Stephen collapsed on his bed, exhausted and disappointed. When the 'test' with Sebastian ended in failure, the Court Mage performed a variety of experiments that also ended in failure. Stephen was subjected to hangin upside down for fifteen minutes, a bath in cow's milk, and not-so-theraputic accupuncture.

“This adventure is turning into a nightmare,” Stephen mumbled into his pillow. He was starving, too, “I want to go home…”

“Ahem.”

Stephen turned around to see Kate standing in the middle of the room, holding a covered silver platter. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a fanned-out bun, exposing her distinct cheekbones and highlighting the way her eyes were shapped like little blue blades. Kate’s blue and white uniform trimmed her sides, giving her the sleek look of a runner, while her black boots gave her that extra little inch. Stephen thought Kate could have passed for a college student if she wanted to, she seemed so serious for her age.

Stephen’s face flushed, “How long have you been there?”

“Since you came in,” Kate said plainly.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice you.”

“I get that a lot,” Kate shrugged.

Stephen’s stomach growled. Kate didn’t bat an eye as she set the tray on the small table at the side of the room, then moved to dust around the room. Stephen didn’t go for the food right away, he was trying to reason whether or not it was rude to just eat while Kate worked around the room.

After a few minutes, Kate glared over her shoulder, rolling her eyes towards the food before turning to dust the top of the wardrobe. She had to stand on her tiptoes and hold the feather duster by the tips of her fingers to reach.

Stephen was too hungry to ignore the hint, so he opened up the serving dish. The meal today was a tomato and ham sandwich, a small wedge of aged white cheese, an all-green salad with some oil, and a freshly peeled apple. The meal was refreshing after being chased by a maniac all morning. After he ate, Stephen glanced up to watch Kate finish.

Kate reached outside the door and pulled in a basket. She grabbed Stephen’s black shirt, balled it up, and threw the shirt into Stephen’s face.

“It’s rude to stare,” Kate said cooly.

Stephen stumbled back, taken by surprise, “Sorry, I finished eating.”

“So it was time to watch me work?”

“Well,” Stephen started, was it that weird? It was something he’d never considered. Was it rude to watch someone else work? Suddenly Stephen felt self-conscious, “What about you?”

“What about me?” Kate directed back at Stephen, crossing her arms and fixing him with a flat look.

“I mean what’s your story? You’ve been standoffish and I don’t understand. Aren’t you supposed to be friendly towards guests?”

Kate bit her lip, “This job got me off the street. That’s all.”

“I hope we can get along, at least,” Stephen closed the serving dish, “I’ll try and stay out of your way until I’m gone.”

Kate’s expression softened, just slightly, “They said you’d be able to get back?”

Stephen’s throat tightened, “I mean, no, the king said I couldn’t, but there’s always magic, right?”

Kate’s eyes darkened, “Magic, huh?”

“Yea, if I can learn how to use magic, I should be able to get back. That’s how I got here in the first place, after all.”

Kate looked away, “Magic doesn't solve anything. It only makes things worse.”

A coldness took hold of Stephen’s stomach, “You can’t mean that. Magic’s amazing, isn’t it? I haven’t seen much, but I have to believe it can help.”

Kate stomped her foot, “If you're naive enough to think that, you’re a fool!”

Stephen stood up and stepped towards Kate, “Where do you get off, calling me foolish? You don’t know the first thing about me!”

Kate took a step towards Stephen, her eyes sharp and bright, “You don’t understand!”

Kate glanced up at the wall, taking a deep breath. As she let it out, the frustration in her body slowly left and she seemed to relax a little.

"I'm sorry, of course you couldn’t,” Kate stepped back, picked up her laundry basket and opened the door, "Just be careful here."

Kate left the room without another word, leaving Stephen irritated and confused. He clenched his hands and sat back on the bed, trying to stop his mind from spinning. What did she mean, he couldn't understand? So far, Stephen recounted, he'd met a controlling king, a maddened magician, and the only person he'd met close to his age was a rude maid-in-training.

Stephen glanced at the wall Kate had stared at. There was a painting of a knight, dressed in armor similar to the hollow knights, but the suit was newer and a little fancier. He was standing tall and proud, holding his longsword in front of his chest so the thin blade divided his face in two.

Whatever it was that had driven Kate to act so strangely, Stephen was sure he'd find it. Perhaps there was a reason he'd been summoned here, after all.