Josephine was watching alright but you’ll get no applause from the King. You’ll get no boo or hiss, no reprimand.
What you will get is something she was beginning to get used to giving. A gift she liked to present. That wasn’t good. She’d have to remember why she slipped in that room. It wasn’t to save herself and Baby Dagger from the sticky cleaning of a sharp edged mess. It was to do what she was meant to do, that’s all.
When it’s simple it just is.
He asked something out of a bad movie. Did you come to witness my deed? Do you like to watch, Josephine?
Did he just call her by her name? Did he just
let the same nine letters, the one’s the Saint used to whisper in her ear, did he let them actually drip from his ridiculous mouth?
She felt her temper heat up and she scolded it back down, deep into her chest.
It can’t come up now. It can’t ruin this. She couldn’t afford the luxury of her own release. No King could.
She took a very careful step forward. It made no stomp or click. It just set her ahead there a bit. A little lighter in the face she looked now.
But she was black, wasn’t she. She was serious. She was furious and she was patient.
She watched all points that needed to be watched at once. It was a royal talent, it was.
He cocked his head again. You’re quite pretty, you know. You may need what Nola needs. He jerked her hair trying to show strength, courage, what?
It only showed that hair being pulled back exposed a lovely tawny neck that wouldn’t be opened tonight. Nope, not tonight fool.
Still no voice spilled itself from her throat. She was still.
He started to get angry as man-children do. So a Mama stance was in order.
Josephine unfolded. She inhaled slightly and she expanded.
He said what he meant to do out loud and gave a reason.
His reason was the same as any try-too-hard.
It was boring and tedious.
It was not even his, it was somebody else’s speech, Josephine was sure of that.
Stolen from an angsty slasher thing or some independent story found in a dustbin.
She didn’t care and she didn’t want to listen anymore...
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