Walking into the dining room, I take a breath. I release that breath when I realize, he's not there yet.
The table isn't as long as I hoped for- this means I have to be more social than I initially wanted to be.
As I wait, servants come and go preparing the table and setting down the food. None of them look or even glance at me, they hurry by and go about their business. One thing I noticed here is that everyone wears a blank expression on their faces. No one smirks or smiles or greets you like they do in the storybook fairytales. No one even frowns or sneers or talks, just cold blank stares, like they're not even alive.
My back is to the doors, but I can hear someone entering.
"Calm down and act natural. Make this the fastest dinner you've ever been to."
"Forgive my lateness." He says sitting down at the other end of the table.
"That's ok." I play with my bracelet.
"You look beautiful."
I scoff. Immediately I want to take it back. Its always been a instinctive reflex to scoff when someone would tell me I looked beautiful.
But he doesn't get upset that I scoffed. Still calm.
"Uh, so you know my name, but I never got yours." I said.
"My manners seemed to have eluded me today. Xalale is my name."
"Interesting name." My eyes wander around the room, landing on anything other than his crystal blue eyes.
As much as I want to keep this relatively silent dinner, he seems intent on trying to break the ice.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen." Keep it to quick, simple answers.
"You look more mature than a sixteen year old."
My eyes land on the windows that let in cold light. "How old did you think I was?"
"Eighteen or nineteen."
I can't help but glance in his direction. When I was younger it would've thrilled me that I would appear so much older than I was. Now I'm slightly self-conscious.
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen going on my twentieth year."
"Oh." My eyes return to their aimless wandering. I notice a pot of dead roses by the window curtains.
I play around with my food, not really eating it for paranoid fear that it might be poisoned.
"Glazed ham not something you favor?"
My eyes are now trained at the design on the floor. "I'm not too big of a pork eater." I almost expected God to shoot me down with lightening for that white lie I told. I couldn't live without pork.
"Hm."
I don't know what that means. I finally look up at him, though still not making full eye contact. I don't know if I displeased him or rocked the boat by saying that, but now I'm a little worried.
A few tense seconds of silence went by. His calm demeanor didn't change and I haven't been killed yet.
A young servant girl comes with a pitcher, presumably to refill the king's drink. She wears the familiar blank expression and has her eyes trained on the ground in front of her.
"Do you drink?" He ask.
Before I can even utter one word, it happens. Me nor the servant girl see it coming, especially the girl.
Her blank expression is replaced with wide open eyes full of terror and surprise. The carving fork goes into her head so fast, that I'm sure she didn't fully register the pain. He then holds the head up with the carving fork and slits her throat, deep. Pulling out the carving fork, he let the body fall to the floor, and the next sound is a sickening crunch like bones being broken under foot.
Though the whole ordeal only last for about forty seconds, my body is frozen in place like I sat in the Artic for an extended period of time.
When he's finish, he simply goes to slice another piece of ham with the bloody carving fork and knife. Nobody goes to clean up the mess or take away the body- which I refuse to look at- or even makes a sound.
I'm so transfixed on the bloody trail- mixed with blood and whatever was in the pitcher- spreading across the floor, that I'm startled by Xalale's voice.
"You never answered my question. Do you drink?"
His calm tone is almost as frightening as the lifeless body on the floor.
"Uh- I-I don't drink. Where I'm from drinking at my age isn't really appropriate." When the last line leaves my mouth, I immediately want to take it back. I may have hinted that I'm not from around here and I don't want to be found out.
"You've never drunk wine before?" He ask dubiously, like I just said I never breathed air before.
"Never."
"Well there's no better time than this."
I could think of a hundred different times that would be better than this. I don't refuse the drink, though. My thoughts aren't on wine, but about getting out of here as quickly as is humanly possible. My nails dig into the cushion of the seat as I try not to bolt from the room, the bitter taste of metallic blood comes from me biting my tongue too hard.
I kindly accept the drink, focusing on the liquid in the cup rather than his chilling eyes which stare me down. Mistakenly, my eyes wander up to the ceiling. Xalale must've followed my eyes to where I'm looking at.
"I had that chandelier built my third year of being king. It's one of the more priceless pieces in the palace. I value it very much." He says this with unmistakable pride.
I've never seen anything like it before. The grand chandelier takes up most of the space on the ceiling and is dimly lit by numerous candles. Though one major thing stands out- the chandelier is made entirely out of human bones and skulls. A faded rusty red coloring lingers on some of the bones and I'm in denial about the true substance of the stains.
"Those aren't- they aren't real, right?" I almost wished I hadn't ask. But my body was frozen stiff again at the sight.
"Well of course they're real." He says this like it's quite obvious. "I collected the bones over a short period of time. Do you like it?"
"Alright, time to get the fuck out of here."
I stand up too fast and cause myself to become dizzy, but my mind was already reeling from this dinner. Standing up, I could get a quick glance at the bloody body lying on the floor.
"I've had quite the time here tonight. Thank you for the dinner invitation and I'll be out of your business and on my way." I slam the wine cup down harder than I intended. It didn't matter, I was in a rush.
Before I could even push my chair back, he stands as well. "A little early to turn in. You didn't enjoy the wine?"
"Oh no, the wine- the wine was great. Yeah it was really good, but I go to bed really early so..."
"Then allow me to escort you back to your room."
Crap! "Uh, you don't have to go out of your way your Majesty. I can find my way back easily. I have a really good photographic memory." I was halfway to the door.
"It wouldn't be a bother. Besides you are my guest, it wouldn't be proper." He was already making his way towards me.
I decide to give in, but am already making a game plan. "Uh, alright."
The walk back to the room is excruciatingly slow. My nerves are frazzled and I'm scared out of mind. I don't try to pick up speed or increase my pace, even though Xalale seems to be taking his time. Knowing that without him I'm lost, I keep my stride.
"You did look beautiful tonight."
This time I hold back the scoff and look away, not saying anything in response.
"Black is a lovely color on you."
I'm not sure if it's how he said this or the how close he is to me, but I fall behind just a little. The hallways we're traveling down are dimly lit, so I'm hoping he can't see the uncomfortable faces I'm making.
"Actually, blue is the best color on me. I don't know. Black is such a...depressing color." I cautiously reply.
"It's not a bad thing to be depressed."
Returning to silence, I scan the walls of the halls as walked by. Most of the candles were held in candle holders made from bones. Chandeliers- not as grand and grotesque as the one in the dining room, but just as unsettling- hang above us.
What I really want to ask about is the sudden kiss we shared while out in the woods. It didn't cross my mind until now. I'm about to ask, but before I can do so, he speaks up.
"Do you believe in fate?"
"Strange question." I almost don't want to reply, but seeing what happen to that unfortunate servant girl when he was unprovoked, I didn't want to get on his bad side.
"Yes, I believe in fate and in destiny."
"Why?"
"Well, I don't know. Isn't it just nice knowing that you're destined to be something? Be somebody? I mean, there are forces that are out there and they already have an adventure planned for us. We just have to be brave enough to follow it." Though I was in an uncomfortable position, this was something I was passionate about, something familiar I was use to believing in.
"You can make anything seem like the most amazing thing." He sounds amused at me again.
"Um...thank you?" I say unsure.
"It's meant as a compliment."
We stop at what must be the bedroom I got ready in. I'm moving for the door handle, but he catches my hand. I go against my instincts to yank free.
"Thank you for joining me for dinner, Mallory. I enjoyed your company."
Even though the hallway was engulfed in shadows, I could still see his stunning blue eyes. He wore a cunning smile that further unnerved me.
"Thank you for inviting me." I try to be polite and hurry into the room.
Before I can pull my hand back, he gives it a gentle kiss. It would have warmed me if it wasn't from him. My skin is crawling and I try not to visibly shudder.
"Night." I break free and hurry to get into the room.
I barely catch his response.
"Good night." His calm voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
Closing the door and making sure it's locked, I collapse on the bed. Well, I may not know everything that's been happening recently but I am certain of some things.
"One, I'm not getting out of here tonight. Two, I'm still not sure how to get back to my own dimension. Three, the king is a psycho."