Enma sighed, it's not like her answer will make her look incompetent. But in this situation, with such a minor and unimportant detail there was not reason to lie and pretend. Besides her lie would be too easy to uncover, which made it absolutely unacceptable. On the other hand, by knowing this Enma would likely improve her image. Whatever, it was too late to learn about it anyway. She moved her eyes away, she didn't know by herself if she really feels like it or she is pretending. "Sadly I don't know, I don't exaclty when you lost your consciousness and how long was your way here. I assume it was a few days. Might as well check the records later if this is that important. " She have lost her dominating tone and now sounded even somehow tired and sad.
Loyola finally checked the communicator, message was informing her tha their dinner will be a bit later than expected. For a moment her face is expressing anger, and eyes are becoming cold. Those mongs, could they stop failing her? Maybe Gauls are generally right about their superiority, if Outcasts can't handle even something simple like this. She's trying to forget it, at least for some time. She looked at Charlotte again, somehow seeking for help. She looked down at princess' feet and slowly moved her look up the her face. There is something in this person, Enma look kindly, shorty licking her dry lips before speaking. "You will be happy to answer? Why do you saying this, if you have all reasons in the world to hate me? Behave with diginity, this is something that I expected from you. No one is aiming to break you or make you to play a theatrical role instead of expressing your feelings and thoughts." Loyola was not sure if she's wording it right, she have decided to switch style and put it in another way. Just in case to avoid missunderstanding that is already existing between them. "No one have a doubt that you will return home, so feel yourself like a guest, because guest your are. Maybe our invintation was impolite, but be fair with yourself, you would not accept it otherwise. " Enma smiled. "And on the side note, you should still think about the punishment for the person that I've mentioned. She deserves it. "
"Anyway, we shall not just stay here. " Loyola made some hand gesture to the other maid behind her. Ideal looking Gallic woman went to open the door into the dinner room to make a preparations. "Your highness if you want to change clothes, your whole wardrobe is here. At least everything that you took with you on this liner." Loyola sighed and walked deeper inside newly made royal bedroom.
Charlotte thought she might punch Enma. Oh, it was tempting - the other woman was goading her, questioning her dignity and daring her to assert herself as an equal. A guest? The word brought an acidic taste to her throat. Maybe if they had brought her to these luxurious chambers right away, she might have considered herself a guest, but her dignity had been all but shredded from the second her own crew had mutinied. It wasn't something she could fix by herself, nor was it something this woman could solve simply by setting her servant up to take the fall or whispering a few honeyed words to smooth things along. No, this was the sort of dishonour that saw worlds razed in the Crown's name. Though they hadn't yet let her set eyes on the cursed place, Charlotte looked forward to seeing their poisoned world burn. No doubt they planned to ransom her, to collect a hefty sum from the Crown in exchange for the Kingdom's heir apparent. Enma was right on that point, at least - Charlotte had no doubt that she would indeed be returning home, but it would be on her own terms.
"I'll stay as I am," she replied. The one thing they had gotten right was her dress - the deep purple shirt and long, black skirt went well together, and were certainly more comfortable to wear than the starchy dress uniforms lined up aboard her liner. Besides, she didn't see much point in playing dress up here - in uniform, she was technically just Commandant DeFrance, her royal blood taking a back seat to her duty to the Kingdom. For this, she had to be a princess. The only things she took from her wardrobe were a nice pair of burgundy shoes and a small fleur-de-lis pin for her lapel. The first she needed anyway - they hadn't dressed her fully - but the pin was a gentle reminder of her status. It was as much for her own benefit as it was for anyone else's, something to give her strength through the rest of the evening.
When she was finished, she turned to face Enma again, her expression carefully schooled. Finally, Charlotte looked something like the princess she was meant to be. Her gaze held Enma's levelly, some steel finally returning to those sharp features of hers. With her composure intact at last, she had a regal presence that no Maltese had seen before. It simply didn't exist in a world without kings, queens, or royalty; it went beyond the nobility's usual affectations and upper-class mannerisms. Even caged, she was still part of Gallia's royal blood, and for the first time she noticed something new about her host. The other woman, somehow, seemed even more unsure than she herself was. It could have been an act, of course, but if it was it was masterfully done. The thought stuck with her longer than she'd intended, and soon Charlotte realised that she'd been staring blankly at her for far too long.
"I'm ready. Lead the way," she said, indicating that Enma could proceed.
Loyola is just amazed with Charlotte's look, she somehow lost her voice for some time. While maids went out to get the trays for them, Chrlotte and Enma were all alone. Loyola was looking at details of her dress and sighed in a weak and desperate manner. This person was now holding herself complete differently, she was from the different world. Only now it was clear for some reason. Is it compitable, can Enma ctually hold herself properly 'against' Carlotte? Now she have a huge doubts about it. No, it won't be under control now, it will turn into a something that was not planned at all. Loyola already sees it and don't have any ability to halt this ongoing process.
Enma is gathering her last mental strength to actually sound not too softly and hold herself like an important person. "Your highness is looking great. " But even that was hard to say. Dinner room was literally one door away from the bedroom, appartment was actually quite small and did not have a royal size. Enma for some reason came closer to Charlotte. "Your servants are on their way, dinner room is over there." She slightly pointed out on the opened door.
She wasn't feeling like going first, following would be better, at least it would be easier to hide uncertainty. If it is possible by now anyway. Loyola is still having a hope that she will gain control over herself, otherwise this dinner is going to be a game with 0 score on her side.
Charlotte took the offered door with only the barest trace of hesitation. Enma not going first was surprising, and just a tinge suspicious, but it seemed rather unlikely that the Maltese would have planned anything nasty for her here. No - this, at least, seemed to be on the level. A belated recognition of her status, and not one that could make up for what she'd already suffered, but she was more than happy to play along. After all, things were much better here than they had been on Valetta.
She took one step through and stopped almost dead in her tracks, her jaw dropping almost to the floor at the sight beyond. The dining room was not a large one, clearly only designed for small parties. The furniture was as opulent as the bedroom's had been, though of course none of it was hers this time. A mahogany table and cushioned chairs dominated the centre, arranged neatly atop an expensive-looking deep orange carpet. None of that was what caught her attention, though - it was the ceiling that left her almost spellbound. She didn't care how stupid she might look gawping. It was pleasure enough to look. At first glance, in fact there appeared to be no ceiling at all, but a metres-thick pane of perfectly polished glass separated them from the cold void beyond. Framed above it was a terrible, almost terrifying sight; a vaguely spherical, almost soul-sucking monster that almost made her soul tremble to look at. It was a black hole of seemingly stunning proportions, an enigmatic thing hard to catch a clear glimpse of as light shifted and bent around its invisible form. It was nature in its most awe-inspiring and primal of forms, a stark reminder of mankind's insignificance in the face of the universe.
After what felt like hours, Charlotte finally managed to tear her gaze away. It was an effort to do so even then, and it was clear the sight had affected her composure a little. That was, of course, the intended effect, but even knowing that didn't help. A shiver ran down her spine as she turned to watch Enma enter after her, the other woman taking the black hole framed above in her stride. Of course - how many times must she have seen it already? Charlotte couldn't even begin to guess.
"Inspiring," she muttered, crossing the rest of the room before Enma could pass comment. Without even waiting to be offered one or given permission, she pulled one of the chairs out from the table and sank into it, very deliberately trying not to look up. Now that she was sitting down directly under the thing, its effects seemed even more pronounced. The Maltese had definitely done well to frame it there, leaving it like hanging above her head like some kind of morbid reminder. Rather than dwell on it further, she studied the rest of the room in silence, scanning it from wall to wall silently as if the answers to her plight were hidden somewhere in the wallpaper.
Loyola fell in love with this... abyss in the first time she saw it. In fact she is new to Corsica, even if this is her fortress now. Hell knows what helped her to gain power so fast and was it really matter? She is not feeling any power now, she's feeling herself exhausted. There were some bits of temptetion, but it's better to hold it for a better time and better place. Loyola is notecing princess' gaze, but it's a common reaction and Enma is pretty sure that she looked the same when saw it first time. In moment Enma is capturing herself on a thought that she could've spend this time in a better place and with the better person. She's taking a short look on Chrlotte, before as silently and arrogant like she did just falling into the chair.
Mood is just killed, that's what she thought. She's starting to take it way too personal and even forgetting about their business. Maybe it's a good tendention, but now she's just wanting to finish this faster to do a proper things. She looked up, to back Charlotta's impression and imply that they have at least one common interest. But no, she can't hold her look on it for long. First of all it's uncomfortable as hell, second reason is that thing didn't change at all while Loyola is here. It used to calm her down, but in this context it's just making her annoyance worse. "Nice thing about this thing, your highness, is that you can spot this system basing on the fact that there's a huge gravity anomaly nearby. Just in case if you will wish to deal with me later." Now she just sonded apathetic.
Loyola is putting her hands on the table as maids with trays are finally entering the room and placing the plates. Loyola is not paying attention on them at all, she was just looking on Charlotte with her gray eyes, that were especially cold now. She's almost insensibly, just holding herself from making another compliment. "This question is highly related to the topic and will allow me to learn on which level of knowledge you are. So me and your highness can save their time. What do you know about the 'Outcasts'? "
She was almost surprised to see how appetising the Maltese dishes looked. For some reason, part of her had been expecting some sort of thin gruel, or at the very least some poor imitation of upper-class cuisine. As the plates swished down towards the table, though, Charlotte found her prejudices being pleasantly swept aside. It couldn't match the sheer scale and breadth of choice she'd seen in many formal banquets back in Gallia, but what it lacked in choice it made up for in sheer uniqueness. She took from a plate heaped with seafood first - she couldn't quite tell, but it looked a little like crab - trying not to let her expression sour at Enma's question. She had a few choice words for the Maltese, or Outcasts, but it was probably best to stay neutral - or at least to try.
"I know that you are slavers. I know that your world is poisoned by a drug - a substance, if you will - called Cardamine. I know that your world is called Malta, and I know that you are one of Sirius's less populous peoples." Charlotte paused for a second, slicing a section of her crab cake off and spearing it with her fork. "I know that your pilots are renowned duelists and skirmishers, but that your industry is weak. And, now that it has come to it - I know your cuisine is something of renown. Something worth preserving for centuries to come." She had kept it simple deliberately, her expression finally making its way towards something resembling enjoyment. There was just a hint of it, but it was there nonetheless. That wasn't to say that Charlotte had let her guard down, but she was testing the new boundaries Enma seemed to be setting, tugging at the slack her chains had suddenly given her. Without breaking eye contact, she popped the mouthful of cake into her mouth and swallowed, seemingly anticipating some sort of detailed response.
Enma slightly touched her spaghetti, carefully listening to Charlotte. She's looking grim and not amused. Nodding on every princess' statements and actually managed to taste it a little. Although she is hungry, she does not have even the slightest appetite. On the contrary, she is beginning to feel a light nausea. Really now? This food was suppose to be something that will help her to keep back on the track and now she can't just eat it. Besides Charlotte's behaviour was becoming more cheerful, which was exactly what she needed. But now she went out of condition by herself and will have to deal with it anyway.
She asked the maid for a glass of the sourish apple juice just to get rid off this nausea. She couldn't think about the food at the moment, as Charlotte finished, Enma is slightly bowing her head. "Thank you, your highness, what you said is quite correct which I had no doubt about. I would never think to question your education. " Loyola's train to stay polite and respectful, up to a degree she can. "As I said you are right here and there, but not too many people are willing to look at the situation from our angle. No one of the are interested or threat as the proper part of the human kind. We pay with the same coin and taking them as slaves. Isn't that fair? As for the drugs as you call it. " She paused and sipped the apple juice that was just offered up by the royal maid. "We did not make this choice, your highness, nor our fathers and grandfathers did. Wreck of the Sleepership named Hispania that you will find on the Maltese orbit is just proving that we do have a right to claim the same place in Sirius like all major Houses. " Another sip is taken, Enma have noticed that she's a little bit out of breath and that it's probably better to put it less emotional. "As for our methods, well, most of the humanity is hostile towards us and hunting us down. We are limited on manpower and resources. If you will make a war game for the Royal Navy staff with this conditions, I assure you, you will get the similar doctrine."
Loyola is looking at spaghetti again, but perspective to put that in her mouth felt bad still. "Also Cardamine is objectively having more positive than negative effects. I do believe that people hate it just because it's coming from us ." She's finishing the juice and asked for another one. This thing was pretty good, basing on the fact that it was the only product Loyola could consume at the moment. "As for our Kingdom, I perfectly understand the way you acting and honestly, deeply inside I'm envy. I have a few questiong regarding your politics, if your highness is willing to answer." She sounded the most respectfully. "First thing that is questioning me from here, is why do you protecting the Independent Miners Guild from us? Especially after their Tau-44 attempt? We striked to the home system, Coronado, shortly after Royal Navy had to retreat. IMG transports were building and supplying orbital instalations around planet Yuma. I was presonally trying to stop them. And few days later they have pulled their combat assets into the action side by side with Colonials. I really would like to know Crown's clarification on this, if there's any. "
Asking princess qurstions was actually interesting, Enma hoped they will have more time to spend together. Now she thought for a second. "Other topic is Kusari, you have estroyed their fleet and they have admitted defeat. But I don't see the Crown using this situation way too much. " Loyola is taking another glass of the apple juice, doing a big sip this time, she was about to finish her speach, so it's not looking impolite. "Well, as I said, it's just a my point of view as the outsider and there's a good explanation for sure. " Loyola made half-faked kind smile in the end, eating a bit of spaghetti to not look too strange.
"I'm not sure I consider mass slavery as proportionate payback," replied Charlotte, her tone laced with just a tinge of sarcasm. After all, her wounds were still fresh in more ways than one. "Gallia has found many ways to deal with her enemies without resorting to such... inhumane methods." To the rest, though, the princess listened intently, mentally cross-referencing everything she heard with what she already knew. Most of it seemed to line up well - the Maltese, or Outcasts, were a despised people even among other Sirians. And not without reason.
"Yes, I've heard what they say about Cardamine, too. Some sort of mental or physical enhancer, is it not? We have similar combat stims in Gallia, and none of them induce withdrawal symptoms." She sounded dismissive now, a faint sneer creasing her features. Did the woman think she was stupid? "If you intended on offering me a sample, I'm afraid I shall have to decline."
Finishing her first crab cake, Charlotte went after another dish. Her gaze settled on a plate of mussels, lightly drizzled with some garlic sauce, and she began shucking them out of their shells as she continued speaking.
"I don't know why the Guild is tolerated, but I don't speak for the Crown," she said simply. "It's not my area to question - my priorities are my military career and my system-duchy of Orleanais. Foreign and domestic policy is something for the Crown proper to manage. If you're asking for my opinion on it, we should have evicted them in favour of GMS a long time ago, but so far New Paris has not invited me for my views on any relevant councils. As for Kusari-" she paused briefly, chewing on a mussel briefly before continuing -"I know little of the place and have no desire to know more. I cannot give you much more than the basics where they and their people are concerned. I trust in the Crown and the King's policies regarding them, however."
The princess seemed to finish then, returning her full attention to her food. She still did not look entirely relaxed - no matter how nice the food was, how cordial her host was, and how seemingly welcoming her surroundings were in general, she knew she was still in the belly of the beast. They were building up to something, she was sure of it, although whether it would be hours, days, weeks or even months before the something materialised she had no idea. One thing was for certain, though - if they were keeping her alive, that meant they had some use for her. The axe was still hovering somewhere above her head, and no amount of diplomatic niceties could ever truly make her forget that.
"Well." Loyola was thinking what to say, it's hard to pick up words now. "You are mostly right, your highness. But we cannot change anything and we have to fight, otherwise they will wipe us out of the face of Sirius." She moved her plate away, her skin is becoming paler. Loyola cannot play or fake anymore. She looked up at Razgriz black hole and sighed desperately. Thouths and emotions are streaming through her, washing away the remnants of energy and will power. She's closing her eyes and breathing deeply, trying to find inner balance to keep up the conversation.
Finally she's opening her eyes and fixing her position on the chair. She's not looking nervous, but her look is also far away from being calm. Her eyes were disfocused for a few seconds, then she looked at Carlotte on the other side of a dinner table. Loyola is looking dry and exhausted, she's being silent for quite a long time. It's hard to read any emotions on her face, there's non. When tension from her silence have reached all possible limits, she finally spoke. Her voice is low, but powerful and piercing.
"I don't know why am I leading myself and my people into a catastrophe. I can't explain it, I do it and it's just happening. We both know how it will ended. " Loyola paused again, not for long, she's just trying to force herlself to continue. "One fact of your presence here will bring unimaginable destruction to my world. Even if we will transfer you right now, your Navy will put a lot more efforts to deal with us than before. " Her eyes are closing and she sighs. "And your highness is sitting before me, being concentration of this insane power and determination. And me, who can't change anything despite my position."
Loyola was waiting for Charlotte's opinion on this. She was absolutely frank and now looked even more weak and apathic. She didn't tell that princess is already depended on Cardamine and tied to Malta forever. It's her only card to play in this game, card that is suppose to save Loyola and Malta as the whole from catastrophe. Was it the time to tell about it to Her Highness? Loyola believed that it's too early, she's still hoping to gain princess' higher opinion. Even by the price of this verbal capitulation that just happened by iself.
What was the angle here? Charlotte couldn't see it, and her expression had subtly shifted from a sort of polite interest to something almost bordering on contempt. The victim card didn't suit Enma, that was for sure.
"Maybe you and your people should have thought of that before you struck at the Crown," she replied sharply, stabbing at another mussel so hard she nearly cracked the plate. "Your raiding and barbarism would have provoked something like this eventually. There is no scenario in which the Kingdom could tolerate your kind on its borders forever."And soon, it won't have to. It was a soothing, vindictive thought - the idea that these drug-addled, upstart savages had doomed themselves simply by the act of touching her person. Each second of trauma they'd inflicted on her would be repaid in blood, each bruise a new continent set aflame by a bombardment that could crack moons open like eggshells. There was no way the Maltese Navy - or whatever passed for it - could stand against a determined Gallic assault. Could it? The more she thought about it - Gallia had no idea of the true extent of Maltese territory. It was all estimates, all suppositions. Maybe the Orange Empire was larger than anyone had-
"Why are you telling me all this?" she said suddenly, dropping her fork abruptly. She had to change her chain of thought before the doubts wormed their way in again. The diplomatic veneer had gone now - she didn't understand Enma's little display of weakness at all. If it was genuine, it was contemptible - she had expected much more from the Maltese leadership, particularly from this one woman who claimed to represent them. It had to be affected, had to be some type of tactic to influence her - but if it was, Charlotte couldn't see it. Her confusion only bred more annoyance, and she decided she was through with their verbal dancing. The anger was boiling up again, never too far from the surface, and against her better judgement she allowed it to spill out. "Do you expect me to feel sorry for you? Do you expect me to care that your people brought this on yourselves? Look what your society, your culture has done to me-" she inclined her head towards the other woman, showing her bruised eye "-and tell me how much I care." The other woman was hardly even looking at her, her gaze seeming to spend most of its time fixated on the chair or down in her lap. "You are far, far too late to try playing these false niceties with me."
Even as she finished, Charlotte had already begun to realise that she might have stepped too far. Testing her boundaries was one thing, but a faint tingle of nervousness ran down her spine as she realised the extent of what she had just said. If Enma had been baiting a reaction, she had given her more than enough to work with. The other woman's expression was unreadable, though it was clear she'd heard every word. For a moment, she had forgotten herself - in her mind she had been holding court on Orleans, not a prisoner of a savage, vicious race of Sirians. It was another lapse in her judgement, a relic of the horrors the past few days had brought her. The wounds were still raw inside, even if her body had gone some way towards healing. Eating fine food and holding civil conversation with these people felt wrong, and it was bringing her anger and vulnerability to the fore each time they pushed her.