Compassion (A Selection Story)

> 8 <

Following my night of pitiful sleep, a grand funeral for Amilee takes place. My eyes widen when I am told, but not from shock that they're having a funeral. The palace's efficiency in everything- from cleaning up rebel attacks to organizing closure- never ceases to amaze me.

With the weather still in its cold snap, I dress in a black gown that my maids had originally designed to add shape to my underfed form, but now works almost as insulation, providing me with warmth for the service, which is to be held in the garden. I search for Lindsey on my way down, but cannot find her. I purse my lips with worry when a hand grasps mine, pulling me away from the crowd.

I turn, and Toby stands before me, his dark hair neatly groomed, and his clothes casual, but serious. I suppress a laugh at seeing him in jeans and a black sweater, but my mouth still curls into a tiny smile. "What?" He asks, catching the look on my face.

I shake my head and wave my hand a bit, swallowing the giggles. "Sorry, I'm just not used to seeing you in casual clothes. It's kind of cute."

"Oh," he laughs a bit too, but it seems forced. "Anyways, I heard what happened when she... you know."

"Toby you can say she died. It wasn't that big of a deal to me, I didn't know her, so it was just kind of awkward."

"Okay, if it's really fine... You know that I'm here for you."

Violet gives us a stern look as she walks past, attempting to usher us into seats with the sheer force of her glare- and it actually works. I'm pretty sure Toby is afraid of her. Even though seats are reserved for us up front, we slip into a pair of chairs in a row near the back.

Toby leans over and whispers to me, "Fleur, I'm sorry I didn't check on you again after I left yesterday. I don't know what came over me in the hospital wing, I probably startled you... Sorry, I'm rambling, but I really do care for you."

I grind my teeth for a second, remembering yesterday. "Then why Leanne?"

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, regretting it when his crown tumbles to the floor and he has to pick it up. "Leanne was just... Leanne caught me as I was going into my room, heaven knows what she was doing on the third floor,"

"Then I must be heaven," I mumble under my breath.

"What?" He asks, looking at me quizzically.

"Sorry, nothing."

"Well, I was frustrated and she was there, acting all seductive and then... well, you know. I wanted to take my mind off things."

I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms, "So you actually did have sex with her?"

"Yes, but I'm starting to regret it, she's begun clinging to me every chance she gets."

"Well, if I am ever married to you, I really hope that is not how you'll get things off your mind," I say.

Toby laughs, then I laugh, and then we are getting disapproving looks from a few people in the row ahead of us. I make an 'uh-oh' face at Toby, and that gets him snickering again. Looking around, I see that everyone has turned their attention back to a speaker up front, and I slip out of my chair and motion for Toby to follow.

We end up in the same hallway where the saferoom we originally roomed together in is, and we let out our laughter once the doors are fully shut. I open my mouth, but he speaks first. "God, I hate funerals, they give me the creeps."

I shudder, "Exactly, having a dead person in a box at the front of the room? Can you say horror story?" He smiles, and I momentairly freeze, because his smile reminds me of Kai's. Lopsided- where he kind of only smiles out of one side of his mouth.