Element Sense

Chapter Nine- Questions

Comments are always appreciated:) And I wouldn't say no to some voting or fanning either;)

Alyss had grown restless from awaiting Prince Merek's return. She had been in the sitting room for over an hour wondering if Tybalt was worried about her by now. She had already used up so much time, and now it seemed as though the prince was intent on wasting more of the only currency she didn't have enough of.

Sighing at her misfortune, she looked for a distraction. The room was nearly bare so Alyss settled for looking down at herself. Glancing down, she noticed her protruding elbow. She swiveled her head about suspiciously confirming, without a doubt, that no one was currently in the room with her. Then, sticking out her tongue, she began her attempt to make both the tip of her elbow and tongue meet. Eyebrows knitted together, Alyss increased her resolve when it was obvious her plans weren't coming to fruition. 

She and Tybalt had had all sorts of childish pastimes such as this one ever since they had first met. Usually, one of them would best the other, but this was something that neither of them had ever been able to do.

Alyss smiled as she recalled the time she had accidentally let go of her elbow and the built up pressure had made it snap back, elbowing him in the face whilst she was trying, and failing, to succeed with the problem. Tybalt had gained a split lip from the incident that quickly healed. But he nevertheless joked often that his pretty face had been marred for life because of her lack of coordination.

Alyss heard a cough and looked up. Prince Merek stood in the doorway, garbed in peasant clothing and holding a cloak in one hand and a bow in the other, looking highly amused with her antics. Silently cursing at her luck, she stood up, gathering up what dignity she had left and ignoring the bow. She had stopped patiently waiting for not even two minutes and the prince had chosen then to walk in. He began to speak but Alyss curtly cut him off.

"We're leaving." Prince Merek seemed to be turning red from holding back his laughter but followed her regardless of his oxygen deprivation. Alyss lead the way, walking toward the front door, but the Prince finally regained his voice. He let out a hearty laugh and addressed her. "I cannot be seen walking with a servant the day after I arrive. What will your mother and father think?"

Her mother and father weren't here. Who was he referring to? The Prince saw her confused expression and continued while she realized what he was saying. No one in the castle ever called the King and Queen her parents. It just wasn't done. To her, her parents lived in a small trading village just east of their current location. The King and Queen were simply there to provide her with financial aid.

Alyss listened to what the prince was saying. "...fooling around with some servant will make my chances with the princess rather slim, don't you agree? Not that she had a chance with me to begin with." He winked here and then contorted his features into a false grimace, lowering his voice to a stage whisper and putting one hand beside his opposite cheek. "And this may just be idle gossip, but I've heard that she spends her free time trying to lick her elbows..."

She allowed him to rant on, hiding her blush at what he was insinuating about the two of them having an affair, but changed directions so they could make it out the back entrance, where she could conceal her face and no one would be the wiser about her gender.

Alyss walked confidently, having long ago memorized the layout of the guest housing from the few times she had snuck in for fun when no one was around, searching for secret passageways she had read about in her books, the only objects willing to keep her company before her days with Tybalt. She smiled at the thought of herself as a child, glaring holes into the walls as she willed for them to move aside and grant her entrance.