Author's Note
More Maven/Mare moments ahead! Enjoy!
Maven nods in satisfaction at my answer. I watch him as he puts whatever he was writing in the drawer Julian's book came from, before standing to his feet. It isn't until now that I notice how laid back he seems- dressed more comfortably than I would imagine. His hair is slightly ruffled- maybe from sleep, it's only the morning, after all- with a loose black shirt and shorts. If it weren't for his ghostly pale face that looks color, or the cleanliness he reeks of, he'd seem like an ordinary boy in the Stilts.
"Come on." He motions, coming around the desk. He offers me his hand. I don't take it. He smirks as I stand up on my own, moving to the other side of the chair to maintain distance.
"Ivana will take me back." I say, trying to stare him back to his chair. I don't want to go anywhere with him.
"She's gone with Evangeline to whatever they were doing before." He answers, starting towards the door. "And I don't trust that you'd go back to your cell of your own volition."
He holds the door open, expectantly looking back at me. I scramble after him, running through the door. A Sentinel stops me, stepping in my path. I collide with him, but only I stumble. I look up into stormy gray eyes that aren't trained on me, but instead Maven. The rest of the Sentinel's face can't be seen- the black mask resting on his face keeps his identity a secret.
The man suddenly steps aside, I'm guessing because of Maven's command. His eyes meet mine for a split second, intimidation and suspicion lumped into a fierce glare. I brush past him, trying to not to let him scare me. I've seen worse.
Soon, Maven's by my side, waving off the Sentinels that try to follow without so much as a glance. He shows no desire to let me lead the way, something I'm perfectly fine with. Of course, I know the way back to my cell, but I'm not eager to return there. Even with the Silent Stone still plaguing me, I'd rather explore the extensive Whitefire Palace.
We go down a different way I came, and I look onto one of the royal courtyards opposed to talking. The garden the walkway faces is different than the one my cell over looks. Unlike my residential one, which is filled with tall, twisted trees with long vines reaching the ground fill with tall, dark green grass and blue flowers, this one is daintier.
Silver trees reach their trunks towards the sky. I can barely see the start of the pink leaves, all neatly trimmed and undeterred by the harsh winter around it. Short, sparkling hedges surround the perimeter, leaves just a few inches away from the window. In the middle of the courtyard, a small lake glistened in the rising sun's light. Pink flowers paled by the winters sit still around the water, the rest full of tall grass and the occasional bench.
We stop at all large glass door with metal workings forming intricate patterns. We step out into the garden, the cool, but fresh, air filling my lungs. I frown.
"Why are we here?" I ask him, watching him wade through the grass to a bench near the lake.
"I would imagine that you'd be grateful for coming outside. I imagine the air quality in your cell is not that good." He replies, making himself comfortable in the wooden bench turning to me. "I also thought this would be a good opportunity to take a break from all that work."
"It must burden you so much." I snap. "Guess stealing the crown didn't do you good, did it?"
"I wasn't complaining." Maven says, amused. "You've got to learn to weigh the pros and cons. Basing decisions off emotions never do you any good."
"But you only wanted to be king so your jealousy of Cal would disappear, right? Sounds emotional to me." I retort. Maven's eyes darken the slightest bit, even I can see it from so far.
"You are what you're made, right?" He says, knowing how close those words strike home. I, changed by my ability, he by his mother. He recovers quickly, pulling a disinterested mask. "You're comfortable standing there?"
I give a firm nod, and he shrugs, looking towards the river. "I remember swimming in this lake." He says, giving a long sigh. "Cal and I would splash around. My mother would chastise Cal for getting me soaked to the bone, though I was the one to jump into the water of my own will."
His eyes find his way back to mine. "Our dad would rush out during the winter and make sure Cal had a nice towel to keep him warm, completely forgetting that I was shivering, too. I was stupid enough to follow Cal out there while snow terrorized the "
"And you?" I whisper, moving to sit next to him. Another heartfelt story, meant to tug my heartstrings and mold me into whoever he expects me to be. I will be that person for him, if it gets me closer to escape.
"Didn't care. I wasn't told to hate Cal, and I was too young to understand favoritism." He flicks his wrist, and fire shoots out, singing the grass and hissing as it hits the lake. "Just warmed myself up with fire."
His eyes turn back to the lake, holding a flicker of resentment. "She never changed the garden." He whispers, though there's no one else to hear. Once again, he's the boy I thought I knew, and for a moment, I think this is some trick.
But I can tell the difference between his lies and his sincerity, and this is all but an act. His mouth forms a firm line as he sees what I can't, his mind wandering to times of old, when things were black and white in our two worlds. I fidget uncomfortably, knowing that he holds some sadness, half wanting to comfort him and half of me wanting to let him suffer in the confines of his own mind. He has every right to, so I shock both of us when I reach my hand out, placing it atop of his.
His head turns towards me at the contact, with an expression I can't read, but I don't move my hand away, and neither does he.
And I get the feeling that neither of us know why.
Author's Note
She touched his hand. How romantic! Surprised that this reached 1k words- I was planning to have much more in the chapter. Three chapters in three days, though. Isn't that wonderful?! Hope you enjoyed!