The Prince and I - 32

The woman who opened the door of the apartment manager’s office looked me over carefully before letting me in. I handed her the letter from Sadron then shuffled from one foot to the other as she read it. I was dead sure she’d do something a simple as tell me there was a mistake and no apartment was available.

She finished reading and smiled. “So you’re Mr. Sadron’s protégée.”

I nodded. As I said, I’d read the letter so I knew what was in it, which wasn’t much. Just an introduction which confirmed my status as a student he was providing for. The student part wasn’t happening but if he wanted to pay for me to live here for a week or two before he got the message I wanted nothing to do with him, well hell at the moment I wasn’t going to argue.

After she took a set of keys off the board behind her desk she led me up the outside stairs to the third level balcony, and down to the end. She unlocked the door, handed me the keys while she told me one was to the outside recreation area and pool and then left me to my own devices.

I suppose by normal standards the apartment was small, just a living room with a tiny kitchen off to one side, a bedroom and a bathroom. It was furnished which was good. Nothing fancy but compared to where I normally lived—to use the phrase loosely—it was great to have any furniture at all.

As soon as I’d put my clothes away I took a long, hot shower. I needed to relax, if I could, and try to put the past few days behind me. Unfortunately the bruising on my arm was a grim reminder of them but it would fade and with it, I prayed, my memories of… everything.

When I was finished I dried off, put on a pair of shorts, and fell into bed. After I went to sleep—which I finally did—I dreamed of elves armed with swords and bows chasing me, trying to drive me out of their world. I woke early the next morning vowing never to have anything to do with them, in reality or books or stupid games, ever again.

But I still couldn’t get rid of the empty place in my heart that for a brief time had been filled with hope and perhaps love.