Chapter 5. Crimson blooddrops
****
Thud.
The sack Trisha was holding fell to the floor, but more than that, her arm hurt. She grimaced at the pain in her gripped arm.
Why was he doing this?
His fierce gaze bore into her questioning eyes. As if she had done something wrong. Unsure of what he was accusing her of, she narrowed her eyes.
"What about that crying?"
He asked again, frustrated. Was it really that important? It only made her wonder more.
"It sounds sad. I wonder if that animal is sick."
The cries she'd heard the first time she headed to the barn had sounded sad to her. With her mother's blood running through her veins, she was sensitive to the animal's cries.
Even when she answered, he didn't let go of her arm and just stared at her. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Panic and fear began to show in her eyes.
At that moment, thankfully, he let go of her arm. Finally free, she leaned down and squeezed the gaping opening of the sack she'd dropped, trying to catch her breath.
Ouch.
The end of a piece of wood protruding above the opening pricked her finger. It was a mistake that showed how panicked she was.
A few drops of blood trickled down her fingers. The crimson droplets stood out clearly against the white snow. She quickly put her finger in her mouth to temporarily stop the bleeding. It wasn't a big cut, but it felt big against the white snow.
Leaving him standing motionless, she turned quickly. One thing was good about stepping out into the cold air. The wound froze instantly and stopped bleeding. Her rapidly beating heart slowly settled back down, and her head seemed to clear again.
There was so much she didn't understand, but she didn't try to. No one here, especially that Kalos, wanted her to understand. It meant they didn't care, so there was no reason for her to try to understand either.
She tried to ignore the way he watched her from afar as she dragged the large sack, shivering and clutching at her fur coat. All she wanted to do was sit in front of a warm fire.
Howlllll….
Strangely, the beast's cries suddenly changed, as if it were excited by something.
She wondered what was really going on.
After a moment's puzzlement, Trisha quickened her pace as she entered the palace.
****
"What did we not bribe the servant to do?"
"You're just trying to save the princess’s life."
"Are you saying you don't care if we die?"
As she entered the palace, she felt less cold. This alone was enough to keep her alive, as it was quite cold here before she went outside.
Taking the sack from Trisha when she returned, Tanya and her started to walk to her room, only to find four maids gathered around the room. It looked like they were waiting for her to pick something up, and they were right.
They barged into her room and as soon as the door was closed, they began to spill out what they had to say. In low voices, of course. If anyone overheard them, they would be in trouble. If they revealed that she was not Flora, they too would face a harsh death.
"Bribes? I'm sure you have money."
The chilling tone of her voice stunned them all. The jewelry and trinkets that her stepmother had provided for Flora to adorn her as a princess were to be kept and cared for by these maids. If any of them were missing when they returned home, their heads would be blown off.
They knew full well that Trisha had nothing to bribe them with, and yet they assumed that she had something to hide. Even if she did have some jewelry, she had no intention of using it for them.
"How can you do this to us, who have traveled all this way for you?"
"That's right, the princess is responsible for us."
Suddenly, a cold smile appeared on Trisha’s face.
Her expression was like a wall of ice, and the maids slowly began to tense up. They thought they could win if they all cried together, but it wasn't working.
"For you? For the responsibility?"
Trisha’s eyes froze the maids like a fierce blizzard.
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while."
You have to talk sense to them. These were her stepmother's dogs and they were disrespectful here also. They tried to do the same things they do back home. But it was different here.
As long as she was in this castle, she could give them a hard time and they would think she was doing a good job of pretending to be Princess Flora. Luckily, Flora was a venomous creature capable of much worse. Trisha turned away from them coldly.
"Are you suggesting that we all freeze to death?"
"Well, in that case, you should at least share the firewood."
Trisha couldn't be bothered to turn around, so she just cocked her head and said.
"Why should I?"
How could she give away the firewood she'd saved for such a worthless cause? How stupid.
The maids' faces began to turn deathly pale as they tried to think of a way to survive until morning.
"Ah. There is one way."
Trisha’s eyes lit up with anticipation.
"If you all gather the firewood from your rooms and sleep in the hut, I think we can survive until morning. I'll see you tomorrow."
Trisha motioned for Tanya to open the door. Realizing that there was barely enough room for them, they had no choice but to leave.
What a nice way to end the night.
Trisha shook her head as she undressed in the warmth of the room. Huddled together in the small room, they'd barely survive. It was all thanks to her.
"Come on, have a cup of this hot tea."
She finally had time to warm up in front of the roaring fireplace and relax with a cup of tea. Time to relax. Trisha leaned back on the small couch with a sigh of relief.
***
Late at night.
Kalos's right and left hand men, his loyalists, Victor, his bodyguard, and Dalton, his acting treasurer, gathered in his office.
"We've searched the luggage thoroughly, Your Majesty, and there's no poison anywhere."
Kalos nodded at Dalton's report. Good, then.
Howlll….
Howlll…
His eyes darkened with worry as he listened to the different cries of the Lamu god again.
***
In the morning, their job was waiting. To manage the castle's study from now on. The study, in the north palace, was the equivalent of a great library in terms of space. Trisha realized the moment she entered the study with her maids that they would never allow her to play and eat in peace.
It would take weeks just to clean the huge, warehouse-like study to a sparkling shine. And with a staff of maids who were constantly grumbling and irritable.
This was what happened when they had the wrong master.
They barely survive one night, and then they were thrown into this.
Why do we have to do this, damn it.
The maids, seeing that they were the only ones here, chattered here and there, and Trisha tried to tune them out and let them go. Once in the study, it was not as frighteningly cold as they had feared, compared to their rooms, where they had spent the night shivering.
"Be thankful you're indoors."
Trisha jabbed at them. There were a few grunts and huffs here and there, but little consideration was wasted on those who could not appreciate the little things.
Grumbling, the maids prepared to clean up, while Trisha and Tanya slowly flipped through the books. Strangely, only the bookcase in the far corner and the desk in front of it were kept more tidy than the rest. But they didn't think much of it.
Trisha flipped through the books nearby and picked up a book that caught her attention. It was quite thick.
[Tasar Malbon]
Naturally, she sat down at my desk and opened it. It was a book about the language of the Kingdom of Tasar. The continent had a common language for everyone, but the Tasar had their own language. She found it fascinating.
After a quick afternoon of cleaning, she was done for the day. But the book, and the lack of excitement in this otherwise uninteresting place, prompted Trisha to revisit the place alone in the evening. There was a passageway connecting her room to the north palace, which she liked.
She loved the tranquility of the place. The silence was almost welcome after all the noise and grumbling. She sat down gently in the same spot in the study that had been so carefully maintained.
She concentrated on the book she had found today. She didn't realize how much time had passed, but then.
"Now my country? What else are you going to spy on?"
Her silence was instantly shattered by the sudden sound of a gruff voice.
****
To donate for extra chapters for my series or to tip me visit my personal kofi page
Write a comment