"MAY I ASK WHY you were lead to believe you could roam the palace by yourself and come down here, Princess?"

"I believe I should be able to be held captive in my own castle without someone watching my every move, Chamberlain. Especially when my guard can't keep his impulsions in his pants," I replied to him stiffly.

We were in what must have been his study, shelves lined with books surrounding us and even a table with various liquid bottles, which sparked my curiosity. What made me truly wonder though was why this room was in the bottom wing when no one ever came down here. . .

Gulbrand surveyed me a moment before showing a snide smirk. "Hm, caustic girl. You're just like your mother, aren't you."

He turned to his desk with his back to me from where I sat, probably so he couldn't see the disgruntled expression on my face. I felt insulted, not because he was berating me, but doing so to who my mother was.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I questioned him defensively.

Gulbrand turned back to me arms crossed with the same expression he'd given me since we met--a look of disdain, as if I was a pest he wanted to dispose of. Of course when Eeira was around he portrayed himself as a perfectly dutiful subject to the crown, but when it was he and Calder or he and I like we were now, his shell cracked away by the bit. That pissed me off more.

"What were you doing down here?" he asked me, waiting to judge my answer.

"Nothing, I just. . .got lost. I was trying to find my room," I lied, hoping it would save my ass.

"Your chamber is up the staircase on the top wing. Yet somehow I find you down here. Care to explain? I'm sure your advisor would love to hear of what you've been doing. Verick will certainly receive an admonition for allowing you to run off."

"I don't have to asnwer to you," I gritted at him, "I'm the princess, an Arnesen. You should be answering to me."

Gulbrand took a moment to process my words, and then he laughed which pushed my irritation further. He slowly walked over to my chair without a word, and I clenched my teeth while throwing him a glare.

"Listen to me carefully, Princess," he began, before suddenly slamming his hands down on the arms of the chair and making me jump. I was now pinned where I sat, and though I tried to scoot against the back of the chair as much as possible I knew I could go no further.

"As Chamberlain of this palace I fulfill many allegiances for the sake of this realm and the crown. I have worked extremely onerous to keep both the ephemeral and fey world in concord. I will not have an insolent teenager who has no idea of what she is truly up against to ruin that! You are going to obide by what I order you, and you will not transgress me."

He was shouting in my face now, his expression dark. I didn't know where any of this was coming from. I had only been here a span of three days and it was as if this had been buidling up for weeks. I knew I had to break free and get out of there, but I didn't know how. I could feel my powers building up inside me from fear, and the arms of the chair I gripped began to be spread over with ice and frost.

Gulbrand noticed this and firmly seized my wrist in his cold hand. "This is what I mean. This power that you have no control of, is your vexation. This is what you are up agaisnt just as much as the threat of the frozen queen."

"Let go of me," I spat at him, trying to jerk my wrist free but to no avail.

Gulbrand grasped it tighter and I felt a sensation hit my skin, watching with widened eyes as his ice began to cascade down my arm. It burned like fire, nearly like what I felt when Calder healed my wounds from the iron knight attack.

"This is how you execute power," he sneered, "This is how you take control. And if you don't, you shall fall just as your family fell."

Using my free hand I then slapped him across the face, and a shout escaped him. The pain caused him to let go, and I stumbled from my chair and made a break for the door. Just as I reached it it flung open, and I slammed into a body.

The person who from the size must have been a man grunted upon the impact, and snaked their arms around me. At that gesture I felt my fear fall off my shoulders, and melted my shaking frame into Calder's chest.

"Eerika? You're shaking like hell. What happened?" he questioned me. He was out of uniform, dressed in a blue cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and cream pants. He turned his confused gaze to Gulbrand on the far side of the room, my gaze following. I noticed the frost covering his cheek from the slap, as did Calder, and his body tensed against me.

"What is going on here?"

Gulbrand shoved off Calder's question as if nothing had just occured. "We were simply having a discussion, Captain, no need for further utterances."

"The frost burn on your face tells me otherwise," Calder catechized him. He looked down at my arm and his expression turned to stone, clenching his jaw.

"Are you alright?" he asked me. Through the pain I felt I closed my eyes and nodded.

"I came here to have a discussion with you, and I find this," Calder sharply pointed at Gulbrand. "You assigned the guards to protect the princess. You said she had to remain safe. Does this look like protecting to you? Hurting her?"

"I was showing her a form of control," Gulbrand tried to defend. "How to bring out her powers when she wants to instead of sporadically."

"You're a liar," I growled at him, wishing now I'd caused more damage to him even if the frost was by accident.

"I don't care what the hell you were doing," Calder told him. "This is not the way to teach anyone control. I'll be sure Eeira hears of this. I don't care what your position in this palace is."

Calder looked down at me once more and opened the door to guide me out. "Come on, Eerika. I'll take you to the medical wing."

Calder patched me up himself in the medical supplies room. He gave me some type of oil that smelled absolutely foul, spreading it over my arm and making me want to vomit.

"That smells like eggs and fish mashed together," I coughed.

Calder lightly laughed through his nose. "Yeah, it's not very pleasant, but it will heal faster this way. Twenty-four hours should do. It's not that bad of a burn anyway."

He grabbed some gauze and wrapped it around my arm, securing it. I couldn't help but be fascinated by the way he was so intent and careful with all the wounds I'd had, like he'd already done this with others so many times.

"Were you a doctor before you became a knight or something?" I half joked, "You're really good at this. That makes the second time you've fixed me up. I guess third if you count the rescue from the Clan's vision fiasco."

He was hesitant for a moment with his reply. "I've had experience before. But all my men have certain medical knowledge for any battle or catastrophe."

I nodded and it was quiet once more, giving me a moment to contemplate. I'd wanted to talk to him since Eeira told me about his past, but I also didn't want to pry because I knew how private he was. As Calder turned to return the supplies back to their proper spots I caught a glimpse of the burn scar on his neck again, and my words blurted themselves out.

"Eeira told me. . .of what happened to you that made you come here," I quietly echoed in the room. "I'm sorry."

Calder froze in his place a moment before turning to me with a darkened look in his icy blue eyes. "What did she tell you?"

I swallowed a lump risen in my throat. "That you were attacked by iron knights when you were sixteen. That you came here nearly dead and Gulbrand took you in."

Calder clenched his jaw again, sliding down the wall next to my small stool where I sat. "I told you not to meddle. You shouldn't be asking about things you need not concern yourself with."

"I wasn't meddling," I defended, but then when I thought about it it actually would've seemed that way to another person. I bit my lip.

"Ok, maybe it would seem like I was, but I understand enough to know what you're going through. Being attacked by those knights and not having your parents there to protect you, that can have lasting effects on a person. It has me already."

"You don't get it," he brooded at me.

"Then tell me what I don't get, Calder. Tell me and maybe I will understand. You're not exactly an open book. You're more like one that hasn't been touched for years."

Calder paused, turning his gaze from me. "It isn't any story you'd want to read."

Aggravation bubbling within me I decided enough was enough with this, and I got off my stool to sit on the floor next to him. I did as he had done to me last night, and placed my hand on his cheek to make him look at me.

Calder seemed surprised by this action, and his eyes searched mine as if looking for something again. He glanced down at my lips and I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. It quickly brought me back to when I froze Blane, and even though Calder was like me I didn't know what would happen. I tried pulling away from him but his fingers tucked my hair behind my faery ear, and his hand cupped the back of my head.

Whatever was happening right now almost felt wrong since just three days ago I'd been crushing on Blane and now he was dead. All while here I was about to kiss this faery knight who I barely knew anything about.

My heart was beating so hard I knew for sure Calder could hear it the closer he came to me. When his nose brushed mine I placed a feathery hand on the back of his neck over the scar, afraid I might hurt him should I touch it roughly. Calder flinched and his breath hitched as though it did pain him, and he jerked away from me. My racing heart fell.

"Don't do that again," he spoke gruffly as he stood with his back now to me.

"I'm sorry," I quickly replied, wishing that was enough to bring him back, but it was too late. His walls were up once more, and this moment was over.

"You've roamed the palace enough now, I'm sure you can make it back to your room on your own. I have to go speak to Eeira of Gulbrand's actions from earlier. Stay clear of the bottom wing from now on before you get yourself in any more trouble."

And with that Calder left the room, his footsteps echoing down the corridor and leaving me both befuddled and breathless.

What happened to you, Calder?