(Naetalia)
I heard the painful cry near my window and turned to see a man fall to the ground, his naked body shivering. A naked man, in my bedroom! If I hadn't been in such a state of shock from the sight, I would have screamed out.
Then he turned towards me, only to show me an oh-too-familiar face.
"Kayell?"
Confusion flickered over his features as he stared back. I found myself wanting to keep our eyes met, disappointed when he tore them away, staring intently at his hands and up his arms. A smile began to form on his lips.
We both looked up and the sound of a knock on the strong doors.
"M'Lady, are you alright?'
The voice sounded familiar, and she hadn't just burst into the room, so I must have scolded her for that before.
I don't know why I didn't simply cry out for help at the second. Maybe because I turned to him one more time, finding a look of complete fear and desperation on his face. A look I never imagined I could see from him.
"Please," he rasped out. "I can explain."
"M'Lady?" She called out again, knocking.
I kept my eyes on the Prince as I answered. God knows why I didn't give him away.
"I'm fine, I just," I tried to come up with something. "I saw a mouse."
"I can bring someone right away to take care of it, M'Lady."
"No, no, that's alright. It's gone now."
"Are you sure, miss?"
"Yes, now please go, I was hoping to get some sleep!"
"Yes, M'Lady. Good night M'Lady."
"Goodnight," I muttered under my breath. What had I just done?
..........
Naetalia quickly moved towards the bed and stripped off the top covering, tossing it over to the young man. She positioned herself along the far side of the room as he covered himself slowly with the sheet.
"How did you get in here? What are you doing here? Why shouldn't I have just told them there was a," she realized her voice was raising and made a point to harshly whisper. "A naked man in here? Regardless of who you think you are, it's beyond disrespectful! Not that you would know anything of respect, but if your parents were to hear of it,"
"I'm not him," he stated simply, his voice sounding dry. He looked towards her from his place by the windowsill. The clouds began to form tighter, and shortly after, the snow began to fall again. He shivered and drew the cover tighter around himself.
He looked away in thought, glancing at objects, yet he didn't seem to focus on them.
"I mean, I am him, but, he is not me."
"Could you be any more vague?"
Loud voices could be heard coming down the hall, armor shuffling. The two turned at the sound.
"He's coming," Kayell whispered. "I can't let him, I can't let them find me here!"
Naetalia turned back to him. His features had hardened, looking around for a place to hide, yet she was surprised that the coldness she had seen so often was nowhere to be found. Perhaps it was all a trick?
"Why shouldn't I let them find you in here? I'm sure in your, situation," she looked up and down the blanket covering him. "They might find it interesting. Perhaps then your parents would start seeing what you are like!"
"You don't understand, he's tried to kill me already. He wants me dead. The Kayell you know is not real!"
Naetalia groaned slightly, and moved to her wardrobe, opening the doors. She motioned him to get in.
"In there, hurry, and I expect answers after this, so long as they don't find you."
She quickly started undoing some of her garments.
Moments later, light from the hall streamed in as the double doors to her bedroom flung open. Naetalia gasped as 'Kayell' walked in, followed by several guards.
"What is the meaning of this?!" she exclaimed as she hastily moved to cover her exposed undergarments. "How dare you enter here at this time of night without notice!"
One or two of the guards shuffled with embarrassment.
"Where is he?" The false Kayell motioned with his hands and the guards moved further in, examining the dressers, moving to the bed and pulling up the sheets.
"What are you talking about? Who?"
"That damned frog of yours! Where is he?!"
Naetalia looked away thoughtfully.
"The frog?," she whispered to herself just barely loud enough for him to hear. She looked up again. "But I haven't seen him since yesterday. I was worried about him, but figured he had found a place a little more interesting than my room."
"Yes, well, he, he got into Lady Caytaline's tea not too long ago, but then vanished. And I will not have such creatures causing havoc just because you think they are 'sweet'. Where is he, Naetalia?!"
She knew he was lying. What would he care about a harmless frog?
"Yes, well, that's all and good, except that I haven't seen him! And for you to come bursting in here, I will tell the queen of this outrage!"
She glanced over to see one of the guards starting to open the large, mahogany wardrobe.
"Get out of there! How dare you!"
He had it completely opened before he started backing away from her comments.
"You," the false Kayell looked to the guard. "Was there anything in there?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing there, nothing anywhere that we can see."
"That's the problem, something so little can be almost impossible to see unless you know where to look."
He glared down at the young woman.
"But I will find him."
"Be sure to let me know when you do. Until then, keep yourself and your men out of my room without proper notification."
He scowled as he motioned for the men to leave.
"Soon, my beautiful Naetalia, I will need no notification or excuses."
He walked away and the sound of the heavy doors shutting behind him echoed in the still room.
"I will never be yours," she whispered in the now dimming firelight.
I heard the painful cry near my window and turned to see a man fall to the ground, his naked body shivering. A naked man, in my bedroom! If I hadn't been in such a state of shock from the sight, I would have screamed out.
Then he turned towards me, only to show me an oh-too-familiar face.
"Kayell?"
Confusion flickered over his features as he stared back. I found myself wanting to keep our eyes met, disappointed when he tore them away, staring intently at his hands and up his arms. A smile began to form on his lips.
We both looked up and the sound of a knock on the strong doors.
"M'Lady, are you alright?'
The voice sounded familiar, and she hadn't just burst into the room, so I must have scolded her for that before.
I don't know why I didn't simply cry out for help at the second. Maybe because I turned to him one more time, finding a look of complete fear and desperation on his face. A look I never imagined I could see from him.
"Please," he rasped out. "I can explain."
"M'Lady?" She called out again, knocking.
I kept my eyes on the Prince as I answered. God knows why I didn't give him away.
"I'm fine, I just," I tried to come up with something. "I saw a mouse."
"I can bring someone right away to take care of it, M'Lady."
"No, no, that's alright. It's gone now."
"Are you sure, miss?"
"Yes, now please go, I was hoping to get some sleep!"
"Yes, M'Lady. Good night M'Lady."
"Goodnight," I muttered under my breath. What had I just done?
..........
Naetalia quickly moved towards the bed and stripped off the top covering, tossing it over to the young man. She positioned herself along the far side of the room as he covered himself slowly with the sheet.
"How did you get in here? What are you doing here? Why shouldn't I have just told them there was a," she realized her voice was raising and made a point to harshly whisper. "A naked man in here? Regardless of who you think you are, it's beyond disrespectful! Not that you would know anything of respect, but if your parents were to hear of it,"
"I'm not him," he stated simply, his voice sounding dry. He looked towards her from his place by the windowsill. The clouds began to form tighter, and shortly after, the snow began to fall again. He shivered and drew the cover tighter around himself.
He looked away in thought, glancing at objects, yet he didn't seem to focus on them.
"I mean, I am him, but, he is not me."
"Could you be any more vague?"
Loud voices could be heard coming down the hall, armor shuffling. The two turned at the sound.
"He's coming," Kayell whispered. "I can't let him, I can't let them find me here!"
Naetalia turned back to him. His features had hardened, looking around for a place to hide, yet she was surprised that the coldness she had seen so often was nowhere to be found. Perhaps it was all a trick?
"Why shouldn't I let them find you in here? I'm sure in your, situation," she looked up and down the blanket covering him. "They might find it interesting. Perhaps then your parents would start seeing what you are like!"
"You don't understand, he's tried to kill me already. He wants me dead. The Kayell you know is not real!"
Naetalia groaned slightly, and moved to her wardrobe, opening the doors. She motioned him to get in.
"In there, hurry, and I expect answers after this, so long as they don't find you."
She quickly started undoing some of her garments.
Moments later, light from the hall streamed in as the double doors to her bedroom flung open. Naetalia gasped as 'Kayell' walked in, followed by several guards.
"What is the meaning of this?!" she exclaimed as she hastily moved to cover her exposed undergarments. "How dare you enter here at this time of night without notice!"
One or two of the guards shuffled with embarrassment.
"Where is he?" The false Kayell motioned with his hands and the guards moved further in, examining the dressers, moving to the bed and pulling up the sheets.
"What are you talking about? Who?"
"That damned frog of yours! Where is he?!"
Naetalia looked away thoughtfully.
"The frog?," she whispered to herself just barely loud enough for him to hear. She looked up again. "But I haven't seen him since yesterday. I was worried about him, but figured he had found a place a little more interesting than my room."
"Yes, well, he, he got into Lady Caytaline's tea not too long ago, but then vanished. And I will not have such creatures causing havoc just because you think they are 'sweet'. Where is he, Naetalia?!"
She knew he was lying. What would he care about a harmless frog?
"Yes, well, that's all and good, except that I haven't seen him! And for you to come bursting in here, I will tell the queen of this outrage!"
She glanced over to see one of the guards starting to open the large, mahogany wardrobe.
"Get out of there! How dare you!"
He had it completely opened before he started backing away from her comments.
"You," the false Kayell looked to the guard. "Was there anything in there?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing there, nothing anywhere that we can see."
"That's the problem, something so little can be almost impossible to see unless you know where to look."
He glared down at the young woman.
"But I will find him."
"Be sure to let me know when you do. Until then, keep yourself and your men out of my room without proper notification."
He scowled as he motioned for the men to leave.
"Soon, my beautiful Naetalia, I will need no notification or excuses."
He walked away and the sound of the heavy doors shutting behind him echoed in the still room.
"I will never be yours," she whispered in the now dimming firelight.