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Vivia’s face softens. “You should go to her.”
I shake my head vehemently, not sure why I’m so opposed to the idea. I just don’t want to see her right now, not when my brain is a dark cloud of confusion. “Later. She still needs time.”
I can tell that she wants to argue with me, but decides against it. She knows I need time to think and that when I’m ready, I’ll act.
“Tomorrow, we can meet to strengthen the northern wards. I’ll see if Mina will tend to Rose again. I’m sure she won’t mind,” Vivia says and I nod noncommittally. “Tomorrow then.” Vivia touches my shoulder on her way out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I will not go to my wife tonight, but knowing I’ll remain in her head gives me some semblance of peace with my decision. This is the only mercy I can allow her because soon enough, I will pull her in the darkness as my queen.
Chapter 9
Rose
My dear husband is avoiding me. If I wasn’t so pissed, I might be impressed with his ability to make himself scarce. I haven’t seen him since the first night, after our pathetic marriage ceremony. I have a feeling he is trying to give me space—or had heard me crying that night and wants nothing to do with me.
It would be easy enough to wake up in a bad mood, but I refuse because today I’m working in the garden. A sense of tranquility settles inside me just at the thought. It’s mindless work, but rewarding. I like being able to see that my work has a beautiful outcome.
When Mina comes to the door this time, I’m ready for her. Dressed in a deep purple dress that’s lightweight and easy to move in, with my hair braided back out of my face, I answer the door when she knocks.
“Oh, well, good morning.” She laughs as I all but run into her. “I take it you are excited to work in the garden today?”
“You don’t even know,” I smile, taking a look down the hall.
Mina understands what I’m looking for instantly because she says, “Malix and Vivia went to strengthen our north border today.”
I try to hide my disappointment, but I guess I do a piss-poor job at it, judging by the sympathy on Mina’s face. “It doesn’t matter,” I finally say. “He can do what he wants. Let’s go.”
Mina snakes her arm through mine and I like that it feels so natural. I know I just met her, but I already like being around Mina. She’s sweet and has a wealth of knowledge. She’s just as curious about my life as I am about hers.
My feet still ache from yesterday’s tour when we make it to the rose garden, but since this is the one place I was most interested in, I ignore the throbbing pain. “It’s so beautiful out here,” I whisper to no one in particular, hands running over rose petals that appear to wilt under my touch and fall to the ground.
“I mean, I suppose it could be beautiful.” Mina scrunches up her nose as she takes in the scene.
Sure, it looks like a flower graveyard now, but I can picture it in its prime. The garden has the potential of returning to that state again and I want to be the one to restore the garden back to its former beauty.
One look at the ground tells me the soil is in good condition, but it’s dry. “Is there a watering can somewhere?” I ask Mina.
“Oh, yes, one second.” She scurries away to a vine-covered outhouse. In her hands are two medium-size cans. “The well is behind you.”
I thank her for the can and fill it with water. A hose would be so much more convenient, but there is none to be found and I doubt this place has one.
I start with the small section by the courtyard’s entrance. Mina follows wordlessly behind me, following my lead as I start to water the dehydrated bushes. We work in silence for a while, moving from bush to bush, and filling up our cans when the water runs out.
“Is gardening a hobby for you?” Mina asks after we make it halfway through the courtyard.
I smile at her, nodding. “It was. Back home, I had a greenhouse.” Judging by the confused look on her face, I can tell she is picturing an actual house that was green. “It’s something we use to grow and nurture plants inside of. It helps stabilize the growing environment. I grew flowers of course, but I also liked growing my own vegetables.” A habit I picked up in the wake of my parents death to cope.
“Ah, I see. The human world seems interesting.”
“Some of it, yes. Some things aren’t as great or wonderful though.”
We fall into another silence after that, but all the while I feel Mina’s burning question she is unsure if she should ask. She makes up her mind by the time we walk back to the well to fill our cans though. “Is that why you left? Because of the less-than-great and wonderful things?”
“I…” A heaviness settles over my chest, the same one that always appears when I think about the past year of my life. The choices that led me to this very minute. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
“Was it bad?” The inquisitive nature I learn she has gets the best of her. “Oh goddess, that was so rude of me. You don’t have to?—”
“No, it’s okay,” I say, surprising us both. “I’ve just never talked about it before. Actually, no one has ever asked me about it. Back in Grym Hollow, people tend to avoid difficult subjects so they don’t disturb the peaceful nature of the town.”
