Dark Matter

Chapter Seven

My feet echo as I hurry down the hallway, but I don't even care if I'm not ladylike at the moment. I have to get to places somehow and this palace feels more like a labyrinth than somewhere people live at.

I stop where I believe is a familiar room, placing my hand on the wall. If I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough I can feel the people moving around the room. They're reds judging by their hushed whispers and hurried pacing.

I step away from the wall but I hit something else, another wall. Yet I don't seem to remember a wall existing here, besides this wall is too short. I freeze, not daring to look back as I realize I didn't hit a wall, I hit a person. Behind me the living wall clears his throat.

"Fancy seeing you here." the shockingly familiar voice says, and I turn around sharply only to find blue eyes staring back at me.

The urge to blast him with my ability is so strong I feel my fingers twitch with the power pulsing within. Yet I stay calm as I clasp my hands behind my back carefully, the same way Julian would. "Hello to you too."

He chuckles lightly and dismisses my attempt at sass. "I see you've decided to grace us with your presence." He raises an eyebrow as I scoff.

I cross my arms, a hidden attempt to show him I am not comfortable around him. He eyes me with raised eyebrows and copies my posture, the same way I did a few days ago. His efforts to make me uncomfortable almost make me scoff once more. It takes a lot more than that to make me feel uncomfortable.

"So?" He asks me after a few seconds, I tilt my head, indicating I do not know what he's talking about. It's his turn to scoff. "I believe you're going to luncheon?" He asks and once more I don't respond, merely nodding.

I don't want him to know I am lost. Yet that seems to be inevitable, he is bound to find out that I've been pacing these hallways for the past thirty minutes, and he is bound to find a crack in me. I shake my head, now is not the time to occupy myself with such thoughts.

"Do you need help getting there?" He asks and I feel my heart beat faster with the second, showing no weakness is the key objective here, yet I don't know how to find my way to my own destination.

"If not I can just go, I'm sure you have a reason to be tardy." His grin made me want to smack him, yet he didn't seem to mind the hostility I am sure was evident on my face. With a swift motion he turned on his, starting to walk way.

"Wait!" I cursed myself for reaching out towards his shoulder. He turned around with an arched eyebrow, making fun of me with the muscles of his face.

"Yes?" His tone is well practiced, used to mock me even further. It take me a great deal of self control not to sneer in his direction.

"Just"-- I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself-- "Lead the way." I state dropping my arms. The prince merely smiles as he walks ahead of me towards what I assume is another fancy room.

"So, I asked my mother regarding you adoption."-- He moves in front of me, opening a door. I hold back another scoff-- "And she told me what happened to you." He stops, blocking my entrance to the door.

"I offer you my condolence, I can't even imagine how hard it must be to lose one parent but two..." He trails off, not knowing how to explain his emotions.

His words made me think back to my own parents, the people I never met. The doctors told us that we were exchanged with rations and a few hundred crowns, that they willingly gave up their children to survive another day. I don't know if they were telling us the truth or not but either way it doesn't sound too unreal. A hundred crowns is not a noticeable amount of money for a royal, but for peasants it's a year's salary and more.