What about me? What did I enjoy reading? Where was my family and friends? How did I get to be in the palace?
Instead of the answers I so desperately needed, only inkyblack nothingness stared back at me. The exertion immediately manifested itself in a nauseous wave that pushed on my temples and finally settled as a pulsing pain behind my eyes. I bit my lip, fighting the sickness that was threatening to overpower me.
“What’s wrong?” Kent took a step closer.
“I just . . . I want to go back.”
Slowly, with the help from the tall male beside me, I returned to the place of my voluntary confinement. Sally met us halfway to my room. Her light chatter and the glances she threw toward my guard made my headache even more intense.
When I was in bed at last, I quickly hid the book from Sally’s prying eyes under the blanket and turned to my side with a sigh of relief.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ALINA
Aweek had gone by since I stopped taking the medicine. I did not know what I was hoping for when I stopped it, but what I discovered was absolutely astonishing. I could already feel the difference from the strange affects that my body had gone through. The medication actually made me lethargic, confused, and nauseous. After a few days, my appetite came back, I no longer got sick after every meal, and my mental focus improved. But it took a lot of effort to keep acting like I was still sick and frail in front of my maid. I started looking at Sally differently, but I could not let it show.
Why would they try to poison me?
I still could not remember much of my past, but I was hopeful that I would get more clarity as time went by.
“You have such beautiful hair, milady.”
Sally was braiding my locks and pinning flowers atop of my head. I glanced at my reflection and averted my eyes. I looked sickly and tired. I did not like my reflection and would do anything just to be left alone in my room, reading the book that Kent gave me.
I had not seen my guard for the past couple of days, and it made me uneasy. Somehow, knowing there was someone who knew what I was going through made me feel like I was not alone in this world.
I knew better than to ask Sally his whereabouts, but I just could not hold my curiosity back any longer.
“Sally, have you seen Mr. Kent lately?”
“Mr. Kent?” Sally took a long pause before replying.
“Is he alright?”
“Yes, I believe so. He’s going through some training.”
“Is that so?”
“Why are you asking, milady?”
“I was just curious.”
“You know that you should concentrate on finding your future husband.”
I had so many responses ready, but I forced myself to take a deep breath and looked back in the mirror.
“Who am I meeting today?” I sighed.
“Lord Dayton, milady.”
“The one with two wives?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“He’s a good candidate. He would probably be too busy with his current household to be too tiresome,” Sally said.
I did not trust myself to respond.
When the last spray was attached to my hair, Sally ushered me to put on an elaborately decorated dress, in a deep shade of blue silk, with long sleeves and a modest cut in the front.
