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The hallway was cold as Shay led me down to the kitchen.

He paced his footsteps with mine since my legs were screaming in agony with every step I took.

I had found a dark grey cable knit sweater in the closet that I liked and some black jeans to pair with it and the combat boots i had grown quite fond of.

The moment I entered the door to the kitchen, the staff that I knew rushed at me, showering me with hugs and kind words.

Shay stepped back as they surrounded me, letting me receive the attention that I had been getting too much of over the past few days.

Susan, one of Charlie's sous chefs hugged me first.

"We missed you El, I'm glad you're well again." She said into my ear.

"Thank you." I smiled softly at her.

I got a few hugs from the other sous chefs and then Charlie approached me.

"El." He smiled and welcomed me into his arms.

"Hi Charlie."

"How are you, dear?"

"Im alright." I lied.

He pulled back and searched my face to see if was being honest.

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here." He said in a grandfatherly tone and i nodded. "Lets get you something to eat."

He led me to his wooded work table and I perched upon the stool. Shay stood awkwardly to the side not really knowing what to do.

"Hello, Shay." Charlie greeted him as he placed a basket of onions, carrots, celery and a package of beef of the counter.

"Charlie." Shay nodded and watched him carefully.

I sat next to Charlie as he chopped the vegetables and beef and tossed them all in a pot with water.

Charlie sat and chatted with me while the soup he was making boiled on the stove and caught me up on things that had happened which wasn't much. The main talk of the palace had apparently been the Kings new personal servant having a psychotic melt down.

When my soup was done he ladled out a bowl for me and I began to scarf it down, the first food I had had in a while.

The entire time Shay just stood by the table, watching.

When I was done I insisted on washing my dishes, which Shay opened his mouth like he was going to protest but didn't. Then I kissed Charlie on the cheek and waved goodbye to everyone before walking out with Shay in tow.

"You seem to have them wrapped around your finger." Shay said after we had walked about ten feet down he hall.

"I like them a lot, they were very welcoming to me when I arrived." I replied, folding my arms defensively across my stomach.

He didn't say anything else the entire walk back to my room. He seemed to be in deep thought and I decided not to interrupt him.

When we arrived at the door Shay scanned us in and took a seat on the chair by my bed.

"I think you should go to dinner tonight." Shay said after a moment and I blinked heavily, letting the words he said sink in.

"Why?" I asked slowly.

"It's a good opportunity to be in the presence of the King again without being alone, and so the castle can see that you are stable again." He explain and I inhaled deeply as I processed his suggestion.

"I will make sure nothing happens, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded.

He gave a firm nod of agreement and then grabbed the book he was reading from the table he tossed it onto earlier and began to flick through the pages.

That reminded me of the books I was given and I decided to spend the rest of my afternoon sorting through them.

When it became 6:30 Shay told me to get ready and he would escort me to dinner.

I didn't feel like wearing a dress so instead I freshened up my hair and face and spritzed on one of my many perfumes on the bathroom counter.

Shay said nothing about my appearance but led me anyways to the dining room where the biggest challenge I had ever been given faced me.

My blood ran cold the moment I saw his blonde hair. I visibly tensed my whole body and Shay had to basically drag me to a seat next to him.

The room was pretty full already and the voices died down to barely s whisper when I entered causing King Blakesley to whip his head around to gawk at me.

His blue eyes pierced right through my somewhat resolve and I was fighting hard to not lose it again.

My chair was between Shay and Theo who both watched the tension between King Blakesley and I like hawks.

Dinner was served shortly after that and I tried not to make eye contact with anyone even though I knew that all eyes were on me.

There was still much whispering and I heard the occasional "psycho", "mental", and "crazy" slip through their conversations.

Tuning it out I bit into a piece of chicken, keeping my eyes down on my plate.

"Looks like the psycho decided to show up."

My body stilled at that voice and my expression hardened into one of annoyance. Michael.

"Oh and with the two guards that are here to make sure she doesn't kill herself." Michael continued and I clenched my fist so tight around my fork I was sure to leave imprints in the silver.

"Michael." Kings Blakesley said in a calm, smoot, yet warning tone.

"What? We'd all be better off if she did." He shrugged lightly and took his seat and thats when I decided I didn't want to do this anymore.

I stood hastily from my seat, throwing my cloth napkin down on my half eaten plate and stormed out of the room.

The moment I got outside the door footsteps and a voice called out to me.

"El, wait, please."

I froze. Then a sudden course of anger rushed through my veins and I whipped around with fury in my eyes.

"You," I practically seethed, "are not in a place to tell me to do anything."

"Michael was just joking, I'm sorry." King Blakesley frowned.

Theo and Shay slid out into the hallway at high speeds to stop the interaction.

"You call that joking? I call that harassment." I waved my hand in the air as I spoke loudly.

"Harassment?" Michael strolled out into the hallway, smirking as he spoke.

"Michael, not now." Theo held up a hand to him.

"What? She gets to yell at The King, throw childish temper tantrums, and act like a bloody brat but I'm the harasser, yeah okay." Michael scoffed.

"No! You know what you are?" I screamed, marching forward, "You are bloody egotistical, rude, insecure asshole and I hate you!"

"Go to hell." Michael spat at me, his face baring down on mine.

Before I knew what I was doing my hand flew out, striking Michael's cheek with a loud slap.

"I'm already there." I bit back, my voice low and then spun around, before storming away.

I didn't stay to get yelled at but before I turned I could see the look of pure shock in Michaels eyes and on the faces of Shay, Theo, and The King.

"I WANT HER BLOODY DETAINED!" I heard Michael scream as I turned a corner, but I didn't care.

I heard shouts from King Blakesley, Theo and Shay, but I didn't bother to pick apart what words came from their mouths.

I tuned in when I heard sounds of a scuffle and Shay's voice shout, "I've got Michael, you go find her.

Moments later footsteps were heard catching up behind me.

"Eleanor, wait." Theo said down the hall from behind me.

I kept going, I wasn't interested in what he had to say.

"Eleanor." He said again, getting closer.

When I didn't turn around he became annoyed.

"Eleanor!" He barked and I whipped around on my heel.

"What, Theo?" I said darkly. "And don't call me that name, I hate that name."

"Just let me escort you back to your room." He said calmly as he approached me and began to walk beside me as we walked to my chambers.

I was angry, hurt, tired, confused, depressed, terrified, and anxious all at once and I felt like my body and mind were about to self combust.

There had been too much emotion and conflict in such a short span of time that I didn't know how to handle it.

I didn't know whether to hate the King because he killed my family or be relieved that he came to my defence against Michael.

I didn't know if I also should be scared of him for murdering my family, or if I should accept it and just be thankful he hasn't killed me.

I didn't know if I should be concerned for my safety after striking Michael or if I should forget it, he was an ass anyways.

Also, I didn't know if Shay and Theo would be mad at me. For some reason, I valued their opinion and minded what they thought about me. Since I arrived at the palace of hell against my will, they've been here to take of me and kept me company when I was alone, but I might have just ruined all of that and gotten myself killed in the process.

I had let my stubbornness and confidence take over me and it erupted into flames.

When Theo and I reached my door I scanned us in and strode inside, trying to look composed despite the storm raging in my head.

I took a seat on my bed and Theo made to stand in front of me a few feet away.

"Can we talk about what just happened?" He said it more like a statement.

"I lost my temper." I muttered, turning my head away from him.

"Well that much is obvious. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it because I admit I would like to be the one to slap him around sometimes, but you have to be careful. He is very angry and Michael doesn't stop until he sees justice."

"So what are you saying?" I looked up at him, meeting his frowning gaze.

"That you just put yourself at an even greater safety risk." He crossed his arms across his chest, not in anger, but because that was what he seemed to do when he didn't know what to do.

A yawn took over my body and I didn't realise how actually exhausted I was until now.

"Is The King going to kill me?" I asked quietly and he sighed.

"I don't know. I couldn't tell if he was amused at the situation or if he was mad." Theo said honestly.

I nodded and then pushed myself farther back into my bed so that I could lay down.

"You can go now," I whispered and pulled back a corner of the blanket so I could manoeuvre under it.

"I'll stay here until Shay gets back, you just get some sleep."

I got comfortable and turned so my face was facing the wall.

"Night, Theo." I whispered and he didn't reply but I feel into unconsciousness I could even process that.

My eyes flew open and I gasped for air but was denied by the hands that wrapped around my throat closing off my airways and bruising my skin. Out of fear and instinct I tried to fight them off but my body was pinned down onto the mattress and I couldn't move. My eyes flashed to see green ones baring down into mine and then there was blackness.