Corruption of Ambition | Sejanus Plinth

Twenty three

"Did you hear about your friend, the plinth boy?" Riyana's father asked, pointing his fork at her.

Riyana looked up from her plate quickly. She did not know what had happened to him. He'd left the night at the graveyard still restless and did not call her since. She had tried reaching out but he only picked up the phone to see now was not a good time and hung up before she could get a word in.

"They're sending him away, I heard." He continued before shoving a bite of food in his mouth.

Riyana's fork slipped from her grasp, the metallic clang as it hit the table reverberating through the otherwise still dining room.

"To where?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Her father smiled, seeming pleased by her reaction. "District twelve I hear."

"Where'd you hear that?" Riyana asked, folding her napkin.

Her father waved his hand dismissively, "Just the talk."

"Did the talk say when?" Riyana asked impatiently.

He smiled and shrugged, "Oh I didn't care enough to listen, not sure why you care so much."

Riyana shifted in her seat. "May I be excused?"

"What's the reason?" Her father asked, the smirk still not leaving his face.

"Father." Beatrice cut in.

"You may go." Her father conceded.

Riyana pushed her plate away, the scraping sound echoing in the room, and pushed her chair back with a deliberate motion. Without a word of farewell, she rose from her seat and swiftly left the dining room. As she made her way down the hallway towards her bedroom, her breath quickened, a sense of urgency propelling her forward. Fumbling with the buttons on her collar, her fingers struggled to find purchase, clawing at her neck in frustration. I am going to accidentally strangle myself, she thought I am going to strangle myself before I can figure this all out.

She would figure this out, because Riyana was smart, Riyana didn't have a plan, but she would figure this out. She would figure it out as soon as she could get these stupid buttons undone.

In her haste she bumped into a maid coming out of Beatrice's room holding her laundry. Her hands fell to her side and her face began to burn. She mutters out an incoherent apology and scurries past into her room.

She locked the bedroom door and considered finding a pair of scissors to simply cut the shirt. Her stomach clenched and she feared she might be sick. Then, grabbing at the buttons one more time, they popped open and the shirt loosened. Finally filling the suffocating pressure lifted she placed her hands on her her knees and panted.

She would be fine, she just needed to call Sejanus, he'd sort this out.

She dialed his number and picked up the phone. It rang, then rang, then silence. She called again. Then she called again.

"Riyana." His voice finally came through.

Riyana heaved out a sigh and let her head fall against the back of her bed. He was there, all was good.

"You're here." She breathed out.

The other end was silent for a moment and Riyana feared he had hung up.

"I'm here."

"My father said something crazy," She said.

He didn't ask but she explained anyway.

"He said you were going to district twelve." Riyana said, laughing, like it was a joke.

He had warned her himself of that possibility, but it was absurd. Strabo Plinth had already started his cover up, the Plinth Prize was already announced, there was sure to be more money rolling in. No one even knew, Sejanus could just go on with his life, no need for drastic measures.