Programmed Love

Chapter Eight: Friendly Conversations

"Valencia... Come on, sleepy head," was the first phrase I awoke to, accompanied by a soft shake of my shoulders from two hands that were so cold they seemed to pierce the clothes upon my arms. 

     Slowly opening an eye, I peeked out at the bright, smiling face of Corrine which caused me to internally groan and roll over onto my right side. I'd stayed up late into the early morning with Dominic, and a splitting headache was wracking my brain. What was it that Corrine gave me to drink last night?

     I remembered a deep maroon liquid swirling around in a silver chalice with a sweet, yet bitter taste. Dominic had drank some as well, interlocking our arms before we each took a large sip, our eyes sparkling nearly as brightly as the drinks in our hands. The taste had surprised me, nearly causing me to spit it back out, but I'd stomached it to appear stronger to my new friend for he'd been able to swallow his entire goblet full in one gulp. He'd laughed at the face I made before taking my chalice and setting it down beside the large bottle that read "Wine". Grabbing my hand, he'd led me once more to where he had set down the keyboard so we could continue our conversation.

     Within that time we'd spent together, I'd drank approximately four chalices full of the "wine". And with each glass, I remembered less and less. I think eventually I'd passed out, and that's probably how I'd ended up back in my bed. Only now, my head was killing me, and my stomach felt none the better.

     Trying to curl into a fetal position with the blanket I'd pulled over my head clenched tightly in my fists, the automaton yanked the blanket away and grasped my upper arms. She shook me slightly more forcefully than the first time, and I slowly opened my eyes once more. The brightness of the room caused me to squint, and the migraine in my head exploded with pain. Shaking my arms from her grip, I brought my hand to my forehead and gently rubbed my temple in an attempt to soothe my throbbing brain.  

     "Oh, I'm sorry! I knew I shouldn't have left the entire bottle. The Mistress is waiting for you so you can have lunch, but you need to get cleaned up first. A nice, warm shower ought to make you feel better, and I'll go get some medicine for your migraine," Corrine stated. She gently grabbed my hand with her cold robotic one and carefully helped me to my feet. I unsteadily hobbled towards a door beside the bed that I hadn't noticed before. The robot had at least been kind enough to leave the curtains closed, to which I was grateful. She opened the simplistic bathroom door as I grasped her arm for support so I could shakily pass. 

     My migraine was getting increasingly worse, and the white color scheme of the bathroom didn't help. Squinting my eyes shut, I took several deep breaths in and out and attempted to steady myself. Opening them revealed the white blob I'd been able to see before as a more distinguishable bathroom. White tiles made the floor, and a turquoise, fuzzy rug was set in front of the glass doors that most likely led to the shower cubicle. The porcelain toilet had a cyan-and-black marble lid, and the sink was made of the same stone. The light illuminating the room seemed to be on the highest possible setting, and my head started swimming once more.

     "Do you think you'd be alright if I left to find you some medi-" Corrine managed to get out before I darted from her side towards the toilet where I emptied the contents of my stomach. The motherly robot quickly came to my side and held my hair back as the disgusting liquid finally stopped spewing from my parted lips. My paled hand reached for the flusher as my other shakily wiped my lips. My forehead was obviously dripping with sweat when Corrine placed her cold, robotic hand over it. The texture of her 'skin' seemed to absorb the sweat as well as cool me down.

     "Oh, you poor thing. I should have warned you about the aftereffects of too much alcohol. You don't seem to hold it very well. I promise, I'll be right back with something to help you. Just stay right here and try not to do anything too physical, okay?" Corrine asked. I meekly nodded as she helped me to my feet. Another cold sweat seemed to seep from my skin. Before the orangette had fully left the room, she sent me one last worried glance. I weakly shook my hand as a signal for her to go on, and slowly began undressing so I could take my shower. 

     I hadn't noticed it before, but a very familiar sweatshirt adorned my upper half. It was baggy and hardly fit, but it was the comfiest thing I'd ever had the pleasure of wearing. Where the sweatshirt came from was slipping my mind at the moment, but it took a lot of willpower to take it off. Glancing into the mirror, I noticed the x's for eyes, and small 'o' shaped mouth with the yellow circle around it all so it appeared to be a face. The rest of the sweatshirt was black. The blackness of it brought out the dark bags beneath my eyes, and I internally groaned. My caramel skin had paled to a light tannish color, and an unhealthy tint had taken an appearance. Whether that was from malnourishment or the wine, I didn't know. 

     After I'd removed the sweatshirt, I was in the process of removing my tank-top when Corrine came back through the door. Her orange eyes widened tenfold and she nearly dropped the pill and glass of clear liquid in her hand when her gaze landed on me. I continued to remove my clothing with raised eyebrows as her irises quickly moved to the floor. A look off utter surprise still adorned her face as she moved closer, medicine outstretched towards me. I was left in only my undergarments when she quietly spoke.

     "I-I'm terribly sorry, Madame. I've n-never seen so many scars on such a glorious body as yours- I MEAN, um, I..uh, here's your m-medicine," Corrine stammered, her eyes never once leaving the floor. Her actions slightly confused me, but my mind hurt too much to dwell on it at the moment. Gladly taking the pill and water from her hands, I greedily swallowed both before handing her back the empty glass. 

     "I..uh, I'll take my leave now, Madame. Try not to take too long, the Mistress is already slightly antsy," she said with a slight bow of her head before turning away in what seemed like embarrassment and existing the bathroom. I knew it wasn't an everyday occurrence to come across someone nearly nude, but I didn't see the big deal of it. Especially not since she's a robot. Shrugging my shoulders, I removed the last of my covering and stepped into the warm stream of the shower. 

                                                                ·                            ·                             · 

     "This is the dress you're advised to wear," Corrine stated, holding up a knee-length dress. A look of disgust crossed my face. It nearly completely went against my normal dress code. At all costs, I'd rather be wearing a form of yoga pants and black shirt. The top section of the dress was completely black and had sleeves that ran down a little past the elbow. A thick leather belt cut off that section from the bottom. The bottom part gave off old-Indian design vibes. It was mostly a cyan, but with a gold and black pattern containing triangles and patterned stripes. It seemed flowy enough, but not something that would be superb to run in if worse came to worst. 

     "Do you not like it? Oh dear, I really hoped you would. I thought it would look just lovely on you and-" I cut her off mid-rant by flashing a fake smile that came off real enough and grabbing the article of clothing from her upheld hands. The fabric was soft enough, but I still internally cringed at the skirt part. Corrine had already done my hair. After thoroughly brushing it, she'd waved it properly and placed a pretty blue flower crown atop my crown of shining brown hair. It was apparent I was being made to look as girlish as possible. 

     Moving back into the bathroom, I shut the door before dropping my towel and putting my undergarments back on. The dress was simple enough to pull over my head. Keeping my hair intact was the only problem that arose. The soft fabric of the dress slid easily over my dried body, and it seemed to fit perfectly. As much as I hated to admit it, I actually did look quite nice in the dress. It accentuated the curves I had, and brought out the natural feminine beauty that had remained with me underneath all the dirt, blood, and dust. 

     When I walked back out, I was met with a starstruck Corinne who immediately bathed me in compliments and forced me to sit down before placing a simple pair of black flats on my feet. She did a few touch-ups on my hair before ushering me up and out the door to the hallway. Before we reached the ending of that hallway, she'd already stopped me and whipped out a vessel of cyan lipstick, baby blue eyeshadow, obsidian mascara, and light pink blush. I practically felt like a human doll by the time she was done with me.

     "There we go! You look so adorable! There's no way the Mistress could possibly want to hurt you now with how innocent you look!" Corrine squealed. At the word 'hurt' all my instincts flooded me and caused me to stiffen before glaring at her. I had no idea as to why Aradella would wish to do me harm. I'd won the stupid game she'd placed me in, and I hadn't done a single thing wrong.

     "Oops, I forgot how sensitive you are to that stuff. Forgive me, Valencia! Mistress just tends to be a bit jealous at times, often sending the winners off as quickly as possible, and usually with a new scar or two. But I'm sure it won't happen to you!" Corrine attempted to reassure me. I continued to glare at her, signaling that I requested a knife. I wasn't about to head anywhere that a threat was possible without having a means to defend myself. A look of worry spread across her face, and I rolled my eyes, tapping my foot in a sign of impatience. I may have been a nice person at times, but when it came to my survival, I was deathly serious.

     "Alright, fine. Just please, don't resort to violence unless she goes at you first," she pleaded, withdrawing a pocket knife, more specifically my pocket knife, from a pocket hidden in her skirt. I silently thanked her before searching for a place to hide it on my person. It'd be uncomfortable to place it in my b*a, and I had no pocket or waistband.

      Thinking carefully for a moment, I suddenly had an epiphany. Looking at Corrine, I motioned for a rubber band, or headband, or both. She gave me a questioning look before handing over the hair products. I broke the few hair ties given to me, then proceeded to slide the headband up my right leg to my thigh. I then wrapped the rubber bands around my leg and semi-tightly tied them together. I then stuck the pocket knife in between my skin and the headband, creating a makeshift knife sleeve. 

     "That was actually pretty cool! Definitely not something just anyone could have thought up," she praised me. I thanked her yet again before motioning her to lead the way again. We didn't stop again until we came to a large door made of glass that led to a gorgeous garden. The garden contained a plethora of blue flowers, such as blue roses, hydrangeas, cornflowers, and nigellas. This 'castle' seemed to be built off the color blue. A tree that was obviously bred with something else, or modified, appeared to be a cherry blossom tree, but with light blue petals. A white table sat beneath it with three chairs around it. Two were empty, but the one occupied was taken by Aradella. The table was a little ways off, but it was obvious to tell it was her by the  nearly black hair in a messy bun atop her head. She seemed to be natural today. 

     "Well, she's right over there. She's a little frustrated with me at the moment, so this is where I'll leave you. Have fun, Madame!" Corrine called out soon after she opened the door and made eye contact with Aradella who immediately glared at her through slitted eyes. Whatever Corrine had done, it was obviously a terrible mistake. I quickly walked through the opened door towards the spot Aradella was sitting. She appeared to be wearing an oversized shirt that hung slightly off her skinny frame. It was a royal blue color with white letters reading 'Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon," in a swirled form. It looked more like a pajama shirt than anything. Her face was still slightly reddened from the Sun, but it was getting better. 

     "Well, I'm glad you could finally join me for lunch," she said, her green eyes still narrowed. Uncrossing her arms, she gestured for me to sit across from her before leaning down to pick up a lunch box filled with things for sandwiches. Her long, spindly fingers unwrapped different kinds of meat, as well as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheeses, and breads. It seemed to be unnaturally quiet for an outdoors area, unless this place was kept away from birds and bugs. It was truly a beautiful sight, and I couldn't help but let my eyes gaze around.

     "So you're a wanderer, I see. You've seemed to take interest in this garden. It's been in my family for generations. This modified tree above us was finally perfected a few years ago by my intelligent little brother. Our family had been trying for years," she explained. A certain joy, or pride, filled her eyes as she talked about Dominic. It was obvious she thought very highly of him. 

     "So what kind of meat would you like? There's deer, ham, turkey, cotto salami, and fish," she told me, pointing to each one. The glare had gradually left her face, and I pointed towards the turkey. She slightly nodded her head before asking if I wanted any tomatoes, lettuce, or dressing. I continued to point to what I'd like, and I soon had two mouthwatering sandwiches. I waited for her to finish making her own food before I started eating mine, and she slightly smirked.

     "I see you have manners. That's good. That's one of my pet peeves. Bad manners. Most people who win the Arena games are pure savages. Of course, that won't save you from what I have to talk to you about, but it dims down the consequences," Aradella stated. A malicious glint sparkled in her deep green eyes. I opened my eyes wide and feigned innocence. 

     "Don't play innocent, Unknown, or I suppose more accurately, Valencia Iredon. But for now, eat your sandwich. I have a lot to say, and all you have to do is listen," she explained. It startled me when she used my full name. The soothing air around the garden seemed to vanish as a more sinister one took over. My appetite was soon lost, but I continued to eat for strength. Putting her own food down, Aradella straightened her posture before continuing.

     "You've done an amazing job of hiding yourself, so at that I must congratulate you. Of course, chasing after you was a little tiring. You've caused a lot of trouble. You made my brother's best creation look like a fool, to which he had to take her apart and scream and cry over his failure, and I didn't quite appreciate that. But all Arena winners are supposed to be allowed freedom, a nice house, and a nice sum of money. I've never been one to cheat one out of something that's naturally their's, but you pose a bigger threat than that." 

     At that point she paused, reading my facial expression, searching for any clues as to what was going on inside my brain. Normally it was easy to tell when a human was nervous, or lying, because they're accustomed to using their words, but living years without speech had made me a superb actor with the power to shut off my emotions if need be. This was one of those moments. I shooed the dreadful thought of her knowing about the key from my mind, and the thought of her knowing who my parents were. My expression remained neutral, and I stayed in a listening stance. A flash of disappointment lit up her face, but once she began speaking, a darkened fury laced her words.

     "Dominic has seemed to take a liking to you for some reason, and you don't seem to be brushing him aside. He is mine. I am his older sister and have the right to him. I was so close to having him, I can feel it. If you interfere with that, I won't hesitate to finish you like someone should have in the Arena," she said. Venom seemed to lace her words, her eyes nearly snake-like. Her hands were gripping the edge of the table, knuckles turning white. I didn't understand what she was getting at. All Dominic wanted was to be friends. I didn't see how she could take that away from him. Her grip was getting to tight, blood was starting to make an appearance on the white table. I immediately motioned to her hands, and that seemed to bring her back to reality. She took a deep breath and exhaled, closing her eyes. After a few moments, she opened them again and looked me straight in the eye.

     "I'm giving you an opportunity. If you forget about my brother, I'll give you the nicest house available. Thousands of clothes, hundreds of weapons, and tons of food will be provided to you. We'll even forget about you somehow being able to get past my top robots. You erase him from your life, and I'll erase you from ours. You're a pretty thing, and you seem kind. It'd be a shame to erase you permanently from this Earth, but if you can't at least get him to dislike you, desperate measures will have to be taken. Do you understand, Valencia?" Aradella asked in a scarily even tone. Her fingers were still dripping of blood. Staring at the blood, I thought over it all. Give up the one person I could have as a real friend, and live a life of luxury without being able to use the key my father gave me, or keep that friend, figure out the use of the key, but have to deal with a deranged sister... Option two appealed to me more. But it seemed like a death wish at that moment to make that known. 

     I decided to take a bite from my sandwich as her eyes bore into mine. Tilting my head to the side in an innocent manner, her bloodied hand snuck beneath the table and warning flags went off, but just as she started to flex her muscles in a way that suggested standing, her whole facial structure changed to a bright, beautiful smile as she looked past my head.

     "Hey, Sis! I see you've got Valencia, mind if I borrow her?" The charming voice of Dominic asked. I had to restrain myself from smiling as well, because Aradella still had that dangerous look in her eye. The smile seemed strained after that point.

     "Well, I wasn't really done with her ye-"

     "Perfect! Come on, M'lady. Orson's just dying to see you!" Dominic exclaimed, suddenly beside me with a charismatic smile and one arm outstretched to me. 

     "Now, Nic, I don't really thi-"

     "Of course it is! Let's go, Cutie. Blue's definitely your color," he said with a wink. Aradella's eye visibly twitched as he said that and brought me to my feet. His soft, warm hand enveloped mine as he tugged me away, nearly running in the opposite direction of Aradella's rage. 

     I turned my head to look back at Aradella one last time. Her eyes burned with rage, and the blood was dripping down her fingers. She looked psycho with her messy hair and disheveled outfit. She ferociously stood and stomped off farther into the garden, loose pieces of hair flying in the slight breeze. I hadn't even realized Dominic had stopped.

     "Don't worry about her. She just has a huge jealousy streak," Dominic stated, almost in a bored tone. Tearing my gaze away from her raging form, I looked into Dominic's entrancing blue orbs. I'd never seen such a shade of blue on any thing. No flower in this garden could compare to his eyes.

    "You really are beautiful, you know?" Dominic muttered. It was so low, I nearly thought it was just the wind. He reached up and nearly touched a stray strand of my hair, but quickly pulled himself out of his trance and returned to his normal persona.

    "Come on! Violet and Orson are probably ravenous by now!" Nic exclaimed, dragging me into the palace. Turning once more, I spotted Aradella watching us intently. She was wringing her hands, blood dripping on the light green grass below.

 The only thing wrong with jealousy is that in the most extreme of cases, if no measures are taken sooner, someone can end up very hurt, and in worst situations, dead.