Dancing On Ice

The Other Side of Us

~~~~ Double Upload, again again - don;t miss the chapter before this ~~~~

Soon after Aeralie left and he had called out to Perry for help, Kazimir blew out the candles and left her rooms, quietly closing the doors behind him, leaning against them and running a hand through his hair.

He released a slow breath before straightening up and walking away, heading back towards his own rooms.

He was half way there when a door to one of the rooms he'd passed opened.

He looked back as Dalton looked out.

He frowned when he saw Kazimir stood in the hall, the candles on the walls casting harsh shadows across his sharp features.

"What are you still doing up?" he asked, supressing a yawn and folding his arms, leaning against the doorframe.

"I was speaking with Aeralie," Kazimir said.

"In the middle of the night?"

"No, it was just a long talk and we only finished now," Kazimir said.

"Is she alright?"

"She... I'm not sure," he said honestly and Dalton raised an eyebrow at him. Kazimir bowed his head, starting to turn. "I didn't mean to wake you, excuse me."

Dalton nodded, turning away, absently rubbing at his arm, the movement pulling up the sleeve of his top.

Kazimir stopped.

"Is that a new bruise?"

Dalton stopped, looking back and Kazimir pointed at his wrist, walking back to him.

Dalton looked down then quickly pulled his sleeve down.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with," he said just as Kazimir caught his hand and pulled it up, shoving the sleeve back to reveal an ugly bruise that looked to span all the way from the inside of his wrist to the elbow.

"What happened?" Kazimir asked, looking up as Dalton yanked his arm back.

"Didn't I say I didn't want to talk about this where others could hear?" Dalton hissed.

"Then come talk to me where others can't," Kazimir said.

"Why do you even care?"

"I don't know."

Dalton frowned at him; looking at him like he was mad and Kazimir didn't blame him. He was questioning himself at that moment. He had no reason to care. Mere weeks ago he certainly hadn't.

It wasn't as if he and Dalton spoke to each other enough to make him feel he should bother. But clearly whatever madness was starting to possess him meant he did care and he wasn't sure what annoyed him more. The idea that he cared or the idea that this strong and otherwise healthy young man was being subjected to abuse and everyone else seemed to be turning a blind eye.

Dalton was silent for a moment, then straightened. "Wait a moment," he ordered and vanished back into his quarters. Some minutes later he reappeared changed from his night clothes and into black trousers, a loose white shirt and boots, pulling his hair back into a short ponytail as he and Kazimir walked down the corridor, Kazimir following until he realised they were heading for the abandoned corner of the castle where he had first discovered there was more behind Dalton's bad attitude than just a bad personality.

"Why is this place closed off to the rest of the castle?" he asked as they walked passed the faded carpets and cobwebs drifting in the breeze.

Dalton looked up at the high, dusty ceilings, hands in his pockets.