Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Forty-Three

Even before I opened my eyes, I knew I was long way from feeling better. My throat stung and trying to move only resulted in a throbbing headache. Even trying to move my fingers sent waves of an aching pain up my arms, and I fought the urge to whimper.

I couldn't understand why I felt so ill all of a sudden – I had been perfectly fine when I was in Kallis, once I had recovered from the illness. But almost immediately after returning to Eshon, it was like my body was failing me.

I let out a groan as I curled into a ball and closed my eyes. I didn't want to get up. All I wanted to do was sleep to avoid the pain. But sleeping would lead to nightmares, and I was not ready to relive what had happened the night before.

Just as I was drifting to sleep, the door to my room swung open, the sound making me flinch. Somewhat annoyed that my headache had returned, I turned to the source and found Diane, carrying a cup of tea. I perked up almost immediately, though still narrowed my eyes as she approached. I wanted to make it clear that I did not forgive her for anything she had done . . . even if she was taking care of me.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked, perching on the side of the bed and passing me the tea. It was the same blend as the day before, and it smelled divine.

"Horrible," I mumbled, wincing as the tea burned my raw throat. It was not a pleasant feeling, but it removed the sour taste from my mouth, which I had been too exhausted to wash away after I had been ill.

Pressing a hand to my forehead, Diane frowned. "Your fever is getting worse. Perhaps I will call a healer to check on you. She can check you both physically and magically, to help identify any spells."

I ignored the subtle jab about Drake manipulating me, and asked, "Where is Mother?"

Her sudden silence was unnerving. Glancing up, I saw her watching me with dark eyes. Analysing. I fought the urge to shudder as she finally replied, "I am your mother."

"I'm too tired to deal with you," I snapped, fighting the urge to grit my teeth. "You know who I'm talking about. The woman who raised me?"

Utterly ignoring my question, Diane rose and kissed me on the forehead. "I shall grab a healer. Rest and perhaps you'll feel better."

I let out a hiss of annoyance as she left the room, and even though I wanted to follow and interrogate her, I knew my body wasn't up for it. Even just sitting up for a few minutes had my head swimming, so I was quick to finish my tea and lie down once more.

Sleep did not come easily, and I spent the next few hours drifting in and out of consciousness. Every part of me had become unbearably hot, and I found myself kicking off the blankets in an attempt to cool down. It did little to help, and I was left in a hot, sticky mess, barely conscious enough to think logically.

I lifted my hand to brush my hair off of my damp forehead, but as my hand touched the skin, a yelp escaped me. It was hot enough to hurt, and I found myself a little more awake than before, even if I still felt lightheaded.

At that moment, I realised the stone floor would be cooler. I almost grinned at the brilliant idea, and eagerly scrambled out of the bed. A mistake. As soon as I stood on my feet, the world around me went black. My body lurched forward, and with a thud, I hit the floor.

The stone, cool and heavenly, was pressed against me and I almost whimpered in the relief it gave me. The heat left my body and the ache in my head began to fade.

I didn't realise my mistake.

Clawed hands suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pinned me to the ground. I let out a sob as I saw what held me down – the creature of ice I had dreamed about. Its blank face opened to reveal a set of jagged teeth, mere inches from my throat.

The temperature was plummeting, and I felt myself fall with it. I stared at where the creature's eyes should be, knowing it was watching; judging. My breathing became uneven, leaving me in jagged sobs. I felt numb.

My vision became dark, but I still felt its claws. My body began to tremble and shake, and as I felt my head hitting the stone floor again and again, a scream built up in my throat. I couldn't tell if I was in such pain because of the cold or because I was having a seizure; all I knew was that it hurt.

Just as I felt my skin split and blood gushing from the back of my head, strong arms were lifting me off the cold floor. My heart soared in those moments – Drake. He had come for me. He would bring me home.

But as I heard a woman yelling instructions and a needle pricking my arm, I knew it wasn't true.

As darkness consumed me, I was alone once more.

***

"Poison?" someone hissed. It was Diane, I realised after a moment. I almost winced at how loud her voice sounded. My head throbbed and I still felt ill, but the worst of it has left me. And even though I knew I could sit up and be perfectly fine, a part of me forced myself to keep my eyes closed. I feared they would leave the room if they knew I was awake. "How is this possible? Everything she has had since returning has been checked."

"I'm afraid so, Lady Diane," another woman replied. I assumed it was a healer, though I couldn't be sure. "What she is experiencing is the effects of a poison found in the lillias flower. With her symptoms, I can only assume she has been consuming large doses."

Silence for a few moments. "That flower grows near the border of the kingdoms."

"Indeed." The silence was almost unnerving. "Perhaps . . . Allow me to make a suggestion, my lady. Are you familiar with the concept of mithridatism? It is when immunity to poisons is built, if a person takes small, non-lethal doses."

"How would that apply here?" Diane asked. Her voice was barely a whisper, and it was a struggle to hear her.

"If immunity is built up to the poison found in the lillias flower, and then the user stops taking the poison, the effects are very similar to being poisoned. The body takes time to adjust, you see. It becomes . . . dependant on the poison. And so, when you stop ingesting it, your body fights back."

The mattress dipped beside me, and I felt a hand stroke my hair. I almost held my breath, afraid to make any movements. "You are saying my daughter was participating in this mithridatism? Where would she even find the poison – the flower needs to be treated before it can even produce it."

"Perhaps she didn't know," the healer murmured. Her voice became louder and faster, as if she suddenly came to a conclusion. "What if the foreign king was poisoning her slowly? As long as she was with him, she could've been exposed to the poison. With such a large immunity, it makes sense for her body to react in this way."

"Coupled with any manipulation spells that are now wearing off," Diane added. The healer voiced her agreement. "Tell His Majesty at once. We must take action against the foreign king. He has kidnapped, manipulated and poisoned my daughter. Such a thing is an act of war."

The door slammed behind the healer as she ran out of the room, eager to report to my father. My mind whirred with thoughts as I tried to make sense of it all – I was certain Drake had not poisoned me. It was such a ridiculous idea that I could've laughed – had Diane not left my side.

"My poor, poor dear," Diane murmured. She took my hand, gently tracing the back of it as if she were lost in thought. "Don't worry, we shall take care of the king for you. Soon enough, he and his kingdom shall be nothing more than ashes."

Every breath I took was slow and calculated. I wouldn't admit that I was awake. So I lay there, forcing myself to remain calm as she watched and waited.

As soon as she left the room, I couldn't stop the flowing tears.