AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fishing the silver fork from beside the plate, I stuck the pronged end into the side of a plump, boiled egg. I brought it to my mouth and chomped part of it off.
“Oh, goodness. No, my lady, that is most improper,” Brunhilde protested in dismay. “We do not eat boiled eggs like that. Here, let me teach you how it is properly done.” Gently, she took the fork from me.
I chewed, watching as she cut the egg into tiny, bite-sized slivers—small enough that not even a toddler would choke on it. I gaped at the tiny pieces—I’d starve before I finished eating the egg.
“We take small, little bites. One at a time,” she instructed slowly, searching my expression to see if it was sinking in—it wasn’t. “And we keep our mouths closed when we chew.” Foremphasis, she clamped her mouth shut and pretended to chew—visually showing me how it was done—like a mother showing a baby how to eat.
I grumbled, closed mine, and did as I was told.
She teetered her head from side to side. “Well, it’s a start.” Sighing to herself, she turned and walked over to a bucket, full of various soaps and oils and scrubbers. When her back was turned, I shoveled the egg into my mouth and turned my face towards the fire so she couldn’t see my stockpiled, chipmunk cheeks.
I heard Cataline giggle under her breath, and I couldn’t help but smile at that—she probably thought I was some deranged, diseased, Cursed beast—the irony that I was actually a goddess followed by her king’s chosen religion made it all the more satisfying.
I hadn’t really thought about the whole goddess-y thing, to be honest, at least, not until now. But I was a goddess—apparently. Did I feel like one?Not really.
I felt like plain old Sage.
Apart from getting a droplet of my memories back from a sea of forgotten ones, there was nothing else that really seemed to change. Despite being classified as a New God, I still bled red—that was something I could be certain of after last night’s debacle with the prince. I hadn’t noticed any physical shifts within me in terms of power or healing abilities—then again, the iron collar could have something to do with that.
For the most part, I still felt mortal, even if I wasn’t.
Being mortal felt more real than being the reincarnation of Lady Light, the Goddess of Life.
Goddess of Life? I rolled my eyes. Clearly the universe was not paying attention—I couldn’t even keep a plant alive for more than a week without it shriveling up and dying on me. Even Ezra didn’t bother to ask me to look after her plants, knowing it wouldbe their demise. Especially not after I overwatered her garden when I was ten and killed two-thirds of the plants, something I had never heard the end of.
In a way, it felt like some sort of cosmic joke—one I wasn’t privy to.
Then again, what in my life didn’t feel like a joke lately? As I reached over the edge of the tub and snagged a slice of buttered bread, I considered the fact that I was taking a bath in my enemy’s castle, feasting, while the most powerful god in the existence of all gods was stuck like some fairytale princess in an eternal slumber. And unlike the stories I read as a child, no, my kiss would not wake him up. In fact, it would probably be the final nail in his immortal coffin.
I sighed, crammed the rest of the bread into my mouth, and sank lower into the water—the steam no longer rolling off the surface like it had done before.
After I was scrubbed by Brunhilde—vigorously, meticulously, every nook and every cranny—and my fair skin was turned the same color as the banners hanging in the halls, Brunhilde yanked me from the embrace of the cooling waters. Her strength surprised me. I eyed her suspiciously as she dried me off with a towel—was she a goddess too? Something in me saidno, you are just being paranoid,and I decided that was probably true. Still, I made a mental note to visit the castle’s library and find some books on the gods and goddesses and start learning who was who—a topic I had blissfully ignored for the sum of my life. The divine were a topic Adelina had been passionate about . . . I should have paid more attention when she spoke of them. I regretted that I didn’t. When it came to Adelina . . . there were a lot of things I regretted not doing.
A cacophony of bells sounded, chattering in different, striking tones and Brunhilde let out a flustered groan. “Oh, dear me, I let her sit in the water too long,” she decreed to herself, asif I was a poached bird. Her little legs quickened in pace as she dragged me over to the bed, my hand knitting the ends of the towel together, keeping it tightly wound to my body.
“Hurry, my lady, pick one.” She gestured to the three dresses draped over top of the bed, accompanied by their own sets of gloves. All three of the dresses were beautiful and elegant and so expensive looking it made me sick. People were starving in the streets, while the wealthy flounced around in clothing such as this. “So we can get you on your way,” she finished.
“On my way?” I asked, looking them over, wondering when the dresses and Naevia, who was standing in the corner beside Cataline, head tucked down, had gotten back.
“Well, yes, to morning praise, of course!” Brunhilde exclaimed.
I shook my head, still not grasping why I was expected to attend a morning devotional to the New Gods. “Since I have been here, I have never attended morning praise. Why now?”
“Girls, come here and help me with this,” she barked at my ladies-in-waiting, their hurried footsteps answering in quick reply. She didn’t wait for me to pick out a dress, instead plucking the golden one, handing it to Cataline, and then shucking off my towel with a swipe of her hand. Preparing the first layer of skirts, she looked at me briefly and said, “Because His Royal Highness wishes it so. Now, arms up and be quick about it.”
Sage
There were two guards posted outside the door that led into the hallway. Because of their helmets, I couldn’t see their faces, but I could tell right away that neither of them were Grouchy. The first one was a hulking beast, much too big to be him, and the second one was so small, I was certain Lyra could take him in a fistfight.
I wondered if they were as sour as Grouchy. I decided to dip a proverbial toe and test the infamous waters. Conjuring the actress from the bathhouse, I said in a sultry tone, “Top of the morning to you, boys.”
The big one moved slightly, but that was it for a response.
I was beginning to wonder if theassholepersona was a requirement for them to be hired on as guards. I clamped my squirming tongue between my teeth, all too tempted to ask themif they could taste wood, because that’s how far the stick had been shoved up their—
“Come now, my lady, you are already late.” Brunhilde shooed me out of the doorway I was standing in, cutting the thought off before I could verbalize it.
Saved by the lady’s maid,I thought before we started on our way.
