AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her frustration grew and grew as she left the tower and returned to the keep. Every step up the stairs carried the weight of her anger—an anger that hadn’t diminished with her day’s work.
All the better, she told herself.It will carry me through tomorrow and keep me from thinking about…
She cursed under her breath as Teryn entered her thoughts for the first time since she’d begun her day’s work. Her mind had been too occupied to stray to him while she’d been reading and clearing, but now she remembered how his face had looked that morning. The smile that didn’t reach his eyes when he’d told her she was right to ask for space. The distance he’d kept as they spoke. The rigidity of his spine as he’d stood with his hands behind his back, as if forcing himself not to touch her.
Or had he not wanted to touch her?
She shook her head, preferring her previous irritation to what she felt now, teetering on the edge of grief. She reached the main floor of the keep and saw the lamps had been lit in the hall.
Fire, she thought as she passed by the first, willing the element to grow within her, to spark the rage that served as a comforting barrier around her heart.
Fire, she thought again, striding past the next several sconces. She imagined the light dancing up her skin, settling over her core, and fueling her strength of will—
A startled squeak interrupted her focus, and she found Sera at the end of the hall, face pale as her eyes locked on Cora’s. She lowered her eyes to the floor and dipped into a curtsy. Her voice came out with a mild tremor. “Highness.”
A sense of guilt washed over Cora, but it wasn’t her own. She’d left her mental shields as they’d been in the tower, strengthened only for protection, not sensing. Breathing deeply, she fully sealed them, but not before gaining a full understanding of Sera’s state of remorse.
“I’m sorry I haven’t attended to you today, Your Highness,” Sera muttered, eyes still locked on the floor. She began to fiddle with the ends of her brown hair.
“It’s fine,” Cora said curtly as she reached the girl. “I had no need of your aid.”
A rush of air left Sera’s lips as she finally lifted her face. “That’s a relief, Your Highness, for I couldn’t have been spared to aid you even if I’d wanted to come. Queen Mareleau has been dreadfully ill all day, you see. She can hardly keep anything down.”
Cora began to brush past the girl. “Do what you must. I’m sure the royal physician will take care of her.” She paused. Did they even have a royal physician on staff yet? Surely such an appointment would have been a priority…
Sera lowered her voice to a whisper. “She refuses to allow any of us to fetch him or tell anyone about her condition. I’m only telling you because you’re my current mistress, and I didn’t want you to think—”
Cora rounded on the girl. “Her Majesty is ill and she refuses to be seen by the physician?”
Sera gave a frantic nod. “She insists she can cry and throw up well enough on her own.”
Finally, Cora found an appropriate target for her anger. What was Mareleau thinking refusing help while ill? Wasn’t she with child?
A dreadful thought occurred to her. What if she was having complications with her…her pregnancy? And didn’t want to tell anyone? Cora’s heart softened the slightest bit.
“Take me to her.”
Sera blinked at her a few times. “To…Her Majesty?”
“Yes.” Cora wasn’t even sure why she insisted. Whatever Mareleau was going through was none of her business. But with the dreadful pressures of queens and royal women so fresh in her mind, she couldn’t stand idly by if the woman was suffering.
Sera led her down the halls toward a familiar wing of the keep. Cora shuddered as they neared the late Queen Linette’s former chambers.
Master Arther put her here?
It made sense considering both Cora and Dimetreus had refused to claim the room, and it was one of the largest in the keep. Of course the steward would appoint it to the visiting queen.
Sera opened the door and ushered Cora inside before quickly closing them in. Cora nearly gagged as the scent of vomit reached her nostrils. The windows were open, allowing a gentle evening breeze inside the room, but nothing could hide the smell of sick.
Cora took in the state of the room, saw ewers of water, soiled rags, and clothing haphazardly strewn about. There was no sign of blood, but that didn’t mean the worst hadn’t happened. Mareleau lay upon her bed, the back of her forearm covering her eyes. Her hair was slightly damp around her forehead and her cheeks were pale. Her two other ladies, Breah and Ann, fluttered about next to her, trying to coax her into taking a bite of bread.
“I don’t want any more bread,” Mareleau said with a grumbling moan. “Just leave me alone and stop fussing.”
Sera led Cora to Mareleau’s side. Cora addressed the queen’s ladies. “What are her symptoms?”
With an affronted gasp, Mareleau threw back her arm, revealing her blue irises, the whites of her eyes bloodshot. “You can ask me myself. I’m not dead, you know.”
“Fine,” Cora said through her teeth. “What’s wrong with you?”
