Guest Treatment

A week passed and the dance practice always carried on until late in the night. At the end of each lesson, the students would always request more time to practice in the studio so the instructors would leave first.

With how much Arden had stuck with Katie before this week, Alexander wondered why he was nowhere to be found now. Ever since Katie came back from her walk with Arden clutching her bruised arm, he had never seen him around the palace again. Katie had discussed her injury with no one, hiding it with bandages until it eventually faded.

The day before the dance, Alexander finally saw Arden in the palace, walking out of the Queen’s study, holding a folder full of papers. Alexander turned toward the stairs, but after a silent argument with himself, spun sharply on his heel and darted toward Arden.  The young doctor noticed him and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“What?” Arden asked, mildly irritated.

“You were gone for a whole week. Why?