𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆'𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐘

Chapter 6

Court had ended and Maven quickly dismissed all his guards.

He took Kaida away from all the eyes and as soon as they were in a private area of the Palace, he hugged her fiercely.

His Kingly facade falling away once he felt safe with her.

"I am so glad they didn't hurt you."

Maven stroked the top of her hair, gently swaying her from side to side.

"They wouldn't have."

Kaida's voice came out muffled as her face was pressed against his shoulder.

Maven pulled back, holding her at arms length, inspecting her again, just to make sure she was really alright.

"They could have. Especially if they knew it would upset me."

Kaida smiled shyly and left his arms, becoming aware of her new surroundings.

She was around the King's Quarters - only the people closest to the monarch were allowed anywhere near here.

It was pristine, and touches of gold mingled in with the white baroque aesthetic of the Palace.

Kaida paused peering out of a full length window that interrupted the flow of the hallway.

It looked out across a private courtyard, and further captured the sight of an entirely glass bridge suspended in the air, connecting the North Wing to the South Wing.

The view from there seemed like it would be magical, it was so high up.

Kaida made a mental note to explore there later on.

Maven stood by Kaida's side and in the moment of stillness and silence they both admired the view.

He looked down at her, and his low voice cut through the serenity.

"How did they treat you?"

"A bit rough at first, but I bargained for more freedom. After a while, they could see I wasn't a threat, but they ran out of options for me. I refused to comply and I became...useless. Just a hindrance. Another mouth to feed."

Kaida recited the explanation she had practiced, changing the events completely but still being as close to realistic as possible.

Maven frowned.

"The Guard held you as prisoner for a month, and they had no plans for you? Are they dull?"

Maven asked sarcastically, that didn't make sense.

Kaida met his sarcasm with a nonchalant shrug.

"They became busy all of a sudden, and I literally became an afterthought. Everyone was there. Farley, Mare, Elias... Cal."

Kaida stopped to watch Maven's expression at the mention of his older brother.

There was no reaction, no acknowledgment.

Kaida didn't believe the lack of emotion.

He had his Silver mask on, having shouldered on the responsibility of having to run a Kingdom last minute.

Kaida had to crack through it once more. She knew how.

"With all those people, I became unimportant."

"Do you know where you were?"

"No, not really. I was teleported there, that night... all I know is that it was an island. An already established base that they built around."