MASTER SEBASTIAN

Chapter 13

Uneasy, I laid on my queen-sized bed, staring up at the ceilings.

I supposed I couldn't call it 'my' bed because it belonged to Sebastian and I had never felt more unwelcome in a person's house. Sorry, mansion.

Even now the largeness of the room made me feel like a speck of dust.

I flopped to my side, growing agitated. The memory of the dark look he sent me before leaving dinner was ingrained in my head. Why did he hate me so much?

And why did I care?

It could be because he was the last link I had to my life here on earth and to my future in my new kingdom. I would be insane not to care.

Before I could think better of it, I found myself standing. Quietly I left my room. The well-lit halls stretched before me and I padded down the length of it, determined to iron things out with Sebastian.

Surely I was overreacting. It wasn't like we'd argued or anything, but he'd been passive aggressive over dinner and I was going to call him out on it. A chill skittered down my spine. It registered to me I was a bit scared.

I knew Sebastian wasn't going to harm me in anyway, but that didn't take away from the fact his mere presence was intimidating. I came across a large room. Flowers bloomed all around me, a serene air rife in the atmosphere.

I lingered here for a while before walking into an interconnecting corridor. I had no idea where I was going but that didn't stop me from moving ahead.

After about an hour of aimlessly wondering around, I exhaled a defeated breath, making a decision to go back to my room. And that posed a problem because I didn't know where the hell I was. Where was his staff when I needed them.

The halls around me started to feel like a maze. I slipped into an unfamiliar hall. Unlike the others, this one was missing the usual grandiose. It was bare, without the customary expensive paintings on the walls and hosts of chandeliers glittering down.

At the end of the hall stood a large oak door and curiosity had me drawing closer with it.

I pushed open the door to see it was a library. Rows of shelves stood at every corner you looked, oak and mahogany an ever present theme in the giant room. The place was dim, with only the glow from the fireplace illuminating the space.

In the centre of the room was a huge mahogany desk. Behind it sat Sebastian. His broad form was bent over a ledger and in it he scrawled words I couldn't read.

He had on a pair of reading glasses and I coloured to note I found it sexy. His baritone sounded over the room, startling me despite myself.

"You should be asleep."

"I know," I said, coming within his line of vision. "I couldn't sleep."

He finally looked at me, irritation infiltrating his dark eyes. "And that should concern me?"

My brows lifted. "I am your guest after all."

"Why are you here?"

In one sharp motion, I folded my arms before me then blurted out, "Do you have a problem with me?"

He only looked at me idly. "Why would you think that?"

Yes Eleanor, why would you think that? For a moment I was stumped on how to answer before I said, "Well, you act like my mere presence annoys you."

"I see you're taking your princess role rather seriously."

What do you mean?"

"You make matters out of nothing so things can continuously revolve around you."

I sputtered, "That's absurd. And you think I'm making this up?"

His eyes hardened. "I think you need to go back to sleep."

I stood there in the middle of the room, at loss, irritation boiling at the pit of my stomach. I let out a heavy exhale, letting out steam in the process. "When am I going to see my father?" I asked more seriously, moving on to pressing matters.

"Tomorrow."

My heart leapt, whether from fear or excitement I didn't know.

He turned a page in his book, closing it soon after only to grab another one off a pile of books on the side. "Which is why you need your rest. The journey to Abberdin isn't going to be an easy one," he said.

"Journey? Aren't you going to trace us there or something?"

"Things don't work that way.

"How?"

"If I traced us, my essence could be tracked, therefore compromising your kingdom. Which is why we'll be making a journey to the next portal opening at London."

My back leaned against one of the numerous shelves. My shoulders dropped. "London... That's going to take us at least a whole day."

"Are you in a hurry?"

I thought about it for a while. "Honestly... No."

Something in my tone had him looking at me. "No? I would think you'd be excited to get there."

I struggled with an answer. "I don't... I just feel like I didn't have a say in any of this."

He reclined in his seat and I grew uncomfortable at his full appraisal. He stated, "You dialed the number on the card I gave you. That was a choice you made."

"My hand was forced."

Curiosity infiltrated his eyes. "How so?"

"My mother... She didn't give me any other option. Not after throwing me out."

I could see the wheels in his head turning. I could also tell when he arrived at a conclusion. "Robert?"

I shook my head. "She didn't like that I'd been in contact with my father."

"Well, that's tragic."

His impersonal tone grated on me. While he went back to writing down in his ledger, I folded my arms in front of me, asking, "Do you have something you want to say to me, Sebastian?"

"Not at all."

My tone grew cold and I stated, "Because I'm trying to establish a working relationship between us and you're bent on not cooperating."

Without raising his head, he said, "I don't need your friendship."

"Well I don't 'need' you treating me like I'm some thorn in your side!" I shot back.

His eyes darkened and I felt the atmosphere drop. He said quietly, "You might just be."

He stood, snapping his book shut. "Good night, Eleanor."

Author's Note

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