table, all but three chairs filled. Two on either side of Dorian's and the other close to the far right end of the table. Dorian's chair was sitting up just slightly higher than all the others in the room. The buzzing of conversation seemed to halt as the door opened and Nik guided Nemia in.
Dorian stood instantly, circling the table and coming straight up to Nemia. The others in the room stood at the same time Dorian did, all of them looking at her. Some puzzled, some with a look of envy as Dorian reached out and grabbed her hand. "Nemia, I'm glad you decided to join us."
Nemia's brows knitted and glared over to Nik who had slipped past and sat down in one of the chairs next to Dorian's. "I didn't think my presence was negotiable."
Dorian chuckled, leaning in he kissed her temple softly and whispered. "It wasn't."
Her skin bristled at his touch and she was flushed with a heat of embarrassment as she heard a few board members gasp at the kinds display of affection. The murmurs started up then, questioning who she was among other things.
She became overly conscious of how she was presenting herself to the board. Wearing the same T-shirt and jeans that she had worn the day before. Which was obvious with dirt stains on said jeans and just now noticing a small rip in the blue shirt. She was also wearing emerald green heels that she had worn at the formal two days prior to this and was the only shoes she currently has. She closed her eyes briefly, she hasn't even crushed her hair this morning and just knew it looked like a wild mess, half up in a bun loosely on top of her head but with several tendrils falling out of it everywhere. This was a great impression.
One member whispered to another, "Looks like a whore finally got their claws into the king."
Now she bristled for another reason, but Dorian heard it to and his eyes snapped to the two on the far left talking amongst themselves. He didn't address them immediately though, instead he guided her to the left seat next to his. Before sitting, he cleared his throat and the room fell silent again...