A Blade from the Wastes - Throne of Glass

Threat

When Aelia woke that next morning, she was slightly confused as to why her body ached. She didn't understand until she shifted. She was naked. And alone. Dorian must have sneaked out earlier. Aelia turned and saw a folded note on her bedside table next to her tin of salve. She shifted and took the note into her hand. She recognized the scratchy handwriting.

I had a meeting with my father. Don't move too quickly. We had a rather...adventurous night. Lorelei made you a tonic for the aches. I'll see you at lunch. Love you.

Aelia furrowed at the note. She remembered Dorian leading her up to the bedroom and even the start of the night. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember anything after she took...She looked further over her bedside table and saw remnants of white powder. She let out a breath. She took a stimulant. Heightens the body's senses and makes you unaware of pain for the duration of the drug's half-life, but at the cost of possibly forgetting it all the moment you awoke.

Aelia crashed back down onto the bed. She didn't realize she was that deprived of Dorian's excellence in bed. She groaned. She was going to hate herself until tomorrow. If she were human, the drug wouldn't have hit her as hard, but seeing as she was beyond that mercy, she had the displeasure of the drug's lasting effects. She shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Rutting bastard." She cursed Dorian.

She was likely at fault for taking the drug, but she still blamed Dorian for not stopping her from taking it. Just as she was starting to bloom her inevitable headache, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Aelia turned her head as Lorelei slowly entered with a dress in hand.

The handmaid gave a knowing smile. "Looking rested, Your Highness."

Aelia groaned as she pushed herself to sit with the sheets around her body. "What time is it."

Lorelei fully walked into the room. "Nearly lunch. His Highness told me to relay a message saying that Chaol and Celaena will be joining for lunch."

Aelia furrowed her brows. "Celaena? Not Lillian?"

Lorelei held up Aelia's underthings, coaxing her to dress. "Nothing stays hidden from me. Would you rather I stay in the dark about these things?"

Aelia slowly started to dress, just now noticing how badly her body ached. She'd curse Dorian later. "You already know everything. Might as well keep you informed."

Lorelei held up a sea green dress with a tulle skirt and thin straps. Aelia slipped into it and sat on the edge of the bed as Lorelei went to get her shoes.

In the moment alone, Aelia looked down at the cuts on her arms. It seemed she or Dorian had applied the salve because all that was visible were thin blue lines that would soon turn pink then fade all together. Lorelei returned with matching slippers and shawl. The sea green shawl wasn't more than thin silk that matched her bodice, but it covered the blue of her wounds. Aelia wrapped it around her as she followed Lorelei out of her chambers and down the spiral steps into the hallway.

She half expected Chaol to meet her, but it was Lorelei who guided her down the hall. Aelia had to master her body enough not to cringe at each step. After they round the corner, Aelia leaned over to Lorelei, "Never again will you allow us to have that drug."

Lorelei pulled a small vile out of her dress pocket and handed it to the princess. "Put this in your drink. Should mask the taste."

The vile had a pink liquid in it and Aelia palmed it as the handmaid continued.

"Forgive me if I searched your rooms from now on."

Aelia had to smirk at that. "You think you know all of my hiding places?"