make me stay.

twenty

♜

"i should leave," i mumble, making a move towards the door.

every one of mercer's nobles were gathered in his office, waiting for him to return. we had met harry one the stairs, mercer ordering harry to take me with him to his office. he had interrupted our little moment, but i was grateful. i did not need any more distractions. i needed to leave this castle, leave this little bubble of hope it was giving me. 

the snow storms were close to passing the higher mountain meaning that soon, all my friends would return back home. my plan was to make it back to the festival of lights before that. i could leave with them and be back in my hometown by the end of the week. all i needed to do now, was figure out how the hell i snuck out of these walls. every door on my way would be locked, and if i hid amongst the maids again, i already knew what would happen. 

when we arrived, the room was already accompanied by the others, but mercer had yet to show up. he had gone the other way when harry had escorted me towards the office. 

"you're staying," suddenly, mercer shows up in the doorway, placing both hands on either of my hips to move me back into the room again. he doesn't even glance at me before closing the door with his foot, and walking past his nobels. he sits down at his desk, opening the top drawer on his left. on his desk he places two envelopes and a heavy book. 

i follow his moves, shivering in the cold air that is hanging heavy in his office. opening the door and stepping into this room from the hall, was like stepping outside from a house. it was constantly cold in here, and i had never seen an open window, or even windows possible of opening.

"letters from the mayor of two of the towns that took the hardest hit with stranded foreigners." mercer begins, opening one of the letters, handing it to nathaniel.

the letter quickly gets passed around the standing men in silence, as mercer searching for a page in the book.

i push my back against the wall farthest from them all, not understanding the importance in my present here.

why am i here, mercer? i ask mentally, starring directly at the man in front of me. he is focusing on the book, as he skims a page, before flipping to the next. it wouldn't even be useful to ask him out loud so he could actually hear my question, he probably wouldn't answer, anyways.

"you'll be involved in situations like this, once you're crowned, maire-grace." mercer suddenly speaks, not looking up from the pages. 

my breath hitches in my throat as i cough, my eyes wide. how did he- how?

nathaniel glances back in my direction, a smirk on his face. "you're scaring her, north." he tells mercer, reaching for the second letter.

"has she been taught?" one of the men looks up as he passes the first letter on. i was almost certain his name was emmanuel but it could have been any one of them.

taught about what?

"not yet," nathaniel replies casually, before taking in a deep breath. "unfamiliar voices in your head is not exactly a perk in the beginning,"

"like when harry spoke in our heads," i whisper to myself, trying not to interrupt their conversation which would direct light towards me.