I wasn’t opposed to kneeling for her. I had done so many times before, but each of those times had been privately.
I went to speak, to protest, but stopped myself. She watched my internal struggle and smiled, pleased—recognising the moment I had given up.
I got to my knees, and her hand landed briefly on my head. It felt like praise.
“I have to say I found sleep rather difficult, knowing that the maze had been active,” a woman said, and I knew it had to be the older red-haired woman who’d shared a knowing smile with the other councillors that had shamed me.
“Yes, I agree. It was alarming, but it did not disturb my sleep,” another man said.
“What was the cause of the commotion?” the woman asked again.
“Lady of Aquilae, I am disappointed to hear of your poor sleep,” Selene replied coldly. “The maze was active briefly, and yet it shook your nerves so severely that you could not sleep.”
I heard the mocking in her tone—as I was sure everyone had.
“No, no, it wasn’t nerves that kept me awake, but curiosity,” Lady Aquilae replied, and laughed a little awkwardly.
Selene hummed.
“The maze spat out a foolish boy. A servant who entered the maze due to a dare of all things,” Selene said. It was a lie—I knew—but I wondered why she was lying to the councillors.
“Why would a servant of Ardens be foolish enough to enter the maze?” Lady Aquilae asked, suspiciously.
“The maze had been dormant for many years, close to a generation at least. There are some now entering their adulthood who have begun to believe the maze and its powers were just a myth. We recently took in a new cohort of servants, following the retirement of some of our most loyal and longstanding Ardens Estate servants. Unfortunately, it seems each new generation puts the maze to the test,” Sasha answered.
“I hope his idiocy was removed from the gene pool before he had a chance to procreate,” Lady Aquilae answered.
Rude.
If it had been an accident—young people believing the maze to be a myth—it would be a tragedy, not a death that was deserved.
My knees began to go numb on the hard wood flooring, and I shifted my position, ignoring the talk of the table while I tried to subtly move myself into a more comfortable position.
Would Selene be upset if I sat crossed-legged? Would the others at the table think it rude or disrespectful towards her?
I heard a clearing of a throat and looked up to see Sasha glancing my way with a small smile.
The acknowledgement felt unwelcome. I didn’t want to be acknowledged in my current position. I think that was the point that Selene wanted to make. I wasn’t to bring attention to myself in front of the councillors.
I looked away pointedly from Sasha, hoping she would understand.
“When will your tour begin?” Fotis asked.
“Yes, I’d like to know when you will be arriving in Aquilae, so that we can prepare adequately for your arrival,” Lady Aquilae said.
“Have you not received the schedule?” Selene asked, and I felt a strange tension in my shoulders—a dropping motion of my stomach.
I looked up at Selene from my position on the floor and took notice of the stiffness of her neck, the way her jaw tenses slightly. Was she worried?
Was I feeling her feelings again?
“No,” Lady Aquilae answered.
“Gravewick has not received any schedule either,” the man beside Lady Aquilae said.
“Neither has Cliffwind,” Fotis added.
Selene nodded.
