Wishful- a Powerless fanfic novella

Chapter 3: Cam

Plagues, I forgot how much I hated walking through the palace alone.

As I take slow steps past colourful paintings decorating the walls, the not-so-colourful people glance at me with a frown, shrivelling up my insides. The intense pressure of stress pounds down on my temples, an excruciating pain blooming in them as a result. My eyes mostly stay on the crimson carpet, my mind wondering half-heartedly if it was always so.... bloody looking.

As I near the study, I start to slow my pace even more. I wander idly around the corridors, inspecting portraits and wishing that there weren't so many darn maids peeping at me as they walk past. From the corner of my eye, I can see their dainty faces light up whenever they dare assume I am "checking them out", and the faint shadow of disappointment when they realise they are worth less than nothing to me.

And believe me, I know what less than nothing means. Exactly the amount of fucking feelings that Paedyn Gray turned out to have for me. You are worth less than nothing to me, and don't you ever forget it, Cameron Pierce, she had said the day she broke my heart, before a bush of silver hair whipped around into my face and left me standing in the middle of the slums.

Feeling utterly, completely alone. Because she had been my light, my guide throughout the short life we shared together in secret. Pae's always been so good at keeping my secrets, her word was as good as it would get. The best. It was only when she held my hand in the midst of squabbling traders selling everything from mangoes to handcloths and told me we couldn't be together anymore that I regretted immediately never sharing her secret.

Because Paedyn Gray is completely, one hundred percent Ordinary.

I hadn't been sure, the first time I met her. I was a lot more confident back then, easily making my way down to the slums several times per week to gather up ingredients to then bring back to the castle. It was only when I was arguing with a sour-faced fruit dealer (mirroring the sour fruit she sold, hence the argument) and turned around in frustration that I glimpsed a sight of her silver hair.

And Plagues, it was quite a sight. Shiny, running down the length of her back. She was swivelling between carts, shouting hurried apologies as she darted down one of the many back cobbled lanes, the Imperial not far behind her. I knew immediately what I had to-

A kick to the foot forces me to stumble out of my daydream, and into reality. I wasn't gathering up supplies and about to meet the girl of my dreams. I was standing pencil-still, staring straight ahead at a grumpy Imperial, darn it. His eyes narrow at the sight of me, my dishevelled hair and food-splattered apron. And just as he opens his mouth to likely spew words about me being a "lazy ass" and that I should get back to my duties, I do something that I will most definitely regret in the distant future, maybe even more than the spices incident earlier.

I run. I break out into one hell of a sprint as I sidestep the Imperial. "Lots to do, got to go" I mumble, not bothering to look back as I hear his grunt of frustration, but he doesn't chase my figure as I predicted.

Huh. Something seems a little up today. Not down. Usually, it's always down for them.

As I approach what I am most certain is the King's study, I pray that the man himself is inside, so I don't have to go through with the task. After all, I won't be able to steal any papers for Kai if he's around. His majesty does spend a lot of time in his bedroom, or the dining room, or the gardens, so maybe I shall be allright.

I approach the- wait... the door is open? That doesn't feel right. In all my time here, the door has never been open. Quite my luck then. I can hear two voices speaking to each other from here. Now, I can peacefully make my way back and draft some sort of excuse as to why I couldn't help the prince, to the prince himself.

But I actually don't feel like going back to the kitchen anymore, to the cooks and Gail just yet. I'm hardly "in" on any of the palace news, and the royal chatter sounds the best to me.

So instead, I lean my body against the wall of the study and listen. I listen, clicking into my Amplifier powers harder than I've ever had too, probably putting too much effort into the action as the door is wide open, after all. But I want to make sure I'm hearing every word right.

Every. Single. Word. And the first couple shock me.

"You fucking wish"

I clap a hand to my mouth as I hear this. Definitely a woman's voice. Who dares speak like that to the King?

Silence. It's almost excruciatingly painful not to take a peek into the study, not to discover who exactly is in there. But I don't dare. A few seconds go past before the sound of hurried footsteps make their way towards the entrance.

Oh motherfu-

No time to finish that sentence. I can sense her appear in a blink, staring at me and probably betting all her silvers that I'm a madman. As I raise my eyes to meet her's, I can feel an immediate blush cross my cheeks, painting them a truly embarrassing shade of pink. A breathy laugh escapes her.

Her.

The stunning beauty she holds is undeniable. Sharp pale cheekbones paired with even sharper eyes, lilac hair, a smirk that I just know she has practiced on hundreds of others before me. I find myself absentmindedly wondering what it would be like to wrap my arms around her soft-looking skin and tuck a lock of smooth hair behind a pale ear.

Plagues, this is ridiculous, crushing on a woman I've never even met. I look away shyly. She is likely a member of nobility, yet I'm almost certain I know her in some way now that a few more seconds have passed, even though I can't remember how or why exactly. But it's probably just nothing. This is probably just nothing.

I turn around with my head dipped and start to walk away. I ignore the lasers her eyes are shooting into my skull, firing up my forgotten headache again, which immediately starts pounding away at my skin. She's beautiful, I think to myself. Hell, not even the word beautiful could describe her. A delicate ray of moonlight is what she looks like, who she is. But what was a woman like her doing in the cave of a man with ugly intentions?

"Hey you! Come back here!" I hear her exclaim, a hint of anger in her voice. Uh-oh, I sense she is the type of person that always get her way. Not this time, I've already wasted enough of it here.

"At least tell me your name."

I stop at this. Stop right in my place on the crimson looks-almost-like-blood carpet in total astonishment. This woman, she wants my name? What kind of world am I living in? Why, in this moment, does it feel so good?

I momentarily ponder whether or not to give it to her, and then suddenly decide that it's not too big of a deal to give away. To give away a part of me, to a person who feels like a stranger but at the same time has a sort of familiarity that is undeniable in the way she confidently speaks her thoughts, not afraid of anything. And I don't turn around for her, don't give her another chance to analyse me from my front.

But maybe, just maybe I shall give her the pleasure of hearing my name, give her the chance to preserve it.

I'm being delusional.

"Cameron" I cough lightly into my fist. "Cam"

Damn it, not the nickname! Too far. Not far enough? I feel bad for ending the conversation here, but I feel physically unable to keep going, the pressure on my temples almost unbearable now. As I fall back into my clumsy stride, stepping down the gold rimmed stairs holding onto the railing cautiously, I can feel her mutter, but even with my stupid bat ears, I can't hear a single thing.

I should probably visit the royal physician. Would he even care enough to see me again, after the last time I burnt myself with boiling water? This girl probably would, the way she was staring at me before.

But I'm fine with never seeing her again.

I'm fine with never having to deal with her essence, with everything that brings together the figure that is her.

I'm fine with that.