I leave the room feeling uncertain and a little hungry. One hand in my pocket, enclosed around Clancy’s brooch, I begin to walk down the spacious corridor and into the maze-like halls of the Palace, which twist and turn until I’m completely disorientated. Realising how lost I am, I wander down the most enticing corridor, humming to myself.

It must be close to nine, and nobody is to be seen. The servants seem to have disappeared, and if there is any other resident nobility, they aren’t here. I take it as a good thing.

Feet slipping over the marble floor, I pause, check that I’m truly alone, then break out into a dead sprint. I stop at the corner, boots sliding and squeaking, before dashing down the next hallway. As the corner nears, I hear footsteps, and quickly try to slow down, holding my arms out to brace myself as I run to the wall. The footsteps stop, and I turn around to a see a blonde figure peering curiously at me – dressed in a tailored red coat, black pants and a snowy-white shirt. Picking myself off the ground, I eye the stranger suspiciously. He just meets my height, and a mischievous smile lights up his face.

“Haven’t seen you before. My name’s Markus – pleasure to meet you.” He extends a broad hand, ornamented with a ruby-encrusted ring. His voice is as smooth as the marble floor I’m standing on, his smile too genuine.

"Uh… hello." I reply, cautiously shaking his hand. I stare at the ring on his finger, frowning a little.

“What brings you here?” he inquires, passing his hand through his pale blonde hair.

“The…the horses.”

“The horses?” he frowns for a moment. “Ah, you must be the stable-hand. Lacey, was it?”

"It’s Rane," I reply curtly, trying to step around him.

“What happened to Lacey?” he asks, casually easing to the side, blocking my path.

“She didn’t show.”

“Well then.” He grins. “Her loss. I’ll let you in a secret – I think we got the better deal anyway.” Markus winks, gestures towards the corridor, and smiles. “Let me show you to your room.” His voice has fallen to a low purr.

I narrow my eyes. "No. I can find my own way."

“I’ll show you to your room.” His voice drops, becoming low and husky. “It’s getting late, and you’ll need to rest. Better store up your energy for the horses." He runs one hand through his pale blond hair, and places the other on my shoulder. Before I can object, he pulls me around to follow him down the corridor.

“Where are you from?” he inquires, throwing me a charming smile.

“Oakmere.” A begrudging frown follows. I push his hand off my shoulder, and make a point of brushing off my clothes. He seems unfazed.

“Well, they sure grow tall around there.” He smiles, looking up and down at my lanky figure. “Not a bad thing, though. Nice part of the world. I’ll have to visit it one day.”

“It’s not that nice a place,” I curtly reply.

“Does your family live with you?”

“Where’re you from?” I interject, raising an eyebrow.

“Corten,” he says. I blink, and raise an eyebrow, which makes him chuckle. “Yes, indeed,” he continues. “This is practically my home.”

“Are you serious?”

“I know. I’m not only handsome, I’m rich too.” He turns and grins. I glare back. We continue in silence, Markus throwing curious glances back at me.

The corridor opens up to intersect into a much larger, brighter passageway. A seamless window stretches out in front of me, following the curve of the hallway. There seems to be a large circle missing from the centre of the palace, dropping down to an elaborate courtyard and garden. The window continues all around the edge, one single piece of glass. Above, the night sky can be seen.

I turn away from the window to see Markus watching me, leaning on the window and grinning smugly. He breaks his gaze and turns around, beckoning for me to follow him.

“It won’t be permanent, but for now, you’ll find your room along this corridor,” he says. I peer at the room we passed, a Three of Diamonds card embossed on the door. “At the end of each section is a small room for servants. You’ll stay there until we leave.”

“But I’m a stable-hand. Where do they sleep?”

Markus chuckles. “You’re not one anymore. I doubt you’ll work for the Horsemaster again.”

I fall silent, and we pass a door labelled with the Jack of Diamonds. Beyond, another corridor slices through like the one we came out of. We come to a plain, unadorned door, where Markus stops with a wide grin on his face.

"Here’s your room."

“Right. Thanks.”

We walk to the door, and Markus opens it, stepping aside so I can look inside. “You’ve got it all to yourself,” he tells me. “Enjoy the privacy while you can.”

“I will,” I reply, rather loudly. He chuckles.

“If you ever need anything, my room is just across the corridor.” He makes a gesture, gives me a wink, pats me on the shoulder and grins. “See you tomorrow.”

I nod to Markus, then dash into my room, closing and locking the door after me. Taking a moment to lean against the door, I give a long sigh of relief.

The room is nicely furnished, but somewhat plain compared to the rest of the Palace. Empty picture frames line the walls, awaiting memorabilia to adorn them. Matching couches surround a glass table, a vase of wilting flowers in the centre, the petals scattered. A bedroom branches off, similarly furnished, and a wash-room branches of from there. A set of clothes is neatly folded on the bed. The room seems too much for one person, lonely and lifeless without a room of fellow stable-hands.

I kick off my boots at the door and shed my jacket on the couch, examining the clothes laid out for me. The shirt is starched and white, with small sleeves at the shoulders and a high collar. A nightmare to get stains out of. The pants are much better, sturdy and finely-sewn.

I pull out my deck of cards, deposit myself on the couch, and begin shuffling. I flick the cards from one hand to the other, and fan them out before pushing them together. I hear footsteps walking away from the door, and I grit my teeth, realising Markus waited. I continue to shuffle until I’ve calmed down, then slowly slip out of the room and into the empty corridor.

~~~~~~~~

The corridors are starting to seem familiar, and I realise the Palace must be mirrored on each side. Doors line the candle-lit walls, and I soon find a massive circular stairwell. I rest my hand gently on the handrail for a moment, then descend. I pass several landings before reaching the ground floor, a massive hall before me. It contains a large, empty horseshoe-shaped table in the centre, surrounded by thirteen chairs. A hallway stretches upwards and outwards from the other side, ornate and quite overdone. The glamorous architecture makes my skin crawl, and I slip through the corridor as quickly as I can, escaping out the other side.

Just like several floors above, the hallway here branches out into a circular corridor with a window, a set of doors interjecting at evenly spaced intervals. The garden lies beyond, much larger than I expected. An intricate fountain marks the centre, surrounded by a polished courtyard

A blue light catches my eyes, and I turn towards it. The faint silhouette of a person appears before me and I creep forward, instantly curious. The light quickly fades, and I see a young woman, clothed in fine, close-fitting black leather armour. She notices me and turns, and with astonishment I realise she’s quite young – almost as young as I am. She’s not quite a head shorter than me, yet she exudes a strong air of confidence and strength, her wavy black hair cascading freely to her waist. Arms folded, her eyes flicker, measuring me up with an unreadable expression.

“You’re a new face. What’s your name?” Her voice holds the low purr of an unrecognisable accent, a smile gracing her lips.

“Uh… Rane,” I cautiously reply. “I just got here.” I can’t decide if her smile is genuine or not, and it is only with some uncertainty I return it. Unlike the other people I’ve met, her clothing is sensible and plain - and she’s not wearing anything worth stealing. A small dagger is sheathed at her hip.

"My name’s Thalia,” she informs, peering intently at me.

I keep frowning. A moment of silence passes.

“What’cha doing here?”

“Horses.”

“Ah. Finally found someone, did they?”

I give an awkward nod. “Yeah. I guess they did.”

She suddenly smiles, giving a small laugh. “You’re not much of a talker, are you?”

“I don’t think so.”

She gives me a nod of approval. “Pity you aren’t hanging around. I imagine we’d get on quite nicely.” She pauses to wrinkle her nose. “There’ll be no-one left at the Palace except me, it seems.”

“So, ah…” I pause. “Do you know anything about this… political venture?”

“Not in the slightest,” she says, in a way that makes me believe she knows everything.

“I see.”

There is a long silence, bordering on becoming awkward. After a few moments, Thalia clears her throat, and looks at me.

“How have you been enjoying the Palace?”

“It’s alright, I guess.” I pause, looking up at the building. “A bit daunting, though.”

She sighs and shakes her head, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Ah, you’ll adapt. I’ll tell you what I can do. I can put a good word in for you. You’ll get on easier if they know you’re decent.”

I give her a grateful nod. “Thanks.”

“Always happy to be of assistance.” Thalia smiles, and pulls out a small watch from a pocket in her armour. She shakes her head, and sighs. “Now, as much as I would enjoy to be your welcome buddy, I must be off now.”

“Bye.”

“And if anybody asks, I wasn’t here.” She smiles sweetly, and disappears inside.