"Good evening." He whispers into my ear and his warm breath tickles the back of my neck. The sudden sensation makes me jump. Oh no... What is he doing here? How did he find me anyway...
"Your Majesty." I say holding my breath. "I didn't hear you walk in." I was too engrossed in the book that I didn't notice him.
He chuckles shifting behind me and leans on the back of the chair so he's right above me. "I thought I would come visit. You looked lonely here in the dark corner and we have not talked in a while. What are you reading?"
Not lonely, secluded. Over the past couple of days I have been avoiding you and Maude as much as I could since that encounter with the old housekeeper. That is what I want to say to him.
This spot, way back in the library, as well as a few others around the castle have been my hiding places. How did he find me at this one? I close the book slightly as I stretch my legs out. His sweet scent is invading my nose. By the Divine he smells good. "I, um, it's called 'Ryder and Josephine'."
"Ooh, a classic! What part are you at?" His hand reaches down over my head and he grabs the book out of my hold.
"Wha? Hey!" I yell raising my gaze to look at him inspecting the book with a wide smile.
"Your smile is as lovely as ever Miss Dashwood. Said Mr. Montalvo, for he had always adored Josephine's bright smile. It shined the brightest, brighter than any star." Sebastian reads from the pages I was at and I start to blush. He continues as he walks around and sits on the footrest I'm using. "Whenever he was near, his palms would sweat and his heart began to palpitate. For the young man was in love since the moment he saw Josephine but she was an enemy to his father's country. Ryder knew he could never marry her for this reason."
"Okay, enough." I mutter reaching for the book but he leans back out of my reach. "I didn't ask you to read it for me." Annoyance comes out while he playfully keeps the item from me.
Again I try stealing the book back but Seb lifts it up over his body with a smirk. "I never took you for liking romantic fictions."
I huff through my nose and sit back in my chair with my arms crossed. "Neither did I." Reading has been my escape since I can't be around Sebastian. Curse him and that old woman.
He hums leaning forward which makes my eyes land on his and he's watching me closely. "Wishing for a little romance Cam?"
My face immediately heats up. "No," I say turning my head away. "I came across it randomly as I was finished with the other one."
"Ah, I see. What was the book you read before this one?"
"Martin recommended I read this." I reach to the table beside me and hand him the book. He hands me the one I was reading and our fingers touch lightly. My heart thumps but Sebastian doesn't seem affected by it and I look to the bookshelves off to the side. Why did Maude have to point out that this man cares for me. I was fine before she said anything and now I'm all out of sorts when I'm near him.
He laughs. "Flying Walnuts. I had to read this when I was younger. Couldn't understand why an old man would live with a family of squirrels."
I hum to hold back my laughter and use the book to cover the lower part of my face. "I actually agree with the old man... I would rather live in the forest." We smile at each other and I ask him what squirrels are.
"They are little rodent-like creatures with bushy tails. I saw one eating seeds and he filled his cheeks up so he looked like this." He blows his cheeks out with his mouth closed so his face is round.
"How silly! Why would they do that?" I giggle. "I hope to see one like that some day."
He grins at me then looks down. "Yes, it was quite funny."
"Have you read more books?"
"I've read plenty over the years, including that one." He uses his chin to point to mine.
I look down at the book in my hands. So he knows how it ends. "Do you think they are meant to be together?"
He blinks at me then shrugs. "They came from opposing countries in the middle of a war. If either of the fathers knew how Ryder or Josephine felt, they would have killed them. If it was me though and I knew she felt the same, I would have fought for our love."
Terrible answer! I shouldn't have asked that... I shift in my seat and can't stop the next question that comes to mind.
"Do they?"
He shakes his head smiling. "You are going to have to read it yourself to find out." Then winks.
I sigh through my nose again and bend my legs up so I can rest the book against my thighs. I am about halfway in the story. It wouldn't take much longer to finish it. I want to know how it ends...
My eyes lift up to his and he's watching me, his head is tilted to the side. "Have you been avoiding me?" He asks quietly as he leans forward, lacing his fingers together.
I shake my head, our eyes locked. "No, I've just been busy." A finger idly runs down the spine of the book.
"I understand if you are and want some space because of the other night. Just know you needn't be afraid of me." He turns away first, chewing on the inside of his lip. "You can trust me."
"I am not afraid of you. I know you won't do anything." I'm just more afraid of Maude... When our eyes meet I give him a kind smile but he frowns.
"Is it something I did or said then? Do you not want to go to the ball?"
Right, the ball is in a few days. We will be expecting guests soon and I completely forgot. What do I say? If I listen to Maude at all, that would mean that I shouldn't go to the ball but he bought the gown for me... If he sees you with another, Seb will back off. That's what Maude said...
I chew my lip thinking of what to tell him. He's watching me intently. What do I say? "No... I'm just having second thoughts on going... what will Maude or the guests think when they see us together?"
He blinks at me and leans back not breaking eye contact. "They will probably think that we are a handsome couple." He answers with a grin.
I stop myself from rolling my eyes up and laugh instead. "A King and his servant don't make a good couple."
"Says who?"
It was the first thing he told me when I got here. He lifts an eyebrow at me as I gaze back. "Everyone." I answer sitting up. "I don't think it is right for me to go to that sort of event. You should be going with a noblewoman not some servant who has no future, you don't deserve that." What could he gain from me. We can't be together, he should know this. He said it himself; that royals and servants aren't seen together.
Sebastian runs a hand through his hair exasperatingly and his eyes fall to the floor. "That's not true... Above all, you are my friend. I want you there to celebrate my birthday." He says quietly, his eyes not leaving that spot on the floor. "A King should marry someone suitable to be queen someday. That means any woman he sees fit, regardless of status."
My fingers wrap tighter around the book when he gazes back up at me. Oh my...
"I'll leave you to it..." He says after slapping his hands on his thighs. "Don't be a stranger." He says with a wink then stands up and tousles my hair as he walks past me. "And don't back out of my invitation! King's order!" He yells behind me, leaving the room.
A heavy breath leaves my chest as I sink back into the chair that I didn't realize I was holding in. He seems to not be giving up. This is going to be harder than I thought... I blow a piece of hair that has fallen over my face. Time for a different approach.
Just by overhearing some of the women servants talking, I know which of the castle guards are single or not. It's going to be hard to keep my distance from Sebastian if he continues to seek me out. All I need is for him to see me talking to another man. Then he will leave me alone and I know exactly who I could use.
The next morning, before my shift starts, I seek out Claudia in the servant's kitchen and ask her if I can meet Roger today at noon. She happily agrees and tells me to wait by the barracks so she can introduce me to her son.
At ten minutes to noon, I wait anxiously for Claudia and Roger to come. I can do this, I can do this. I'm just meeting someone to fool the King into thinking I am interested in another to get him not interested in me anymore. I pace back and forth while I wait and I see Seb and the Captain readying for their training along with other soldiers. My heart begins to quicken when I look to Seb, who hasn't seen me yet.
Footsteps sound behind me and I turn to see Claudia walking towards me. "Hello dear." She says when she comes closer.
"Hi." I smile nervously to her and turn my body to the courtyard.
"Don't be nervous Raven, Roger is a sweet boy." She assures me by gripping my shoulder. "Now where is he..." The older woman mutters as she looks out to the crowd of men and she breathes in sharply. "There he is. Roger!" She calls out to him, waving her hand in the air and all of them turn their heads to us including the King.
Oh no! When our eyes lock, heat rises up to my cheeks. A man off to the right waves back to Claudia with a warm smile. That must be Roger... He's shorter but has a bigger build than Sebastian, his hair and eyes are darker too. Handsome in a different way. Both manly and strong.
There is something soft and kind presented in Roger's eyes. The dark brown irises are welcoming and comforting. He is someone you can trust just by looking at him.
Seb on the other hand has that same feeling but I feel like he can protect me too. There is some dark underlying mysteriousness about the young king. A wise and mature tone in the lines of his face yet a gentleness when his eyes crinkle up when he smiles.
Why am I doing this?
Seb's head twists to the soldier waving to his mother and watches him as he approaches us. His eyes are squinted when they land on me when he realizes what is going on. The King doesn't move his gaze as he stretches before his sparring with the Captain.
I turn to Roger when he reaches the top of the stairs and smile warmly at him.
"Hello Mother," He greets her then turns to me bowing his head slightly. "Good afternoon Miss."
Claudia giggles, gripping my arm. "Roger, no need to be so proper." Then brings me closer to her son. "This is Raven, she started here about a month ago now. Raven, I would like to introduce you to my oldest son Roger."
My face heats up when our eyes meet and I lift my hand up between us. "Nice to meet you, Roger."
He takes my hand in his and lifts it up to kiss the top of it. "A pleasure to meet you too." His voice is deep.
Claudia grins, looking between us then says that she will leave us alone now. Once she is gone, Roger looks to me with a shy smile. He leans on the railing casually so I do the same. Okay, now what?
My gaze turns to the courtyard where the men are still sparing and I can't tell if Seb is looking this way or not. In order for this to work, I have to appear to be interested in Roger. He does seem like a nice guy. Ask him a question.
"Um... What's it like working for the Royal Guard?"
He shrugs, pursing his lips. "It pays good and has great benefits. The hours kind of suck though. I've noticed that you started a few days ago, how do you like working here?"
"I enjoy being in the castle. The work keeps me busy." Why is this so difficult? With Seb it was much easier to talk to him.
"That's good. I'm sorry to do this but I don't have much time to talk since I am on my lunch break. Would you like to get together when we are both free?"
"I would like that." I say with a smile.
He grins back and we agree to go on our day off which is a couple days from now. After the ball...
"Great, well we can meet here, say 5. I know a joint in the Aristo District that has the best Imami's in the city."
Imami's? What kind of food is that? Now I have to accept the invite and look pleased by it. "Sounds delicious!" I grin at him when we face each other. "I can't wait to try it."
He chuckles then says goodbye before walking back towards the barracks. "Bye." I say but I don't think he heard me. I watch him for a moment then my attention goes to the King, who isn't there anymore. Where'd he go? My eyes dart to the stairs and I see him walking up them. Oh no. When him and Roger cross paths they talk briefly. I take a step back. Seb smiles widely at Roger as they continue on their destination. Our eyes lock and his smile vanishes.
I take another step back then another and spin around making a break for it towards the kitchen. Maybe he is heading to the kitchen too or up to his study. By the sound of his footsteps, he is trying to catch up to me so I pick up my pace.
Curses! Where do I go? Got to hide... He'll follow me to my room if I go there. I need to lose him first then find a hiding spot. I turn down a hall that leads to nowhere. No! There are only two doors and they're both locked. Why?!
His quiet footsteps echo in the small corridor and I wince not wanting to turn around.
"Took a wrong turn?" He questions softly.
"Why did you follow me?"
He comes closer and I don't move.
"Cam." He chides and I can feel the heat coming off of him.
I grit my teeth, slowly turning to meet the King staring down at me. His arms are crossed over his chest so I can see the muscles tighten under the white shirt. Divine help my poor soul...
"What were you doing talking to Roger?" His eyes are blazing down at me.
"I- I can't talk to him? Is that not allowed?" I ask not able to meet his fiery stare. What I want to ask is what is he doing? I try to move closer to the mouth of the corridor but Seb moves his arm up. What the? He is acting completely different from how I wanted. Sebastian seems angry at me and is not backing off like Maude said he would.
He leans closer with a smirk. "You can talk to anyone you desire just don't be all flirty and cute with another man." My eyes finally turn up to his and he says. "Only I am the one you can flirt with."
What? This is not what I wanted. I didn't think he would act this way. My heart begins to pound in my chest. Curse you Maude for putting me in this position!
"Am I? Someone thinks otherwise."
"What?" He questions with furrowed brows.
"Nothing." I say quickly and look away for a moment then back at him with a frown. "Can you step back please? And I wasn't flirting."
He stares into my eyes not moving and I wonder if he will ever step out of the way. "Did someone talk to you?"
"No." I tell him holding our stare and cross my arms over my chest defensively. What can I say to make him back off. "Just exploring my options."
He leans back frowning. "I don't think that is a good idea Cam."
Who is he to judge my actions. "I think it is, now please move." I say holding my ground. My heart beats quickly at the growing silence and heat. Why is it so warm in here? It feels like my face is on fire.
Seb purses his lips with squinting eyes. A few moments pass before his face softens then he drops his arm so I can pass by. I run out of there quickly, towards the servants quarters, leaving him behind utterly speechless.
My goodness. That was too much. Once I am inside the safety of my room, I lean on the door. My back fully against the wood and I slide down to the floor, letting my legs give out. The air in here is much cooler and I take a generous breath inward to calm my heart.
Well that worked...
When I see Sebastian the following afternoon he doesn't even smile or make eye contact with me. Him and the Captain spar like usual, this time with no swords. On a happier note, Roger waved and showed a sweet smile when he saw me as I walked through the breezeway over the barracks. It's not the same though, I don't feel anything, not like when Seb does it...
I wave back with a small smile and I continue on towards the kitchen to grab my lunch then to a spot where I won't be disturbed.
Up in the mage's quarters, barely a word is spoken between me and Nez as I practice my magic. He asked me if I was okay and I answered with a flat 'fine.' Everyone gets 'I'm fine,' when I'm really not. This whole situation isn't fine. Nothing about how I feel, or how I'm treating everyone is fine to me. And I know they can sense it too... The deed is done, the King saw me talking to another. If I give it time, things will turn better.
"Just talk to him. Whatever is going on between you two, I'm sure you can figure it out." Nezra blurts from behind me.
"Who?" I ask trying to act dubious.
"You know who Missy."
Guess that won't work. I lift my head to glare at the mage. "There is nothing going on." Another lie, for the countless time.
The mage doesn't back down, he shakes his head with his balled fists resting on his hips. "You and the King have a connection and I don't mean in a romantic way. I've known His Highness since he was young, he was a happy boy until his mother passed. A great sadness struck hard but he eventually grew out of it as the years went on." Nezra pauses, his frown softening and eyes turning down. "Then his father was killed. His Highness didn't eat or sleep for weeks. It took him longer to come around, became content with his life for two years."
An image of a young boy, grinning wide with missing teeth pops into my mind. Happy, with his smiling parents behind him, a hand on each of the boy's shoulders. Seb has had a rough childhood growing up. Seeing his parents die right in front of him. It must be hard living with that feeling, knowing you might be next.
"We may not be blood but we are still a family. None of us could bring joy to him, we all tried. Until I started seeing that happy boy shine through that cloud of melancholy about a month ago..." The mage says staring into my eyes. "That's when you came around, right?"
I bite my lip turning away from his gaze. Maude and now him? Nonsense.
Nez sighs loudly and walks up to me lifting his hands up to my shoulders, not noticing my body flinch to the touch. "Forget about your lessons today. Go talk to him Camellia." He orders and turns me towards the door.
Why do these people make it their business to bother in my affairs? I don't even know what to say to Sebastian. There is no doubt that he is mad at me for what I did yesterday. Maybe I'll start with an apology.
Night has fallen by the time I work up the courage to speak to Seb. The halls are empty as I pad my way to see the King, I'll try his study first then his room. If he isn't there then fate is telling me not to talk to him. My heart pumps harder the closer I get to his study. A quiet thumping makes me stop though.
"Psst!" Someone hisses behind me.
I turn around with a frown and see no one in the dimly lit hall. Am I hearing things? I stand still, trying to hear any footsteps but there is nothing. Odd... I continue walking up the stairs and as I get to the top, Sebastian grabs my arm and pulls me into him.
I yelp at the sudden force and place my hands on his chest to push Sebastian away but he holds me tightly around my waist as he hushes me.
"What! What are you doing?" My voice is muffled under his large hand. Why is he holding me hostage? I don't see him for a couple days and this is how he greets me?! I struggle some more but he just smiles at my failed attempt, shaking his head. He isn't going to hurt me, just wants me to be quiet I realize... Once I've calmed down he lets go of me and grabs my hand leading me up to his chambers. What a crazy man. Why is he acting like this. I guess talking to him will have to wait.
As we stalk up through the halls, Sebastian is looking around each corner frantically to make sure no one sees us. He opens the door to his room, stepping in quickly with me right behind him and he locks the door after we walk through. Then he pulls me into the secret diary room. What is going on? I stay still as he lets go of my hand and stands over the hutch desk that has papers piled on it.
"I found something on Hearthgrim that I thought you would want to hear."
My eyes widen. "Really?" The nervous fear I had has been replaced by a whole new fear. What did Seb find?
"When you told me that Hearthgrim knew my mother, I decided to look through her diaries to see if there was any mention of him." I nod, crossing my arms, listening carefully. "And guess what? There's nothing. So I began digging some more with the help of your documents..." He says flipping through some old books.
Clearly he has been doing some deep digging. Did he get any sleep today? His hair is dishevelled and his eyes are wider than usual with purple bags hanging underneath. "How long have you been up?" I ask sternly as I walk along the bookshelf, glancing at the loose papers and books strewn about the small room. It's starting to look like Nezra's quarters in here.
Sebastian chuckles. "Um, I have been up all night..." He says while rummaging through a pile of papers. "Maybe fell asleep for a couple of hours while reading but I am unsure. What day is it?"
My head tilts to the side in disbelief. How hasn't he slept? By the way he acts, it looks like it's been more than a couple days. Now that I think of it, that purple colour painted the bottom of his eyes when he caught me with Roger... With a frown, I read one open diary, his mother's. A passage from 23 years ago. "What did you find?"
"It's big," Sebastian says nodding quickly. His wild smile is manic. "You are not going to believe this but there is no Peter Hearthgrim."
I blink at him. "How is that possible? Peter Hearthgrim is the one that is trying to buy me."
"Not according to any records. There's no birth, estate, or bill records in his name. I even read my mother's diaries cover to cover and there is no mention of this man yet you suggested that he loved her. He knew a nickname of hers that only people close to my mother use." Sebastian grabs some more papers and places them on the little hutch desk. "Look at this." He tells me as he points to a paper and I read it. "There is no document of a Peter Hearthgrim in Adelaide or owning any land only until about 35 years ago. I found a record that popped up showing he owns property in Eldrin."
Okay, that is a long time ago and Hearthgrim is a lot older than that, so how did he become a lord? The document pertaining to me and the ones about the other lords who dwell in the Eldrin province are placed on the table next to his mother's diaries. As well as a small map having circles drawn around some properties. It's all here and they conclude to the same thing. There is no evidence of Hearthgrim's estate or existence but it says that's where he lives according to what was written on my documents. Only three Lords rule Eldrin, none are named Peter Hearthgrim.
It's true... I lean back with wide eyes and turn to Seb who has a grim face. "That is also when my father became King." He says coolly.
No way... "You don't think?"
He presses his lips into a hard line as he shrugs. "I mean it is a little suspicious seeing fake records. A guy that doesn't exist is a Lord and for no reason wants to own a powerful being, that's you, that can change their appearance to look like anyone. Why? It can't be coincidence."
There is no way that Hearthgrim is capable of that. What would possess him to do such things? I shake my head. "He is too old to start a war, to fight against you for the crown."
"Cam, if he can become a Lord out of nothing then he can amass an army just as easily to fight his battles. It's the perfect cover-up to use an alias. That man trying to buy you is not Peter Hearthgrim. We have to take whoever this is into account and not underestimate any possibilities."
I look to the papers again not knowing what to say, this is all too much. Seb must be devastated. Hearthgrim, or whoever he is, could be the man that killed his father. "What are you going to do now?"
"Find out more about him, we can't go on this alone. We need more information before we can start accussing." He says resting both hands on the edge of the table top. "I can send some scouts out there to investigate, hopefully get evidence that he is the enemy. Then we need to prepare for the worst if he is the one trying take the throne..."
A shaky breath escapes my lips. War. The worst is war. There needs to be a chair in here so I can sit, instead I wrap my arms around myself feeling small and powerless. No matter how much I hope, deep down I know it won't come true.
"All arrows point to this man, I can feel it in my gut. I will do whatever it takes to get this information now, I don't care even if I have to torture someone to get it. I am putting a stop to this, once and for all." He huffs quietly.
My eyes dart to him as he leans over that small table. Hard lines have formed between his brows as he frowns at the papers. Sebastian looks tired, not just from lack of sleep but in general. He seems worn out and I start feeling sorry for him.
When I lightly place my hand on his shoulder he peeks up at me. "You need to rest Seb." I tell him softly. His birthday is a day away, he shouldn't be talking about these things.
He gazes at me for a moment, chewing his lip then nods.
I follow him over to his large bed and cross my arms as I watch the King crawl under the sheets. He's not even going to change into sleepwear?
He sighs softly when he settles down and he smiles at me.
I smile back and lean down at the edge. "Sleep well Your Majesty." When I stand he grips my wrist.
"Could you stay here a while? Only until I fall asleep."
His request surprises me. "Oh. Sure." I glance around the room to find the chair sitting by a little table under a window. I grab it and set it next to his bed. After tucking a couple loose strands behind my ear, I lean on my knees, resting my chin in my hands and wait.
"Thanks Cam. I don't know why but lately I just feel like I'm being watched." He says while his eyes are closed and he pulls the covers up so I can only see his face from the nose up. He's cute when he's sleepy.
"You are safe here." I say, shifting forward almost wiping some strands of chocolate hair out of his face to comfort his worries.
He smiles lazily. "Yes, I got you to look out for me."
I laugh with a small smile. I would do whatever in my power to help him. If he is in need, I'll be here. I should have brought a book. I look around again for anything that could entertain me but there's nothing. I just sit in silence and I hear him sigh then he asks me to tell him a story.
Story? What kind of story does he want to hear? I scratch my head and look up to the ceiling to think.
"Um... how about my journey travelling here?"
One eye opens to look up at me. "Really?" I nod and he moves so his face is uncovered now. "All right lets hear the fabled journey."
I laugh again but clear my throat to ready myself for my storytelling. "Well Elyse and I had a plan to escape while I was being transported between estates. We were going to ask to stop so we could relieve ourselves before we made the trade off and run away into the forest that way." His eyes are wide open, now interested in the story but I continue on.
"The driver stopped, before we could even ask ourselves, because there was a fallen tree across the road. Our driver, Charles, grabbed a saw to cut the tree but was killed. Shot in the head by an arrow from a bandit. Both Elyse and I scream as the bandit jumped out from the bushes..."
I tell him how the fight happened and he raises his eyebrows when I say that I used claws to stab the bandit in the neck. How he bled out and called me an Azure before he died. I told Seb I held Elyse until she died and how I moved her from the road into the forest and gave her a nice resting place. Then being chased on the horse by more people and losing them by falling down a cliff.
"All I see is the ass end of the horse disappearing into the forest, leaving me alone, stuck in the mud. Then I see these eyes, bright yellow eyes, about twenty of them all watching me." Seb gasps dramatically but I know he's amazed, which makes me smile. "They step out slowly and a large silver coloured wolf stands in front of me. Pretty obvious that he was the leader. But his face was so close to mine that I could smell the stench of its breath."
"Shit, what did you do?" He asks with wide eyes.
"Nothing." I say with a shrug. "I thought Silv was waiting for me to die so I yelled at him to do it quickly."
"Wait you named the wolf Silv?" He questions, stifling a laugh.
"Yes! He saved me that night! If it wasn't for him I probably would have died. Now as I was saying; After I yelled at him, he lowered himself to my level and put his head down for me to grab his fur. He pulled me out of the mud. I was shocked that this animal helped me, not even attacked me. Silv and the others began walking away so I followed them to their den where the rest of the pack was."
I finish my story to where he found me on the wall that night, so many days ago now and Seb stares back at me with raised brows. "You are one badass Cam."
"Badass?" I ask tilting my head to the side. That doesn't sound good...
"You're tough as hell and smart. I admire your strength." He says with a lopsided smile.
"Oh." I say smiling to myself. No, no, I can't feel anything for him. Our eyes meet and I look away quickly while scratching my arm. "Thank you." Although I feel like that isn't a good response to what he said.
"Get some sleep now."
He yawns, "Okay." Seb shuffles underneath the blankets to get comfortable then settles with a deep breath. My gaze doesn't leave his charming face as he sleeps calmly.
After a few moments I get up and wander about the large space, eventually stepping over to the large windows. The world outside is set in a deep orange, painting the tops of trees and ground in this colour. It is almost 10 already... The bright sun hangs low in the sky, slowly bringing the night. Tomorrow is the ball. The day finally arriving.
What will happen between me and Seb? Will our friendship progress into something more? Should I bother to tell him how I feel? The way he acted yesterday towards me brings on more confusion. My plan didn't work. Even if Maude told me to steer away from the King, I can't fight it. There's a pull that always brings us together. Maybe she was wrong then. What does that mean?
"... There's something I need to tell you." His quiet voice fills the silent air.
My head spins to the sleeping man. His body is turned away from me. With a frown, I step towards the bed.
"Seb?" I whisper, leaning over him from the edge of the bed. He doesn't move, steady breaths escape from his parted lips and his eyes are closed. Odd.
Bending my legs, I rest my arms on the top of his bed and place my head on a hand to watch him if he says anything else.
Nothing. What did he want to tell me? I sigh quietly and stand up then hear voices from the other side of Seb's door. Two people are talking softly between themselves. They might be looking for the King.
I change into a cat in case the people on the other side decide to come and check on the now sleeping King. It might look suspicious if I was here. My feet carry me into the shadows just as the door swings open carefully.
Maude and Sebastian's uncle appear in the bright light casted from the hallway.
The elder lady clicks her tongue upon seeing the King resting peacefully. "Finally he is getting some sleep. I swear that boy is hard to keep an eye on sometimes."
"Reminds me of my brother..." Vernon chuckles lightly to himself. "He seems more restless than usual, not focused with his duties."
She hums. "Probably because of that girl he met a couple weeks back. You were on the road but there were rumours of His Highness being seen with some peasant girl. He denies the whole thing but I think he is still sneaking out to see her."
"That is a problem, if certain people hear of this it could ruin our ties to our allies. I seen him meet the girl at the front gates the day I got back but I was thinking of the new servant, Raven." The man leans back disappearing behind the door. "Those two seem close."
My heart stops as I listen. Maude looks to the man and leans into the hall, her hand on the knob. I step out before the door shuts and stand off to the side.
The older lady crosses her arms and shakes her head. "She's a nice girl but I talked to Raven, she won't interfere."
The Royal Advisor runs his fingers over his chin as he thinks to himself. "Hopefully this is true." He gazes up at Maude. "I would like someone posted up here just to keep an eye on him while he sleeps."
She nods in agreement then turns her attention back to the door with a grim expression. "Let's leave him be for now."
They walk away in silence leaving me alone in the hall. I better head back to my room before anyone notices that I am gone.