~Ioana~
“Outrageous!” the elder yelled, his face red, flushed from the pressure behind his words, hands trembling, blue veins visible underneath his semi-transparent skin.
Despite the pressure bearing at me from various gawking parties, I found myself straightening my hunched shoulders.
Facing him, I asked, “Why not? You said should any party refuse, didn’t you? Or perhaps my ears are beginning to fail me.”
The audible gasps that rang out from the crowd cleared my mind. Immediately, I felt like slapping myself. The courage drained out; it carried with it the weariness that plagued me.
“That doesn’t give you the right to refuse.”
“So you’re saying it’s just for the sake of formality?”
I sighed, taking a step away, but still pressed on.
“No, it’s not…”
He smirked. “It’s for people w
