Zain gazed at Edith with curiosity; she was actually different from what he had expected, and like he said before, he did not expect much or anything. But Edith was quite amusing and intriguing to him; she seems to think she knows it all, but in reality she knows nothing. But then again, does Zain know everything? No, he does not; he is not a god or a book, but he was different from Edith in a way; he didn’t pretend to be all-knowing and mysterious, and he was more experienced. He wondered what age she was—17? 18? 19? How young were the contestants anyway? The prince was 18 so definitely no lower than 16 and no higher than 20, a similar age range to him. He was 20, going to 21, so he was not that older than what he presumed Edith to be. They were basically similar at age if you would.
Zain also noticed something else about Edith: she seemed to feel targeted by him. He did not think that she noticed it, but her language was awfully defensive, how cute. It would not be a lie to say that Zain was trying to get something out of her, but he did not know what exactly it was he wanted either. Maybe just a way to learn about how in subtle ways, it was not everyday the palace was filled with outsiders he used to ‘know’ but never really got the chance to know.
A playful smile tugged at the corners of Zain’s lips as he leaned in slightly, “Of course, freedom is a luxury not everyone can afford; people like you and me are born into a privileged world that few can attest to.” he replied, his eyes twinkling with a combination of amusement and fascination. “But tell me, Lady, what does freedom truly mean to you? Is it merely the abundance of choices, or is it something more? Something that drives you to seek new opportunities and embrace change? Or do you simply live the life of a chameleon, always playing the role everyone wants you to play and calling that freedom and a goal to be proud of” He trailed off, Zain’s tone was intrigued as he spoke, as if he was genuinely wondering about the depths of her perception. He was attracted by Edith’s point of view and the underlying impulses that drove her ahead. There was a latent urge within him to discover the genuine essence of her spirit, to comprehend what drove her never-ending quest for progress. He was not trying to stop her from pursing her dreams of queenhood or whatever, after all he is loyal to the prince and anything that would help the crown is what he is loyal too and maybe Edith could be the queen they needed so why would he try and drive her out? He was simply curious,curious about her and how other actors felt. He regretted not being able to say goodbye to a lot of his coworkers or ask them this questions he is asking Edith, because he felt like most of them were living in a golden cage. They were living in a golden cage and they could not understand that a golden cage was still a cage, no matter how pretty, how luxurious and fancy it was. Actors who play it safe like Edith mostly do live in cages adorned in riches, but actors who broke boundaries? Who broke the walls? Those people were truly free and Zain was a little sad he was not one of them, he disappeared because he was not ready to face a career damage.
His eyes locked with hers, a longing sigh that could only be heard in his head following, “I’ve always believed that true freedom lies not in the number of options we have, but in our ability to transcend our circumstances and grow as individuals,” he reflected, his voice hushed. “So, Edith, how do you grow regardless of your circumstances?” “What motivates you to embrace change and explore new horizons? Are you truly free or just existing in a golden cage,” Zain hoped she became queen, maybe then she would find true freedom. He doubted it but at least if she wanted to remain in a cage of gold, the royal palace could give her the finest gold.
Additionally, he wanted to see how Edith would play out as a queen and how she would work with the Prince. From what he knows about the Prince (being his guard and everything) and Edith, their personalities would crash and that would be exciting to watch play out.
@idiot.exe
~ 
Palace Halls
+ 
