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“I never knew that.” Why would I? I had only been in the castle for just over three months, the rest of my existence spent scraping by in Inkwell. “I don’t think I could have survived this long without sex.” Her face blanched. This poor girl must have thought me mad. “Okay. Say youcouldget married. To anyone you want. Who would you choose?” She straightened more, which I hadn’t thought possible. She cast her eyes down, a nervous smile cracking her lips.
“Miss Petra, I–”
“Just Petra!” I snapped. “Come on! Anyone in the world.” I poked. She nervously tucked a strand of hair that wasn’t there behind her ear.
“Anyone?” she asked quietly. I nodded mischievously. She pondered for a moment, her eyes dancing around the room. I watched shadows dance across her face before a smile mirrored the mischief of my own. “Prince Rayner of Zidderune.”
I paled. My ears began to ring. The edges of my vision went cloudy. I saw the blurry image of bloody water like the roses that stared down from my ceiling. Wrena felt the change immediately, reaching a small hand out and placing it on my arm. A Saints damned mention of a name and I was spiraling.
“Are you well, Petra? Did I say something?” She was so sweet.Sosweet. She had no idea what she had just unlocked, what had tumbled out of a box within a box within a box in my brain that I had kept vaulted and hidden since moving to the castle.
“Yes, Wrena, I’m sorry. I–” A sob broke, thick and suffocating. Wrena rose, quickly shuffling to my side, lowering to her knees so we were face to face.
“Petra, what is it? What happened? What do you need?” I was frozen. Her eyes searched my face which was contorting to hold back tears. “Petra!”
I took a deep breath. Counted one. Two. Three. I closed my eyes. Counted again. Opened them.I am okay.Wrena’s desperate eyes bored into mine. “I’m fine. Thank you. I think I’d like to go to sleep now.” I had to grind the words out.
Wrena nodded quickly. “Yes, my Lady.” I didn’t have the energy to correct her as she began pulling the blanket out for me, urging me under. “I’m so sorry, my Lady, I didn’t mean to–”
“You did nothing wrong,” I said absently. “Goodnight.”
She quickly walked to the door. “Goodnight, Petra,” she breathed.
