Dilruba got a letter the next day from the king of Zeraliya. The paper crinkled in her hands as she moved towards the window.
Dilruba,
I would like to apologise for taking you away without your knowledge for I genuinely thought that act would benefit you.
My happiness lies in your happiness and I would just like to convey that the doors of Zeraliya is always for you if you wish leave.
One of the maids named Sienna can help you if you ever want to write to me.
Your loyal friend,
Zaroon
She folded the letter and kept it in a safe place between her clothes. Her maids had already visited her, she was dressed to the nines but nowhere to go. She wondered what would've happened if she had left yesterday.
Shrugging her thoughts she decided to explore the palace. The guests had departed and the palace was empty just like it had before.
The palace was a catacomb. It made her dizzy. She turned around a corridor and found a old woman who looked lost .
"Young lady. Can you help me find my chambers?" Her voice shook.
Dilruba was puzzled. Was she a guest? Who was this woman? "Yes Ofcourse. Just tell me where your chambers are?"
"It's the Eastern Wing."
From what she knew from her maids, the Eastern wing held the royal chambers and even servants were barred entry in those chambers. Even her.
Once she walked with the old woman, it seemed like she was being guided by the old woman rather than her. She saw the dark and looming corridor which lead to the Eastern wing.
"Ah. Thank you, your majesty."
Dilruba frowned. How did she know that she was the queen? An eerie feeling slid down her back. The old woman's eyes had a strange glint. She felt like she knew this woman and that she knew her too.
Beware of the man with beard as blue as a raven's feather, Beware of the door great and looming oak...
The old woman hummed as she turned to walk into the Eastern wing. She felt her chest constrict. She knew the song. It was a song about The Man with Blue Beard, one who killed his wives. Her breath came out in puffs as her eyesighg blurred and she found the ground tilting and darkness closing in around her.
***
When she opened her eyes, she was in her chambers and moonlight streamed in. Dilruba sat up, her vision wavring. She drank water which didn't seem to quench her thirst.
She opened the door as she found emptiness looming all around her. She needed answers so she walked to the Eastern Chambers. She was thd queen now so why wasn't she shifted to the Eastern Wing?
There was something there. The dark corridor loomed and seemed like a giant monster ready to engulf her. Shivers crawled her skin.
Taking a deep breath she grabbed a torch and walked into the corridor. She knew why the corridor was so dark, no servant was allowed in here, no one came here to light the lamps, to clean up, except him.
The darkness twisted and crawled around her. The walls were adorned with the finest paintings and pieces. The pillars were lined with velvet and vases adorned the corners.
She didn't know how many turns she had taken or how deep inside she was or what she was seeking but before her loomed a large oak door.
"Beware of the man with beard as blue as a raven's feather, Beware of the door great and looming oak..."
The old woman's song echoed around her. In the story, Bluebeard's wife had found his secret behind a secret door. In a way, he was similar to the mad king. Temptation niggled her and she pushed the door.
The door creaked and opened very easily. The eerie feeling turned up a notch. Her body screamed to leave. Her ears rang with the silence.
She tiptoed in slowly. A rush of rust rushed through her nostrils and she gagged nausea affecting her. She covered her nose and walked in deeper. Light from her torch poured in her room and she saw it was a study.
The walls were lined with shelves full of books. She ran a find over the spines. She rushed towards the desk and found books written in a strange an foreign language. The drawings were strange and wereof a man. There were lines drawn across his body parts and labelled. The desk had some instruments, they looked like lithe and thin blades. She pocketed one of them.
Lightening cracked across the sky with a loud thunder. She jumped and dropped her torch. The torch flickered on the stone floor. She quickly picked it up.
She heard foot steps and a thump. The thumping of a cane. Her eyes widened and her heart raced. Cursing she ran to a corner and dropped the torch stomping on it and extinguishing it. The room drenched in darkness again. She held her breath as she saw the vizier walking in with a candle in one hand and his staff in other. He rumbled around his desk and pocketed some thing and walked out in a hurry.
Dilruba let out a breath and leaned back on the shelf. Her back didn't touch books. Glass clinked and she turned around to see what was in the shelf. She squinted her eyes. The shelf was lined with glass jars. There was some dark liquid in the jars as it shone the moon light.
She grabbed one of the jars and held it against the moonlight. Her eyes widened as she saw the liquid was too dark for her to see. She shook the jar and she knew it had something which sloshed inside the liquid. A sharp thunder rumbled and the jar slipped from her hands, the glass crashed and Lightening filled the room with light for a split second.
Her eyes downcast she saw the floor pooled with red liquid and a lump her feet. It took her moments to realise what it was. A heart.
She found her legs wobbly and she found herself running away. The stentch of blood chased her. So did the song. Tears rushed to her eyes and her vision blurred.
A hand clamped on her face and around her waist from behind. She struggled but the person was stronger.
Her lungs clenched and dots lined her vision. She tried to scream and struggle with all her might. She bit the hand and the person winced and she screamed.
***
"Dilruba...." Her eyes shot open. She felt disoriented and a cold sweat washed over her. Her hair was matted to her neck and her clothes. She sat up abrubtly, she was in her night rail and it stuck to her body drenched.
"Dilruba? Here. Drink this.." She found a tumbler thrust to her lips. She greedily drank some water. At last she met his eyes and his muddy eyes were full of worry and concern.
"I...I...The Eastern corridor. That..old woman...the vizier...."
The mad king rubbed her back and her shoulders, "Shhh...shh.. it was a dream. It was a dream."
"What? No. No! It was real. I saw..."
"Dilruba....the servants found you a week ago. You had slipped in the bath and hit your head."
She subconsiously rubbed the back of her head. There was a band around her head and she could feel a splitting headache.
"A week ago?"
"You were out for a whole week.You scared me, Dilruba."
"I...am so confused."
She found the bed dipping and found an arm around her shoulder. She found herself leaning on his form. A whole week?
She pushed away from him. He looked exhausted with dark circles on his face and blood shot eyes. "How am I alive. My time is over." She gripped the sheets. "Are you going to kill me now?"
He held her trembling hands. "No. I handled it. You are safe now, Dilruba."
Dilruba pulled her hands away. "Wh-what? How?"
He sighed exhausted. "I could never lose you. I wouldn't. You death would very much make me go mad." He cupped ger cheek his thumb rubbing softly.
"I love you and for that I could never lose you."
She closed her eyes and found him leaninh closer as his lips tugged her. Tears streamed down her face. She kissed him back and pulled him closer.
That night the stars witnessed their fall together as they crashed against the shores in waves of pleasure.
***
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