thanks for the advice, genevieve. i didn't even realize that i had it set
so that i didn't accept those :)
~~~~
Talia pushed her beans around with her fork. She felt Larkin watching her, but she didn't look up. He asked, "Is it your first time at the palace?"
Talia nodded. "I've lived in Corus my whole life, but I've never been here."
"I've worked here since I was nine," Larkin said. When Talia looked at him, he was shoveling food into his mouth. His skin was so light it looked almost white compared to Talia's own dark skin. She guessed that if she had spent most of her life in the palace, her skin would be the same color of his, but her skin had become dark under the sun.
"What do you do here?" she asked him.
"He dusts!" a new voice answered. Another boy about Larkin's age was sitting beside him across from Talia. "And you can tell he loves it." He was grinning a wide smile. His dirty blonde hair swayed as he sat. His eyes were large and shining. "What a strange activity to find joy in."
Talia couldn't help but laugh. He was obviously a comedian. "This is my friend Parvy," Larkin introduced. "And this is Talia. She's here for two weeks."
"Pleased to meet you, Talia." Parvy held out a large hand. He was smiling. She shook his hand and smiled in return. He also seemed kind. Maybe there was some hope for her in the palace!
"Eat!" Talia turned to see Ingrid glaring at her. "You won't do your work well if you starve."
Talia obediently took some bites of her chicken. Satisfied, Ingrid turned away.
"I feel bad for you," Parvy said. "You're stuck with that monster!"
"I heard that!" Ingrid said grumpily. Parvy grinned.
"Do you want us to show you around, or do you have to stay with her?" Larkin asked.
"You can go," Ingrid said, obviously listening to everything they said. "Just be back to the linens room in two hours. I have to show you the ropes." She turned away again.
"Come on." Parvy and Larkin was standing up, and Talia followed suit. They deposited their plates in a sink (Talia's still covered with food) and left the kitchen.
They led her around for a while. She was considerably lost after just the first corner they turned. She'd never realized how large the palace was, and how easily lost you could get. But the boys seemed to know where they were going. They pointed out important rooms to her. They showed her the different wings of the palace and who lived where. The tour was lightened by Parvy's constant joking. Larkin also jested, but he was quieter about it. They seemed to be very close friends by the way they spoke to each other.
Parvy was telling them a story about a pig that had escaped from being slaughtered as they rounded a corner. He suddenly quieted. Talia looked around, wondering why, until she saw two men standing in the middle of the corridor ahead of them. She looked closer, and realized that it was Sir Thom! His fiery red hair was unmistakable. He was speaking in hushed tones with another man. Parvy and Larkin were silent and solemn as they walked passed the nobles, so Talia copied their behavior, keeping her head down. They were almost passed when a voice said, "Wait."
They turned to look at the nobles. It was Sir Thom who had spoken, and he was looking at Talia. She felt her face heating up as his eyes scanned her face. "Have we met, lady?"
Oh Mithros! He thought she as a lady! "Um, no, Sir." She kept her eyes lower. "But I think I saw you today in the city as you were. proceeding down the street." She gulped. Why was she acting so nervous? She was a rogue! Rogues weren't afraid of anyone, she thought.
Sir Thom nodded. "Yes, I remember your face. That must be what I was thinking of. Sorry to bother you."
"Oh no, I wasn't bothered," Talia assured him. Her hands were clenched behind her back and she took a step away from him.
Sir Thom was nodding again, but suddenly his face lit up. "Wait! I know why you seem so familiar. Do you know any Rowley Seaton?"
Talia gaped. "Yes, that's my father."
"Of course! Rowley is a friend of my father's."
Talia gasped. Her father was a friend of George Cooper's, husband of the Lioness?! How had she never known? It did make sense, since George Cooper used to be King of the Rogues. But. it just wasn't possible!
"You look so much like him," Thom was saying. "It's very nice to meet you. What are you doing in the palace?"
Talia felt her breath stop. She couldn't tell him she was a servant. She couldn't say she'd been caught stealing. What could she say?
"She's only here for two weeks." Larkin jumped in when he saw her distress. He'd dealt with nobles before and knew how she felt.
Thom nodded. "Then I hope I may see you again before you leave." He smiled and turned to walk away with his companion.
Talia almost collapsed. She turned to see Larkin and Parvy staring at her. "You know him?" Parvy gaped.
"No!" Talia insisted. "Can you take me back now? I've seen enough." They nodded and led her away, thankfully not asking any questions. She didn't think she would have been able to answer.
~~~~
alright, hope you like it! ooo, it's my longest chapter yet. sorry they were so short in the beginning. I'll try to make them longer now. review!
~~~~
Talia pushed her beans around with her fork. She felt Larkin watching her, but she didn't look up. He asked, "Is it your first time at the palace?"
Talia nodded. "I've lived in Corus my whole life, but I've never been here."
"I've worked here since I was nine," Larkin said. When Talia looked at him, he was shoveling food into his mouth. His skin was so light it looked almost white compared to Talia's own dark skin. She guessed that if she had spent most of her life in the palace, her skin would be the same color of his, but her skin had become dark under the sun.
"What do you do here?" she asked him.
"He dusts!" a new voice answered. Another boy about Larkin's age was sitting beside him across from Talia. "And you can tell he loves it." He was grinning a wide smile. His dirty blonde hair swayed as he sat. His eyes were large and shining. "What a strange activity to find joy in."
Talia couldn't help but laugh. He was obviously a comedian. "This is my friend Parvy," Larkin introduced. "And this is Talia. She's here for two weeks."
"Pleased to meet you, Talia." Parvy held out a large hand. He was smiling. She shook his hand and smiled in return. He also seemed kind. Maybe there was some hope for her in the palace!
"Eat!" Talia turned to see Ingrid glaring at her. "You won't do your work well if you starve."
Talia obediently took some bites of her chicken. Satisfied, Ingrid turned away.
"I feel bad for you," Parvy said. "You're stuck with that monster!"
"I heard that!" Ingrid said grumpily. Parvy grinned.
"Do you want us to show you around, or do you have to stay with her?" Larkin asked.
"You can go," Ingrid said, obviously listening to everything they said. "Just be back to the linens room in two hours. I have to show you the ropes." She turned away again.
"Come on." Parvy and Larkin was standing up, and Talia followed suit. They deposited their plates in a sink (Talia's still covered with food) and left the kitchen.
They led her around for a while. She was considerably lost after just the first corner they turned. She'd never realized how large the palace was, and how easily lost you could get. But the boys seemed to know where they were going. They pointed out important rooms to her. They showed her the different wings of the palace and who lived where. The tour was lightened by Parvy's constant joking. Larkin also jested, but he was quieter about it. They seemed to be very close friends by the way they spoke to each other.
Parvy was telling them a story about a pig that had escaped from being slaughtered as they rounded a corner. He suddenly quieted. Talia looked around, wondering why, until she saw two men standing in the middle of the corridor ahead of them. She looked closer, and realized that it was Sir Thom! His fiery red hair was unmistakable. He was speaking in hushed tones with another man. Parvy and Larkin were silent and solemn as they walked passed the nobles, so Talia copied their behavior, keeping her head down. They were almost passed when a voice said, "Wait."
They turned to look at the nobles. It was Sir Thom who had spoken, and he was looking at Talia. She felt her face heating up as his eyes scanned her face. "Have we met, lady?"
Oh Mithros! He thought she as a lady! "Um, no, Sir." She kept her eyes lower. "But I think I saw you today in the city as you were. proceeding down the street." She gulped. Why was she acting so nervous? She was a rogue! Rogues weren't afraid of anyone, she thought.
Sir Thom nodded. "Yes, I remember your face. That must be what I was thinking of. Sorry to bother you."
"Oh no, I wasn't bothered," Talia assured him. Her hands were clenched behind her back and she took a step away from him.
Sir Thom was nodding again, but suddenly his face lit up. "Wait! I know why you seem so familiar. Do you know any Rowley Seaton?"
Talia gaped. "Yes, that's my father."
"Of course! Rowley is a friend of my father's."
Talia gasped. Her father was a friend of George Cooper's, husband of the Lioness?! How had she never known? It did make sense, since George Cooper used to be King of the Rogues. But. it just wasn't possible!
"You look so much like him," Thom was saying. "It's very nice to meet you. What are you doing in the palace?"
Talia felt her breath stop. She couldn't tell him she was a servant. She couldn't say she'd been caught stealing. What could she say?
"She's only here for two weeks." Larkin jumped in when he saw her distress. He'd dealt with nobles before and knew how she felt.
Thom nodded. "Then I hope I may see you again before you leave." He smiled and turned to walk away with his companion.
Talia almost collapsed. She turned to see Larkin and Parvy staring at her. "You know him?" Parvy gaped.
"No!" Talia insisted. "Can you take me back now? I've seen enough." They nodded and led her away, thankfully not asking any questions. She didn't think she would have been able to answer.
~~~~
alright, hope you like it! ooo, it's my longest chapter yet. sorry they were so short in the beginning. I'll try to make them longer now. review!