The Consort

Chapter 31: Mistress

My jaw drops to the floor as I push open the door and take in the extravagance of the room. Instead of the dark decor that I've grown accustomed to, this space is filled with bright paints and fabrics, each with a unique pattern or texture. Even the wooden parts of the furniture have been painted a bright blue, a stark contrast from the white flowers and vases that sit all around.

I hesitantly make my way inside, the guards bustling in behind me and closing the door with a loud slam. A tiny spark of jealousy fills me as I take it all in, wishing that I could decorate my room with such objects.

"Do you like?" A voice speaks up, and I turn to see a woman sitting in the corner watching me with a tense smile.

"Yes, very much so. It's beautiful!" I exclaim, not wanting her to sense my jealousy and think me unfriendly.

She's sitting in a large recliner hidden partially behind an overgrown, bushy plant but stands to greet me as I approach. I'm shocked to see that she is wearing just as many jewels as the King, if not more, but try not to let my bewilderment show. She must truly be in his favor to live in such luxury.

"My name is Adeline." I greet her, unsure what to say. "I'm excited to meet you."

A small laugh falls from her mouth at my words, her eyes flickering quickly between Heloix's guards standing along the far wall and me.

"I'm Josephine, but you can call me Jo. I'm glad that your King allowed you to come to visit me." She says, glancing down at the plate of food I still hold tightly between my hands. "And that he keeps you fed."

My face heats up as she says this, having forgotten that I was holding the plate in the first place. Scanning the room, I spot a small table just to my right and set it down with a loud clink, the fork teetering on the edge before, thankfully, settling on the glass.

"Would you like to come sit down? I'm working on a puzzle I'd love some help with." Jo says, gesturing to the small table that sits in front of her recliner.

I make my way over to her with an excited nod, not wanting her to sense my nerves about this puzzle she speaks of. King Richard's mate was a big fan of them, always cheering when she slotted a small piece into place. After her death King Richard put them all away, hiding each and every one in drawers, never to be brought out again.

The pieces are covered in vibrant colors like the rest of the room, and under further inspection I realize that they make up large flowers. There's a small seat next to the puzzle table, and I tentatively sit down on it while Jo flops herself back down in her recliner, the oversized chair swallowing her up.

"I've never done a puzzle before." I admit, shyly glancing up at her face. She's already in deep concentration as she stares at the pieces, and hums quietly at my words.

Her eyes continue to scan over the pieces as she brings her fingers up to pinch her bottom lip softly. "It's pretty intuitive. You'll get the hang of it in no time."

Nodding in agreement, I focus on the pieces and try to find a pattern between the colors. There are so many it's impossible to match them, and the first couple of minutes are spent staring at them lost while Jo makes good progress.

She has the entire border finished already and appears to be working on individual flowers at a time. I try to emulate her strategy, but after a while realize that this just isn't going to work for me. Changing gears, I instead start organizing the loose pieces by color, putting them in small piles.

Jo seems to appreciate the work as she begins sifting through my piles and pulling out pieces, cheering quietly to herself as she slots them into place.