The Silver Rose

08 | Whispers

To her left was an attached door which probably led to the bathing chambers.

She looked down at her white nightgown, it's sleeve cut short to her elbow. A bandage was wrapped around her entire forearm, stained with a patch of mild pink and yellow. Only the Goddess knew how many injuries she'd gotten that blurry, cursed night.

The way her arm had burned, the green glint on the blade. . . she averted her gaze to the velvet comforter, burying her fingers in it as she took a deep breath to calm her heart.

If it hadn't been for Jovan, she wouldn't be here. But, where was here?

She looked around. The silent room stared back at her. She need to find him and thank him. How, she didn't know, but she needed to find him. He'll tell her where she was, he'll tell her everything. Hopefully.

Rosaline gritted her teeth and threw off her comforter. Her legs were fine. Resolve and determination clouded her mind.

She had almost died twice, had been threatened to being reduced to a slave and was now going to work for a foreign king in a realm she'd only read about. She was done waiting for answers.

Slowly pushing down her legs off the edge of the bed, and wincing as she did, she tried to find ground with her wobbly legs as she stood up.

The floor swayed, black blotches appearing in the field of her vision and Rosaline fell back on the bed, gasping as pain shot through her entire body.

"Ugh," she grunted, holding her head in her shivering hands, eyes scrunched shut. The left side of her face ached.

Whispers flooded her ears. Indistinct voices overlapping one another.

'Break the seal.'

'The Mark.'

     'The Mark.'

'Break it.'

'He knows. He knows.'

A whimper left her lips, her entire body trembling as she buried her face in her shivering hands. The skin between her shoulder blades began burning, making her hiss.

Somewhere a door opened and voice called for her.

But the whispers clouded her ears.

'Break the seal.'

'He knows.'

"Rosaline." Gentle hands came around her trembling shoulders, breaking the spell of whispers, making her sob in pain. "Rosaline, calm down."

Tears ran down her cheeks, agony subsiding and dissipating into a dull throbbing.

"You're safe here," the voice cooed.

Her eyes flew open and she whipped her head to the side, instinctively pushing the person away.

Pain-filled green met hers, fear lacing them. Heldi raised her palms in surrender. "It is me. Heldi. We met in Aaenna. I am your friend." She moved away from the bed. "I mean no harm."

Rosaline groaned, nodding, massaging her aching temples with the tips of her fingers, eyes closed. "I know who you are, Heldi. Why are you acting like a stranger?" Her voice came out breathless.

Heldi's brows relaxed and a sigh rippled out of her. "Thank the Lord you remember me," she mumbled. Then she rushed to the door. "Send in the nurse, quickly please."

Rosaline shifted to face the door. "Why are you relieved that I remember? What happened? Where am I?"

Heldi walked closer to her friend, sitting at the edge of the bed and resting her too stiff shoulders against the post. "I know you have questions, and I'll answer every single one of them, but you need to tell me how you're feeling right now."