The Eighth Gate

Dimmed Lights

In only a few short strides, Valeria made her way to where Karnas stood beside the prince. She dipped her head in a shallow greeting, forcing herself to appear somewhat respectful as she addressed the prince first, "Prince Ajax." She hid a smirk when his eye twitched upon her arrival. She didn't even wait for him to acknowledge her presence before her gaze flitted back to Karnas and a pleased smile curved at her lips. "Hello, Karnas."

"My lady," Karnas nodded at her once, the perfect picture of a gentleman. Something akin to amusement flickered in his gaze as he said, "We were beginning to think you had forgotten all about us."

She smiled in return. "How could I forget you?"

Valeria didn't even think such a thing was possible.

The three of them had practically grown up together, always forced to attend countless parties and royal functions over the years with only each other for company–whether they liked it or not. She had come to greatly appreciate Karnas's comforting presence and occasionally, even the scathing humor Prince Ajax favored.

Last year, once the summer season had finally come to an end, the two of them had departed for their first year of Rajvihar Academy. An agonizing eleven months without their company at official court events and kingdom celebrations had followed. She had been so bored to tears by the simpering courtiers that on several occasions, she had caught herself wishing to hear Ajax crack yet another crass joke she could roll her eyes at–just for some semblance of familiarity.

It had been an entire year since they had been away at Rajvihar, an entire year which she had spent suffering through stuffy conversations in overly grand ballrooms and being paraded through the palace as though she were nothing more than another one of the King's prized hounds. The few people who would speak to her seemed to have no interest in what she had to say, while others simply seemed content to judge her from afar.

Valeria couldn't stand the feeling of being watched, everywhere she went. It had been awfully suffocating to stride through a room full of courtiers, gliding from group to group, but not belonging to any circle. She had always felt like there had been a certain distance between herself and the people of their kingdom. Even if they welcomed her to their parties and sent her gold-plated invitations to attend their sporting events, they did not truly see her as one of them. They never had, and it made her feel like she was drowning any time she found herself trapped in yet another opulent party, surrounded by people who made her want to retreat further into herself and clasp her hands together so tightly, until her knuckles turned white from the pressure.

Karnas, as if sensing the miserable turn her thoughts had taken, frowned.

Before he could say anything, however, she forced herself to brighten and said to him, "I haven't seen you in ages – I'm surprised to even see you here tonight."

It was true, she really hadn't expected either of them to attend the celebration that evening. Things had been different ever since they had left for Rajvihar. She had been counting down the days, waiting for them to come back to Kuru after the end of their first year–only to hear from her father that they had been sent off to the training camps with the imperial army for the entire summer.

She couldn't help the subtle tinge of resentment that burned inside her each time she thought of how they had been perfectly content to move on with their lives, enjoy their time at Rajvihar, travel across the entire kingdom and beyond with the imperial army–all while she had been stuck within the walls of her palace, forced to live out the same days filled with tutors, etiquette classes, and courtiers on an endless, eternal loop.

It didn't matter that she was slated to join them at Rajvihar soon–tomorrow. It felt like Karnas and Ajax had lived an entire lifetime in the mere year they had been apart. Something about them was different, although she couldn't quite figure out what.