Chapter 14 - Palace Gossip

"Are you okay?" Caelum asked me as soon as we were far away from the outhouse.

"Yes, I'm fine. Mostly," I exhaled. We sat under a massive oak tree that sat in another courtyard the palace had. "The King is kind of intimidating."

He smiled without humor. "Intimidating is a good word to describe him. Don't worry, I don't think he hates you."

It's my turn to laugh. "No, he doesn't. Just…indifferent."

"Is that bad?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. But I guess it's better in some way. I get to be a shadow he ignores," I shrugged. "But your mother is…warm. If you know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean. She's a mother before she is a Queen. I think my brothers and I all agree that she's our favorite parent," he said, smiling. "Don't tell my father that."

I smiled. "You're like your mother." I told him.

He looked at me, pleasantly surprised. "Really? Most people will say I take after my father. I mean, out of all three of us, I look more like his side of the family." He said, noting his father