Lol sorry it took so long. Maybe someday when someone actually finds it I can apologize for such a filler chapter. :)
It's like I was on some sort of high after last night. Abigail tried and failed to embarrass me again. Endlessly I send her away, not wanting the attention. In the midst of that, it seemed like everyone began to recognize I existed. Somehow I managed to only dance with three men who approached me. I had no desire, but I had no desire to lose the court.
I tried to look for him again. No matter how long I was distracted, he came back to haunt me. No luck. I suppose I wouldn't know what to look for, even if I did see him. As my thought run- Abigail makes her way over to me once again.
"Yes Miss Abigail? Can I help you with something?" I ask her. Her face is twisted, partially angry, partially amused.
She laughs. "You are such a terrible imitation of a la-"
"Something other than attempting to insult me?" I laugh causally. She won't rule me, I can make this whole place mine. Alek was right, I need confidence to keep up. She glares at me. I stare straight back at her, picking up clues to who she's cheating on Tresh with. A small smirk comes to my face as she struggles to look intimidating.
"You're different, I like it." She says finally, dropping her pursuit. What?
"You're obnoxious and fake. Darling you're nothing without Tresh, right?" I challenge.
"You twist my words." She says, not bothered.
"You're out of your potential. This isn't your place." I shoot back. She looks hurt and amused all at the same time.
"I like you."
"I'd like to leave." I retort and walk towards the door. She's gone down another rabbit hole. I don't think I truly understand her.
"I could make you perfect." She says grabbing my arm. I turn to her slowly. She smiles. "You know I can. You have it, whatever it is, but you don't know the right people."
"Thanks Abigail, but no thank you. I've seen what 'it' does. I'm not interested. I won't tear you away from your people. I just want skim the bottom. And for the love of the angels, Stop cheating on Tresh. He's a good man." I pull my arm gently from her and walk out the palace entrance.
And that was the first, and probably only, time I will ever see Abigail speechless.
I called a carriage over. It takes a few minutes, but once it arrives Thomas jumps off the side of the cart he was holding.
"M'lady." He says holding out his hand.
"Goodbye Thomas." I smile, sending him a small wink. "I hope I'll see you around."
He smiles back at me. "Hopefully." He knocks the carriage and it pulls away from him. I watch out the window before I smile and stretch my legs out. Unladylike, but comfortable.
And then I realize it. I'm comfortable. I know my surroundings, I hail my own carriages. My head begins to throb just to prove my point. I don't have to steal. So I keep my feet up on the seat, because I can. Maybe this isn't so terrible.
When the carriage arrives back at home- yes. I can call this home- Max and Alek immediately open the manor doors like they've been waiting all night. They converse lightly, but look intrigued. I glance at them. Alek has taken over a soldiers posture once again. He stands straight and looks dead through me before I even get out of the cart.
