chainless DISCONTINUED

12 - Process

Prince Ra is taken to a different part of the palace, it was the opposite route they took earlier when heading to both the garden and the King's study. The walls down this hall were decorated with shelves of antiques, paintings, and crossed weaponry. Ra even spotted steel armor on display. It helped the palace appear less empty, but if only the same could be said for the atmosphere. Ra felt like he was walking on eggshells down the halls, one wrong move or curious glance would be the end his anxiety sensed.

They come up upon a door, two guards standing on either side of the entrance. The King clears his throat, nodding to the posted guards before gripping hold of the door's handle and swinging it open. Inside was a large room with not much in it as Ra expected, two bookcases nailed to one side of the room, a fire mantle with no fire (he believed it was for the winter months), a small area to sit at with low seated chairs carved out of wood- and a bed that could sleep five. Ra walks up to that first, testing the fabric's texture by softly rubbing it between his fingers.

"This shall be your room, it was- one of the old guest rooms. You have free reign to decorate it however you would like." Ra glances at the King, seeing the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Techno and Sapnap waited by the door, interested in the interaction. The hybrid nods softly as he looks away from the King and up at the ceiling. A mural was painted, colors and shapes were compiled to create a wonderful picture. "Pixie houses..." He mutters as he recognizes them. Techno frowns, reminded of who taught him that.

"I will have dinner be brought up to you, apologies if you wanted anything specific."

"Oh uh." Ra pulls himself out of his thoughts, nodding frantically, "That's okay." He kicks at himself figuratively for sounding surprised. King Merri's smile brightens for a moment then moves to the door.

"Have a good night, I will see you in the morning." He exits and Sapnap follows, leaving only Ra and Techno inside of the room.

Ra doesn't pay mind to Techno's presence, having gotten used to ignoring the piglin when he didn't feel like interacting. But, his eyes on him didn't fail to make his skin crawl. The feeling of being watched was something he could easily ignore as he sat his bag down on one of the chairs and walked up to the bookcase, reading to himself the titles on the spines.

"Kid, will you be okay staying alone tonight?" Questions Techno after a few minutes of silence. Ra's voice dies down in reading the titles, plucking a book out of the case, and opening it.

"Yes?" He didn't understand the question. It would prolong the conversation if he were to ask 'why' wouldn't it? 'Asking would make him stay in here longer, not asking would make him leave since he can't talk anymore? I don't know... He is weird.' The Prince closes his book, releasing a sigh and a small yawn. The effects of traveling on foot with little sleep are making themselves known.

"Alright. Have a good night... Your Highness." There is hesitation in Techno's voice. Ra hears the door close with a small 'click!'. Ears perk hearing hushes voices, whispers in the hallway before they dissipated; leaving the young prince in silence. The first time Ra has been alone since the Institution.

His hands reopen the book, drawings on the pages depicting animals. Judging from these titles... They weren't like the books back home... Home?

"Home..." Ra doesn't recall ever referring to the institution as 'Home'; if he ever did it was rare. It was just a place of residence for him, a place that he worked every day in, observed others' behavior at, an acquaintance in the form of a building and forest. Was it home to him? Even in his life. The institution was a part of his earliest core memories, nothing before or after. He lived and breathed that building. He held a routine within it. Could it have ever been a home to him when all that he ever knew was stripped away at a moment's notice that he couldn't even bring himself to remember?