Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]

Electra's Pov 

 I was in the middle of drawing my bow after infusing the arrow with just the right amount of magic to hit the target that had been set up at the far end of the field.

Enchanted Archery was one of the sports Elmeria was famous for, and as the princess, being perfect at our kingdom's most famous sport was a necessity. 

I was just about to hit my target when I saw Deena approaching us, and she had that look on her face—the one that told me something hadn't gone as planned.

 I narrowed my eyes, irritated at the thought that she might not have completed the simple task I'd given her, which was to help Seraphina find whoever she had clearly been looking for before running into me by chance.

The arrow left my bow, whistling through the air before hitting the bullseye, and the target glowed faintly, acknowledging the perfect shot, but I barely paid attention.

 I turned to face Deena as she finally reached us, her frown deepening with each step.

"What's your problem?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Were you not able to help her?"

 I didn't like when things went wrong, especially not when it was supposed to be easy.

 Deena huffed, folding her arms as well, and for a moment, I thought she was going to brush it off, but then she said, "Oh, I was able to help her, Electra, but you're not going to believe who your new obsession was looking for."

 That piqued my interest, and I raised an eyebrow, stepping away from my target, and gesturing for Deena to continue. "Go on, then. Who was she looking for?"

Deena sighed heavily, as if she were about to drop a bombshell. "Her so-called friend, and guess who that friend is?"

I waited, my patience wearing thin. "Spit it out, Deena."

"Yuna."

I frowned, searching my memory for any connection. "Yuna? Who the hell is Yuna?"

Before Deena could respond, Roxana, who had been standing beside me this whole time, chimed in. "Yuna's one of the snake girls, isn't she?" she asked, and Deena confirmed with a nod.

 For a moment, I just stared at them, processing the information. "Yuna," I repeated, the name rolling off my tongue as if it had a bad taste. 

 I vaguely recalled the snake girls, and I knew they were two of them, even though I didn't know their names and I never cared to find out.

"So, the new girl's friend is a snake," I murmured, half to myself.

"Is she friends with the dangerous one?" I asked, turning back to Deena. 

 I hadn't paid much attention to the snake girls before—never had a reason to, but if little Sera was involved with them, then it was time to learn more.

"No, that's Yura," Roxana answered, jumping in. "Yuna's the less volatile one, or so they say. Yura's the one who loses control. They're a package deal, though—wherever Yuna is, Yura's not far behind."

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, though it was more out of disbelief than amusement.

"That's… surprising," I admitted, still processing the information. "Out of everyone she could have chosen to be friends with, she picks the girl who sheds her skin? Huh."

 Roxana grinned. "Yeah, well, it's not like she has many options, right? She seems like the kind of girl who'd latch on to the first person who gave her the time of day."

 "She's either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid," I muttered, thinking out loud.

Penelope let out a snicker. "I'd bet on the latter."

I shot her a glance, and she quickly quieted down.

"Do you think she knows?" I asked, though I wasn't entirely sure to whom the question was directed. "About the snakes, about what Yuna and sister really are?"

 Deena shrugged, clearly unconcerned. "Doubt it. She seems too green, too naïve, but then again, if she does know, maybe she's just as strange as they are."

 The thought of Seraphina possibly being a hybrid like Yuna and Yura stirred a feeling of excitement in my chest, and I chuckled out loud in amusement. 

"Find out what triggers snakes," I said, turning to Irina, who had been watching me in silence.

 She immediately raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Why do you want to know that? Is this what I think it is?"

 I shrugged, giving her a smile that I knew wouldn't answer any of her questions. "You know I don't like to share, Irina, and I especially don't like it when what I believe is mine starts mingling with others. If Seraphina wants to have friends, then it's only fair that she chooses the right ones, and I'm the only right one."

Penelope let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "So, you're planning to isolate her? Are we really going to go through this all over again?"

I didn't bother answering. Instead, I turned my attention back to the archery target, enjoying the feeling of control as I nocked another arrow. 

I lined up the arrow, only to realize someone was standing directly in front of my target, and a slow grin spread across my face.

 How amusing. How foolish.

Without a word of warning, I aimed and released the arrow, and it was almost beautiful, the way it cut through the distance before it found its mark, and a loud cry broke through the quietness on the field as the arrow lodged itself into the girl's arm.

 The noise around grew louder, and I heard the startled gasps and footsteps as the other students gathered around, some backing away in fear while others watched with horrified fascination.

 Irina, Roxana, Penelope, and Deena turned to me, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

Irina was the first to speak. "Do you realize you could have killed her?"

 I shrugged nonchalantly while letting a cold smile play on my lips. "She made herself a target. She should've known better than to stand in front of someone's shot. That's her problem, not mine."

Roxana and Penelope exchanged a look, one that spoke volumes. They were no strangers to my behavior, yet there were still moments when I could surprise even them.

 I tossed the bow I was holding to Penelope without a second glance, stretching out my arms as I felt the satisfaction of the shot still tingling in my fingertips. 

 The archery practice had been useful, but now my focus was shifting elsewhere. 

"Like I said, Irina, find out what triggers snakes," I said. "Roxana mentioned that Yura is the dangerous one, but if Yuna is anything like her twin, there has to be a side of her that's just as volatile, and I want you to find out what brings that out. A little push to get them both to show their fangs could go a long way in keeping Seraphina away from them."

 Irina gave a slow nod, a sly smile creeping across her face. "Consider it done," she replied, already calculating how she'd carry out the task.

Satisfied, I turned to Deena. "Deena," I began, giving her a pointed look, "go find Seraphina and bring her to me. It's time for she and I to have a little chat."

 She blinked, processing the order, before quickly asking, "Where do you want me to bring her?"

I met her gaze, my smile widening. "To my bedroom," I replied smoothly, not bothering to explain further. 

 I could see the curiosity flash in her eyes, but she didn't ask any more questions. She just nodded and turned to head back in the direction she had come from.

 As she walked away, I turned my attention back to the girl I'd shot. She was being helped off the field now, clutching her arm and whimpering, while her friends fussed over her as if I'd done something atrocious.

 I almost laughed.

 People really liked to be so dramatic over the smallest things.