Starting the day after the ball, Kel's life in the Serin Empire began to change.
The first change happened when she started being called to the emperor's study regularly to prepare for her mission to infiltrate the Pantheon Masquerades. The once strange, twisty path to the obscure wing of the main palace quickly became second nature.
She'd also started running into Barclay more often, and he didn't hesitate to express his disappointment in her colluding with the Serin ruler. It was as if the timing and nature of their interactions up to this point had been purposefully manipulated to create the most friction possible between them.
Kel was left feeling abandoned when she needed Barclay the most, and Barclay ended up misunderstanding her cooperation with the emperor. It had all gone so perfectly wrong.
