Geminus

Chapter Five - For the Mission.

When I woke the next morning the sun was up and the birds were chirping, Hearing nature was still foreign to me, especially when two days ago I woke every morning to the sound of the water dripping in to a tin bucket in the corner of the bedroom Zander and I shared. I wasn't use to the serenity of being above ground, and I didn't think I ever would be, not while I was stuck here. The birds in trees had more freedom than my family.

As beautiful as the warmth was I couldn't let myself enjoy it. I felt guilt every second I was in this house. At first it was only because of my family, still trapped in the rusty jail, while I was free, to a certain extent, but after thinking for too long about it, the way I'd hurt Oliver was getting to me as well. I held a hand to my lips. They still tingled from his kiss.

I sat up in the bed. But before I could get out, there was a knock at the door.

“Hello?” I called out.

“It's me, Mae.” Mae’s voice was frantic, she sounded worried.

“Come in”

She walked in sheepishly and placed a glass of water on the table.

“I'm sorry I didn't come last night. The prince told me not too” She stood beside me her hands looped together. She looked at me like I was her superior, and I hated it. I patted the edge of the bed down. Mae shook her head and looked up at the door. “Someone will be along shortly and I can’t be seen getting to close. You’re a twin after all. Are you okay though?

“Who is coming?” I mumbled. “And I'm fine, really.”

Mae looked at the door again and then back at me.

“Thomas.... You haven't heard yet have you.” She whispered. “I assume he will be here very soon.”

“Who?” I asked again.

“Oliver has been matched” She whispered. “They’re having a celebration in the throne room. Thomas has instructed me to see that you are dressed and ready to attend.”

My heart sank, he'd said his match would be instantaneous. He was right of course. I wasn't sure why I felt the way I did. We'd kissed, but I was under no illusions that it was nothing but a momentarily lapse in judgment. Yes I found him attractive and kind to a certain extent. He had values and he was different to all the other twins I'd met so far. I was infatuated. That was all it was, all it could be.

“Oh, okay” I smiled, but I felt anything but happy.

“You sound sad” Mae replied.

“I'm fine, I just need to be alone” I whispered sliding back down in to my bed. “Give me five minutes to shower and then I’ll get dressed.”

Mae waited as I  got up and walked into the bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror. The girl I had been in the underground was gone and she had been replaced with someone who looked as though they could have been a twin…. But without the “benefits”.  Even if I had let Oliver stay to talk last night, his betrothal would still have happened eventually. I would still be the girl wishing she could have something that was just a dream. Oliver didn't even need me anymore. He would have Zanders army, and his encrypted files. I was proof that the system was corrupt, but there would be many other things to prove the same thing. I couldn't stay.

I pulled the tracking bracelet off put it inside the shower. There were already clean clothes waiting. A new jumpsuit, so I put it on and opened the bathroom window. Like a ninja cat I maneuvered through it until I was out. I scaled down the wall and ran from the castle. I had been running for 20 minutes straight when I realized I was running faster than the world was moving. Everything else seemed to be moving in slow motion. I'd run around the outskirts of the city, and hid every time a drone circled overhead. By now my disappearance would have been noted. They would be looking.