“What? You mean Rowan?” I say hesitantly, wondering if I’ve said something I shouldn’t have. “He told me to call him that.”
He did, right?
Or did I mishear him?
“Why, is something wrong? Did I- should I not?” I add, rushing the words out in a panic.
“No,” he says, recovering too fast. “It’s nothing.”
But his face tells me that it clearly is.
“So,” he says lightly, breaking the silence. “Breakfast?”
Kael guides me down never-ending narrow corridors, talking to me the entire way. His carefree energy is infectious. I’ve smiled at him more times than I care to admit.
He seems the complete opposite of Rowan.
He keeps his pace deliberately casual, pointing and gesturing at which turn to take and nodding his head at me to follow along. We round the corner into a wide corridor lined with arches.
The common room announces itself before it’s even in sight. Chatter and murmurs spill from the archway with knights coming and going in groups.
“Right,” Kael says, stopping us both and glancing at me. “A few things to know before we go in.”
Bracing myself, I ask,
“Am I about to break some unspoken rule or something?”
“Oh, several,” he smirks. “But you’ll be fine. Just remember these three rules,” he says.
I nod, waiting.
“One.” He holds up his finger. “Stay close to me or Rowan, no wandering off.” I nod in response.
“Two.” He holds up another finger. “Ignore what people are saying about you. They’re excited. You’ll be old news before you know it.”
“Great,” I sigh. “And the third?”
“If Rowan scowls at you, you’re doing just fine.” He says, winking at me.
I laugh softly.
I’ve known Rowan for less than a day, but I think it’s obvious he’s not exactly the warm and welcoming type. Before I can ask any more questions, we’re already inside.
It’s loud.
Not chaotic. Just dense with sound. The scrape of benches on the floor, the clatter of plates and cutlery. Bursts of laughter and jeers. Armour gleams from every direction I look, broken only by dark cloaks slung over chair backs.
The sound shifts as we move further in, not silencing but lower. Whispers start almost immediately, and I hear comments as I brush past each group.
Who is she?
Who sent her?
The gate.
Kael leans into me. “Told you,” he chuckles before directing me to a bench in the corner. I spot Rowan instantly, already eating. His helmet sits beside him, gloves neatly placed inside it. Kael drops heavily onto the bench opposite him.
