Element Restraint

Chapter 5: Acantha

I wake to the warm sun shining brightly on my face. I open my eyes and see the sun peeking through the tall green trees. My eyelids begin to close again.  Inhaling deeply through my nose, I jerk awake.

The realization that I am outside beginning to register.

I rise in a frenzy. What time is it? Did I miss breakfast? 

I look around the balcony for my book. I spot it sitting right on the edge, a breath away from falling. I quickly slide my hand through the marble bars to grab the book but instead knock it off the balcony.

I gasp when I hear a loud crashing sound down below. I peek my head through the bars and see glass spread out across the grass, and stone. The book smashed straight through a statue. Dashing out the door of my room, I run down the stone stairs completely barefoot.

On my first day at the palace and I somehow managed to destroy something!

I ignore the looks servants and maids give me, as I run through the courtyard barefoot in a nightgown. I quickly recall Ms.Campbell's words yesterday: "The gardens will be found down the hallway on the left."

I run down the plain hallway, out into the gardens. Frantically, I do a 360 scan to recalibrate. As I look farther into the garden, I find a servant looking at the broken statue perplexed with my book in hand.

He glances in my direction, looks me up and down, then back at the book even more confused.

"Is this yours?" He rumbles, his voice coming out deep and heavy as he scratches the back of his head.  I walk up to him and quickly snatch the book from him. He looks at me with such intense dark blue eyes, it takes my breath away.

"Yes, it is. Sorry about that." I apologize, pushing strands of my hair back.

He looks at me, a crease appearing between his dark eyebrows. His puzzled face reminds me that I am in a nightgown, and shoeless. I can feel myself turning red from embarrassment.

"You should be more careful." He looks at the shattered statue, tapping a shard of glass. "And less forgetful." He japes and points to my feet.

"Yes." I curl my toes in the grass.

"Right," He clicks his tongue and puts his hands on his hips. "May I be dismissed now?" He looks down at me making strands of his jet black hair fall into his face.

His condescending tone shows no respect to me. It is vaguely familiar to me, but I can not put my finger on it. 

He crosses his arms as I look him up and down. He is very tall. The sleeves to his uniform are too short on him.

Short sleeves! He is the man from the elevators yesterday. The very suspicious "servant" I followed into the staircase.

"Ma'am?" He speaks up, pulling me out of my thoughts. He then raises an eyebrow waiting to be dismissed. I decided to take another angle.

"It is a little early for you to be in the gardens, would you not think?" I ask, my voice coming out colder than needed. His sarcastic smile immediately drops.

"I mean I am a servant so I don't think it is weird at all." He sneers. I raise my eyebrows and look at him trying to figure him out.

"Is something the matter?" He asks, trying to bury the suspicion in his voice.

"Nothing. I just find it strange that a servant sometimes dresses up as a Duke." I say crossing my arms. He looks at me confused.

"I don't understand." He slowly says. "Have we met before?"