Maybe

Chapter 5

~Marissa~

I had heard Nathan ask the girl in the next room on a date. I don't know her name, but she was loud. I was told that the Women's Room would be open for everyone, but I just didn't feel like going down. Instead I sat at the piano in the room.

I had packed a few pieces of music that I was still working on at home. I took them out of my bag and set them on the piano. The top piece was one of my favorites. I open it up and begin to play.

I close my eyes and concentrate on the music. My fingers just fly over the keys as I play. I imagine a photo in my head. It helps me play the piece memorized.

I don't know how long I was sitting at the piano. Sometime in there I thought I heard my door open. I assume it was just the maids coming to get something. I finish the piece. A small round of applause comes from behind me. I open my eyes and twist to see who it is. I see Prince Nathan standing behind me.

I stand and courtesy. "Your Highness," I say.

A small smile plays across his lips. "When you said you could play piano, I didn't expect to hear that," Nathan says.

"Thank you. Not to be rude, but I thought you were on a date with another girl."

"I was. But she said she wasn't feeling well, and she left."

"Ah. So you came here?"

"I wasn't planning on it, but I walked her back to her room where I heard music coming from yours. I couldn't help but see what was going on." I smile. "May I ask why you aren't in the Women's Room with everyone else?"

"Despite the fact that I may be a social butterfly at times, I just don't like socializing a lot. And thirty four other girls in one room with me may not be a good idea."

"Ah. Well then would you want to go for a walk with me?"

I didn't know what to think. "Sure," I say. I stand from the piano, and make my way over to him. He takes my arm, and we leave my room. "So where are we going?"

"I think the gardens. It's beautiful this time of year, and you strike me as a person who likes to be outside a lot."

"I do. When my brother and I were younger my uncle Gerad built us a treehouse in the big tree in our yard. I spent most of my time up there with a book or something."

"That must've been nice. I just spent my time in the library."

We come to the doors of what must be the garden. The guards that are stationed there open the doors. Beyond the door lays a lush garden. It takes my breath away to look at it.

"Do you like it?" Nathan asks me.

"Like it? Nathan it's beautiful," I say.

"I thought you'd like it. My father comes out here a lot when he wants to think without everyone around him. I've gotten into the habit of coming out here too when it's nice."

We walk through the path in the gardens enjoying the nice weather. It's hard to believe that it's almost Christmas. Here it feels like summer. We walked in the garden just listening.

"So. Tell me a little more about you. Other then you like the outdoors, and like to be alone," Nathan says.

"Well. What do you want to know? I'm not a very interesting person," I say.

"Well I beg to differ. You can dance on a professional level at sixteen, you can play the piano, with your eyes closed if I might add."

I laughed. "My Mom was a five, so she really promotes the fine arts and things like that, so I guess it just comes naturally to me. Um, I don't really know what else to say."

"I can add something. You live in Carolina right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Weren't you with the group of girls that sang at that festival?"

"Oh that."

"You're a really good singer. Probably one of the best I've heard."

I blush. "Thank you. So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"What do you do when you aren't Prince of Illéa?"

"Well, I like to read. My father takes a lot of photos so sometimes I take one of his cameras and I take photos. I like to spend time with my little sister. We get along really well."

"Your sister seems really vibrant. I bet she lights up a room when she walks in."

"Yeah. She's always cracking jokes, laughing, or goofing around. I think she's a big part of our lives here."

We stop by a bush of flowers. They're purple, just like my dress. Nathan picks one and gives it to me.

"Thank you," I say as I take it. I tuck it behind one of my braids, and behind my ear.

"Beautiful," he says.

"Oh please. I'm far from beautiful."

"Are you sure? I feel like you are one of the most beautiful girls here."

I go to reply when loud alarms ring out. Guards from the doors run up to us, and rush us inside. I hear gunshots coming from a floor below us. I can tell it's urgent so it's better if I don't ask questions. Nathan grabs my hand as we get rushed through the halls. We get to a dead end. Suddenly a door opens.

We go into a small room. "Follow the wall. You'll come to a room. Now hurry," a guard says.

Nathan gets in first, and I follow him. The door closes, and locks behind us. All that's left to light the hall are emergency lights. We follow the wall, and we come to a room.

King Maxon is the only one in the room other then Nathan and I. His back it to us.

"What's going on?" Nathan asks.

King Maxon turns around. "A Rebel attack. But we should be fine. Close the door, then they won't be able to get in."

Nathan closes the door to the room. All we can do now is wait.