Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Daniel and I walked through the gardens for another half hour before eventually wandering inside towards a parlour. I found myself smiling and laughing as we talked, which surprised me. I didn't think that it would be possible after such a miserable morning, but I was grateful that Daniel was able to lift my spirits.

"Tell me about your family," I said, taking a sip of my tea. I found that they had many different types, all of which were delicious. The one in my hands was made from strawberries, mint and some other herb I couldn't identify.

"My father is a well-known noble of this kingdom – it was him who insisted that His Majesty accept your father's request to meet. Everyone was hesitant to after the . . . strained relationships." I was curious to know what the strains were about, but he didn't seem interested in talking about it further. "I have a brother who works as a guard here, but he is often forgotten."

I frowned at that – who could forget someone related to a well-known noble? "Why is that?"

He seemed almost hesitant to answer. "He is – ah – bastard-born, you see," he said, cringing at my red cheeks. He talked about such things so casually that it was surprising. If such a scandal had occurred to nobles in Eshon, they would refuse to show their faces. "I apologise – I understand that things are different between the kingdoms."

"It's alright," I smiled, though I mentally told myself not to ask about such things again. It seemed relationships were messy in Kallis. Although, some small part of me was curious. "Jasmine said the two of you are good friends."

He smiled at that, showing his white teeth. "Ah, yes. Jasmine is quite the woman." I had no idea what he meant by that, but I smiled. "Poor thing has been looking for a husband, but no one has stepped up yet." I inwardly cringed, biting my tongue to stop myself from speaking up. He had been touching her so casually the night at the ball, that it wasn't at all surprising to me. My first thought had been that they were courting or married – wouldn't suitors think the same? Kallis was confusing me.

Daniel seemed to want to steer the conversation away from himself as he asked, "How are you enjoying Kallis so far?"

"It has been wonderful," I smiled, grateful for the topic shift. "There are some beautiful places here – just yesterday, Drake took me to the pond." My heart ached at the thought, but I kept the smile on my face.

Daniel's eyes seemed to light up. "What did you wish for?" My cheeks went red and he chuckled, thankfully brushing his question aside. "It's perfectly understandable that you don't want to share. To have anything your heart desires . . . some secrets need to be kept." I nodded in agreement, more to stop him from asking further than anything.

"Drake mentioned that it snows here," I said. "What's it like?"

His eyes were wide. "Snow? Oh, it's wonderful. It is so cold that it burns, but the kingdom looks absolutely magical. There are white rabbits that like to hop around early in the morning, and sometimes there are white foxes. And on the warmer days of winter, there may be some flowers poking through the bed of snow. It's beautiful." And exactly how I imagined it. I couldn't wait until the ball – especially since Drake said it would be the first snow of the year.

We were talking for a few hours, before we eventually decided to go our separate ways – Daniel had work to do, and I didn't want to keep him from it. With a kiss to my knuckles, he was gone, leaving me to find something else to fill my day.

I decided to return to my room and read, as it was too late to travel anywhere. So, feeling in a better mood than before, I began to make my way to my room, a bright smile on my face. A smile that faltered as a blinding wave of dizziness hit me.

I almost gasped, stumbling and leaning against the wall for support. The room around me spun with such violence that I had to close my eyes. My head pounded and my breathing was made up of shuddering gulps. Why did it happen so suddenly?

"Your Highness!" someone called. I opened my eyes to see a guard running up to me and helping me stand. I thanked him as he led me to my room, and I had to lean on him heavily so my legs didn't give out beneath me. "I must bring you a healer."

"No – I'm fine," I replied, though my wavering voice wasn't very convincing. We had reached my room and I gripped the doorknob with trembling fingers for support. "I just get dizzy spouts sometimes. There's nothing a healer can do." He seemed he hesitate, perhaps not wanting to be punished if I wasn't alright. "A healer would likely alert Drake, which would interrupt his duties. I would hate to do that when there's nothing wrong."

My ears were ringing and I could barely hear his reply. "Let one of us know if you need anything." With a bow, he walked away, leaving me to stumble into my room.

I tore at the strings of my corset, loosening it to help me breath. Deeper breathing seemed to help my head clear, though the room still spun. Beside me was a pitcher of water, and with trembling hands, I filled a glass and gulped it down, spilling most of it in the process. But my head was beginning to clear. The room's spinning slowed and the ringing had somewhat subsided.

I knew nothing would make me feel better other than sleep. So, stripping down to my undergarments, I climbed into bed and closed my eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. Everything hurt, and so I was grateful when the inky darkness tugged me to sleep.