Distinctly Different

Chapter 7 ~ The Hunt

Chapter 7



Rowan’s expression was unreadable as he through his knife in the air and deftly caught it. He did it again and paid more attention to the way the blade glinted dangerously. He caught it in between his finger tips and the metal felt icy cold. A knock interrupted his thought and he turned towards the door with his back now to the window. The door opened slightly at first and then when silence answered the knock it opened further revealing Eleanor’s servant Arabella.

She glanced around the room and her blue-green eyes widened as they fell upon Rowan. He imagined the sight of him standing with a knife in his hand was certainly not was she was expecting. He raised an eyebrow and a pink flush crept across her pale skin. She bowed her head as she tried to collect her thoughts. As she did so her black hair curled slightly from the unusual humidity obscured her face. Her slender hand fixed her hair quickly and she met his eyes.

Her gaze remained on his face only for a moment before being drawn once again to the blade. Rowan didn’t move; making her feel uncomfortable then put the knife down on a nearby table. She gave an almost inaudible sigh of relief but Rowan didn’t acknowledge it.

“Yes? What is it?” he asked after he saw she seemed to be frozen. She bit her lip looked down.

“I a-apologize, I-I just,” she stammered. She cleared her throat and all of a sudden it was like something had change inside her. “Your presence is requested in the throne room. Your family is to have breakfast then set out for the day.” Rowan nodded, he was expecting something like this.

“Alright, I’ll go. Is anyone else there yet?” Arabella nodded then started fixing the bed sheets. Rowan watched her noting the quick precise movements and wondered how long she had been doing tasks like that. She began wary of his attention and turned her head slightly to look at him. It was either Rowan’s imagination or Arabella’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Rowan smiled, doing so didn’t quite feel natural.

“I’m sorry, I was just waiting for you to finish. I’m afraid I don’t know my way around. It’s easier to ask you than ask some of the other servants running around in a hurry. They look busy so I don’t want to disturb them and they give me weird looks,” Rowan said sheepishly. Arabella looked amused for a bit before his words sunk in and the good cheer disappeared without a trace. She straightened as she finished fixing the bed.

“Of course, it is after all my duty to tend to your every need,” she replied curtly. Rowan suppressed a wince as her emphasise registered. His smile faltered and vanished altogether. He hadn’t given thought to how she might feel having to tend to two people.

“It’s fine. I’ll just ask another servant,” he said quickly and made for the door. Or not, he would just find his own way to the throne, at risk of looking like a complete fool running around, unsure of where he was going. Arabella reached out to stop him and Rowan spun on his heel before she could touch him. She pulled her hand back as if she had been stung.

“I’m sorry, it’s really no trouble at all to show you the way to the throne room,” she whispered. Rowan doubted she was being truthful and was about to say something to stop her. She shouldn’t have to do something if she didn’t want to. Just as he was opening his mouth she walked past him and out into the hallway. He closed his mouth and stared after her with a confused expression. “Well come on, you need to be in the throne room.” Rowan sighed but couldn’t bring himself to try to refuse her help again. He would never find his way alone.

He nodded and followed her to the throne room. As he passed people stared intently at him and he focused on looking like he was ignorant of the stares. He would much rather no one noticed him at all, but that was apparently not going to happen. At least last night when he’d been following Arabella most of the servants were not out and about completing errands. He was able to go unnoticed for the most part because the lack of people to notice him. If it were up to Rowan he would only walk around the castle at night time when normal people were asleep. But alas, that dream would never come true.