Her throat tightened. Her fists curled. A moment ago, the walls had seemed far enough. Now, they pressed in on her, sucking away her breath like they were slowly growing closer.
Breathe. This is not the house. This is the imperial palace. You aren't trapped here…
Abrial's eyes shot open. No, that wasn't right. She was trapped here! This was basically a cell with a locked door, surrounded by guards. Comparably, that was even worse than being at the house! Almost.
Thinking of that, her heart quickly began pounding in her ears. She needed to calm down before she got racked with panic or something else even worse. Swiftly, Abrial arranged herself in a meditative position and regulated her breathing. Slowly in...hold...slower out...
Imagine a river flowing by. In that river, you are a steady stone. Your thoughts are flowing by, passing on from you…
