7

Acela POV

I open my eyes the best that I can in the dark lit room. Light is coming in from the curtains hinting that it is morning so I squint my eyes to try and wake up.

Where the hell am I? I remember last night I was in a taxi with an old man who said his name was Ron. I definitely must've fallen asleep to the soft jazz he had played in his taxi car.

I'm still wearing my clothes but I seem to be in a homey bedroom, possibly in Ron's house, the man that offered to take me in for the night. He must've carried me to bed.

I get out of the bed and look around for my shoes, I don't see them so I tiptoe to the door hoping that no one can hear me as I silently try my best to not make a sound on the creaky floorboards of the bedroom I am currently in. I slowly open the old wood door to see there is a light on down the hall and I hear voices coming from wherever down the hall leads to.

What the hell do I do now? I feel so awkward just pretending to sleep.

Screw it, what more could possibly make my life anymore worse, I'm a wreck- the least I can do is thank Ron and his wife who I haven't met for letting me stay the night, me a complete stranger.

I fully open the door and quietly walk down the hall to see that I'm not on the second floor but the first, perhaps a spare room downstairs? There are family photographs on the wall, I notice Ron instantly from last night, it's a family portrait, he stands next to a beautiful old woman... his wife? and someone that looks familiar but that's impossible, I don't know anyone in The Vale who isn't working in the palace.

A voice startles me. "Oh dear me, you're up! I was about to get you for breakfast." A delicate older woman's voice says.

I turn around awkwardly as she caught me in the hallway. Ron's wife from the photograph, she's is a beauty for her age, soft features and short white hair and... white eyes. She's blind?

"Oh, thank you for letting me stay Ma'am, I was actually about to head down and get out of your hair and be on my way." I say towards her and she snorts waving her hand in the air at me.

"Psht! You are no trouble girl now come let's have breakfast, I made my famous omelet for you." The woman says as she hints to follow me down the hall with her. "Call me Olivia or Mama, everyone does dear." She says and I nod stupidly.

She can't see Acela..

But mama? I wonder why they call her that.

I see Ron sitting at a table in the kitchen reading a newspaper while he drinks a cup of fresh hot coffee. He looks up and sees me with Oliva his wife. "Morning sleepyhead, coffee?" He asks as he nods to the pot on the kitchen side.

I shake my head. "No thank you." I say forcing a smile.

My heart feels bruised and my eyes are killing me, no doubt they are red and puffy- they are definitely sore, so sore that it hurts to blink... I really outdid myself crying like that last night, I wonder what Ron thinks of me seeing me like that.. I don't want to be pitied.

"Sit down dear, one omelet coming right up!" She says giving me a slight push to a chair next to Ron. I pull the seat out and sit.

I look around the kitchen and instantly find what I was looking for, I notice the clock above the kitchen stove and it says 8:30 am.

I would usually be at work by now.... I wonder if they know by now that I'm gone? Will they miss me? Will they even care?..

"Here you go dear, dig in!" Oliva says, placing a plate with a delicious-looking omelet in front of me.

I look at her thankful and starving. "Thank you so much, you really didn't have to though." I say shyly as I pick up a fork and look between Ron and Oliva as they look at me with smiles.

Ron laughs. "Nonsense. Oh, your mobile thing has been beeping for some time now." Ron grimaces as he passes my mobile phone from the kitchen side.

Oh, I was wondering where I put that.

He passes me the phone and I say 'thank you' as I turn it on and see instantly that I have multiple missed calls and texts from multiple people.

But the one that concerns me the most is Mason, I see he has tried to ring me and only texted me once.

26 Missed called From Mason

1 Unread Text Message From Mason

The rest of the messages are all from Mort, Brim, and Irelia, I open Mason's text before I begin I open the other text messages.

From: Mason

Acela! Where are you? I'm worried sick and I can't find you, no one can! CALL ME! I'm worried about U!

I'm getting worried as I look to Ron and see he is already looking at me concerned. "Um, I need to make a call."

Olivia puts her delicate pale hand on her husband's on the table and looks at me with soft caring eyes. "Of course dear, take your time." She says and I excuse myself from the table and I nod apologetically to both of them as I get up from my chair and walk into the next room.

I walk into their living room and close the door and then I begin to dial Mason's phone number as I press call and wait for him to pick up.

One ring, two.. three..

"Acela?" Mason says sounding frantic.

I sigh. "It's me, sorry I was asleep.."

He interrupts me. "Where are you? Are you hurt? Elizabeth is frantic and not to mention me and the others! Your door.. Are you okay? Where are you?" He rushes out upset and worried.

What about my door?

"I'm fine, I-I'm safe.. I quit Mason.. I-I couldn't be there anymore.. I will explain another time I promise, what happened to my door?" I ask with a frown whilst I rub my forehead at how scared he sounds.

"Wait what?.. o-oh, well that's what's so weird, I went to came to get you and your door is completely broken into pieces, I thought something had happened to you!" He groans out a relieved sigh.

"But that's not what's weird! I found Prince Caelan inside sat on the floor- your room is completely trashed too by the way.. anyways back to the Prince! He was saying all sorts of stuff- he was out of it, I tried to talk to him to get what the hell happened but he just seemed... weird." He says sounding confused.

I take a deep breath and sit down on the couch as I close my eyes and hold my head.

Oh Caelan..

No.. I can't think about him, I shouldn't care.

"But that's when the King himself showed up and told me to 'leave', that's when I called you scared out my mind, I think I aged a few years because of you, human!" He sighs out with a nervous laugh.