The Octavus

#13-Ignorance

"Where's Evelyn?" Cayden approached a rather drunk Nathaniel who turned shocked at Cayden before he looked him up and down with an air of betrayal.

"I thought she'd be dancing with you." He spoke grudgingly about to take a sip of his drink before Cayden grabbed it out of his unexpected hand. "What d'ya do that for?" He grumbled.

"You've had enough." Cayden knew Nate wasn't actually bothered about his dance with Evelyn. He trusted him too much. "Now where's Evelyn?"

"She ran off didn't she?" He mumbled grumpily refusing to meet his friends eyes.

"And you let her?" Cayden asked in disbelief. "Are you stupid?" Nate just scoffed at this.

"I must be, to love her so much." He sighed closing his eyes. "Don't worry. I sent Cyneward after her."

At his words Cayden turned cold and pale;worry filled his body.

"When was this?" Nate opened his eyes noticing his friends shaky breath.

"Like an hour or so ago." He spoke sceptically eyeing the fear on Caydens face. "What's wrong." His friends expression made it hard not for him to worry himself.

"No wonder he's been eyeing up that girl with the mask." Cayden spoke more to himself looking towards where Cyneward had been stood for over an hour surveying a girl in a thin purple dress and a mask that stretched across her face. She could have been anyone. "He thought she was Evelyn."

Confused, Nate followed Caydens eyeline and turned glacial at the sight of Cyneward and the other guards all paying close attention to a girl similar height, similar hair colour and similar dress to Evelyn. He couldn't help but wonder why someone would wear a mask to a ball that wasn't masquerade.

In anger he gripped the closest unexpecting guard to them nocking over a few drinks as he did.

"Arrest that girl and Cyneward. Not before getting every other guard in this fucking palace to search every inch of it for the Partum. Evelyn." He spat the words threatening and despite the guards sting structure he could see fear in his eyes. "And make sure it is actually Evelyn."

"I'll make sure we get the guards on it and no one leaves the room." Cayden announced watching as some guards received the orders and soon made efforts to apprehend the Evelyn intruder and the guard who didn't do his job right.Whike others rushed out of the room to begin the search. "You go try and find her."

"I was." Nate snapped loosing his patients. With urgency he pushed through the crowd on high alert much sober than he was a few moments ago.

***

Silence consumed Evelyn as she rushed down the hall , no particular destination in mind, without a single glance back to Nate.

She was becoming sick of the back and forth debates in her mind of whether Nate was someone she saw herself with till time took her youth. And without wanting it to the thoughts of Cayden after that wondrous dance kept creeping into her mind for no reason she could place. It was just a lot sometimes.

Before she knew it she burst through a door to the outside and breathed in a large breath of air she didn't know she needed. With a sigh she rested against what she assumed to be a pillar and looked out upon the garden. It flowed by moonlight with less grace in tenebrosity.

Despite all stubborn disputes barking sonorously in her mind, one simple fact remained; she didn't want to be there.

She could pretend all she liked but it would never feel right. The castle, the work and Nate. A recipe of a life she would never want. She wished to be somewhere else. Only, she didn't know what she wanted just what she didn't.