The Halfling (New and Improved)

Chapter 5

**Rina POV**

Glancing everywhere around the hallway, I creep across to the armoire. It's not that tall... but I hope my antlers aren't visible. My antlers fit behind it alright, but I never can judge how tall they are. I close my eyes and listen, hearing Ever's wings brush against the wall as she slips into her favorite hiding place. I giggle, because I know dad won't check there, as she was there last time. She usually switches it up, so I admire her strategy.

As for me, it's hard to find anywhere that will hide my antlers. I hope this armoire is big enough...

And then I hear footsteps.

I focus on quieting my breathing. Hide and seek is hard enough with us having to hide our horns and wings, but on top of that, Dad has super great hearing. Closing my eyes, I focus in on my animal. I know it's risky to turn on my senses, because my sense of self diminishes unless I'm very, very angry. I do become colorblind as well, but that's minor.

The good thing about my senses as a deer is that I can see 200 yards further, I can sense movement, and I can smell you from half a mile away. I smell Dad coming closer, and I restrain myself from giggling. This armoire holds our oldest china plates, they're actually from the Human world. They're from the same time as the pact, around... 2 centuries ago. In their time, they're over 3 millennium old.

The point is, they're really, really old. And they smell. So it's making it harder and harder to smell dad every time I think about them, because my senses focus in on them. I decide to move away from them, and away from dad. Most hiding places Ever likes, I can't fit into, so I head into the Hall of Remembrance, hoping to find another place to hide.

Footsteps echo off to the left, and I know he's in the parlor. I turn my senses down, because since my power is specifically connecting with my animal, and I need to be able to focus. I creep into the hallway, looking behind me, and walking to the Hall of Remembrances.

"Oof". It's an involuntary sound, caused when I ran into someone. I look up, immediately shriveling away from her gaze. I look down at my bare feet and repeat what I've been taught my whole life.

"Good afternoon Your Highness, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

The Queen looks down on me, her icy blue eyes flashing from behind a cream fan, her gloved hands flutter it expertly. "Where is he?" She asked, her tone freezing me to the spot. She's ignored his many titles, and I'm willing to bet she doesn't even remember my name. She's always been like this, for as long as I've been alive at least.

I hear footsteps echo down the hallway behind me, and a hand on my shoulder tells me it's my father. He's the King, and she respects none of what he does, and yet she expects respect from us. She makes me so angry, and yet I can't do anything, her eyes freeze me and judge me for what I look like and what I've done with my life and every choice I've ever made.

"My dearest love, I heard you asked for me? Here, allow me to escort you to the dining room," He said, extending his elbow to her. His chestnut eyes flash briefly to me as she steps around me, and he smiles at me, before turning to her. Her fan snaps shut, and I wince. Her steps echo along the hallway, tiny and frequent, and her skirt swishes perfectly along the marble corridor.

Looking at their retreating backs, I take stock of my parents. My mother, her back ramrod straight, her hair still the auburn of autumn, but the tips are slowly becoming white and silver, showing the coming of winter. It only ever turns silver when the winter will be long, so I sigh, and remind myself to take out my extra warm clothes this season. It's piled up in a perfectly calculated bun, ringlets falling around her neck. Her gown is of crimsons and browns, with a cream underskirt and sleeves. The neck is below her black condor wings, folded in the back. I remember in the front it dipped down to show her decetecolage. A glint of amber is her necklace, flattering her delicate neck and complimenting her creamy skin tone. She's tall and lithe, and her every movement is graceful, yet calculated.