Chapter 21. Her Curse
***
The Duke of Havilt and other like-minded nobles gathered, disheartened by the unwelcome news.
"It should have been a tomb."
"As soon as I saw the king coming out of the hole, my legs gave out."
"The heavens are indifferent. We had a golden opportunity to accomplish the task without touching it."
The faces of the nobles who had traveled to the scene were filled with a sense of futility.
"I guess we were expecting too much."
"I'm so disappointed too, I can't do anything today, I'm exhausted."
A few sighs broke out here and there.
The aging Duke of Havilt sat like a stone, his usual grave expression on his face, not saying a word. If anything, he seemed even more angry than the rest of the chattering nobles.
As the atmosphere grew heavier and heavier, one by one the loudest nobles fell silent, and the secret chamber fell instantly silent. It remained that way for some time.
****
As Tanya escorted her to the palace, Trisha welcomed every sound she could hear.
Even when she first stepped out of the snow, she was glad to hear people talking, the snow moving, the sound of something passing by... anything in the world. It was the sound of being alive. It was as if she had covered her ears with both hands for a while, and then took them off.
The maids who had followed her were out on the ground floor of the palace, apparently to see for themselves that she was alive, but none of them seemed relieved. Instead, their eyes scanned Trisha up and down with disapproval.
They wouldn't expect this from a dog that had been missing for days. But Trisha was just as cold. It had been that way from the beginning.
On the first day, when she had to walk through those cold eyes with the wind in her undergarments, even though it was invisible to them, the maids were still fidgeting when it was over, eager to get inside the palace. Then they were quick to complain about the smallness of their assigned rooms.
She knew they were her stepmother's servants, so she had no expectations of them, and their behavior had no effect on her. But they were not polite. Especially since she was supposed to be Flora here. She let it slide.
"What are you waiting for? Draw me a bath and bring me something to eat."
Trisha ordered, but the maids remained motionless and gave her a troubled glance. She walked over to them and whispered, this time quietly.
"There are eyes to see, and you're behaving like this. What if they find out about your behavior and send you all back?"
The maids, who had been standing still, opened their eyes wide at the sound and began to scurry about.
If they were sent back to their own country for that reason, their stepmother would not let them go unpunished. It didn't matter that she wasn't afraid of her stepmother, but that they were afraid of her stepmother. A handmaiden would be a handmaiden.
Trisha was led up to her chambers by Tanya.
The handmaidens' faces hardened, but they moved with a grim determination. They had thought she was dead, and they thought it best to report the accident to the Queen, so the day of the accident, they went to the messenger and sent a note to the queen with a thorough examination.
They were so excited that they could leave this dirty, cold place and return to their home country, but they had done the wrong thing. They didn't expect this.
The busy maids leaned in closer, more aware of who was around.
Trisha sat in front of the fireplace with Tanya while the maids brought her bath water. She could live on this alone. Tanya's nonstop stroking of her hands and feet was a delight. But her hands on her body were colder. Tanya's devotion was melting her heart.
The maids didn't even come to the scene of the accident in the snow. Only Tanya waited for her. When she emerged, it was Tanya who hugged her and cried. She didn't stop crying in the carriage because she was so happy to see her master alive.
Trisha was grateful that at least one person was on her side. After surviving two terrible accidents in a row, that one person became even more precious.
Tanya soon brought her a cup of hot tea.
“You drink first. Your body is colder.”
In truth, Tanya was in no condition to worry about her. She just wanted to wash up and get something to eat.
"I'll drink later, princess drinks first."
Okay. First. As Trisha helplessly sipped her tea, she suddenly remembered what had happened earlier, just before she was saved.
"You go first.”
She was standing in the cave, ready to leave, when a small, fist-sized hole opened up right in front of her. A gust of wind blew through the hole and whipped her hair around. She heard people shouting louder and louder, and the hole got bigger and bigger.
They were shouting "Your Majesty," and when they were almost done digging, suddenly Kalos grabbed her arm. She wondered what was wrong, but he pulled her to her feet and stood her in front of him. He ordered her to go first.
The Wolf King was the one everyone was waiting for.
In a situation like this, he should be the one to go first.
Even as she thought about it, she felt a tickle in her chest, a strange sensation.
So she went first. Kalos held her from behind and the soldier in front pulled her out.
She barely made it outside before Tanya came running up to her, crying. Trisha hugged her tightly. She was so happy to see her.
She walked with Tanya's support, all eyes on her, on Kalos, behind her.
Trisha pushed on in silence, fighting the urge to look back. She wasn't sure why she wanted to look back; there was something vague about the feeling that was more than just curiosity. But she didn't dig into it. It wasn't a feeling that would benefit her. It was an undesirable feeling.
She brushed that nagging feeling out of her mind and into the snow.
Even now, sipping her hot tea, she pushed down any emotions that might come up.
This is normal.
Trisha closed her eyes, resigning herself to the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion.
***
Kalos watched as the doctor examined him and left.
So strong. He was in such good shape for someone who had been in such an accident, even the doctor was surprised.
Even though he was locked up in such a place, his complexion was better than ever. He was trapped for three days.
It would be hard for an animal to survive three days in that cold, in that snow. So you can see how worried everyone was.
In fact, Victor and Dalton were quite surprised. After three days of shivering in the freezing cold, they thought he must be frozen to death and that he was in bad shape. They had a physician and a stretcher ready, but the king came out, looking very well and walking briskly down the street. What a relief it was.
His Majesty's strength shone through. He was the king after all.
Everyone praised the king's animal-like stamina.
Kalos rewarded his soldiers for their service with plenty of rest and food.
Everyone began to relax, relieved that the king had returned safely.
Kalos, too, lay in bed for the umpteenth time, despite his entourage's insistence that he rest no matter how well he looked. It was fluffy and comfortable, too. He was in the best bed in the country. His bedroom was very quiet once they were gone.
His eyes darted around the room.
It was spacious.
The bed was too big, and his bedroom was even bigger. Something cozy to sleep in.
He turned over and lay on his back.
Hmm....
Something felt off.
He reached for one of the many large pillows at the head of the bed and pulled it over, then wrapped his arms and legs around it.
Slightly satisfied, Kalos closed his eyes tightly. This was perfect for falling asleep.
He liked how quiet everything was, except for his own low breathing. He could almost fall asleep.
Time passed in silence.
No, it was getting boring.
His breathing, which had been even, was getting ragged.
Damn it.
Kalos forced his closed eyes open.
He couldn't sleep at all. Even the big pillow he was hugging didn't help.
He shoved the big pillow out of his arms, the recoil sending it flying off the bed.
He didn’t know why he was so angry.
This was a curse. A great curse. The woman must have cursed him right there and then.
Unable to stand it any longer, Kalos scrambled to his feet.
***
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