Catheline's POV:
Tonight, I was going to prove myself. Well, at the least, I was going to prove myself to myself.
"Karra?"
The sky was nearly dark and the stars were gleaming brightly. There was no sign of dark rainy clouds, which was a good sign to me.
"Yes, your Grace?" She asked.
I was near the window, stroking the owl I received this morning. He was named Leonard and he was quite an adorable creature. Although I miss Mimy, there was nothing I could do. She was in a better place now.
"Karra, I wish to sleep early and I do not want anyone to disturb me," I told her sternly.
Although confused, she nodded and left the room. I sighed and patted Leonard gently. I slowly approached my table and took the small sheet of paper.
"Dear Father, it is very joyful to be able to talk to you again. I have missed you dearly and have some very special news. I think I and m husband have resolved our issues and for now, he seemed to look after me. Your daughter is fine, please take care of your health,"
I rolled it up and approached Leonard. It was hooting in a low voice and I smiled.
"Leonard, please take this to Peliasse," I told him as I lifted its leg and gently tied the letter.
After it was done, I carefully placed him in my hands and moved them out the window. After a gentle push, he hooted and flew away into the sky. I wondered if it would reach my father. If it did not, I hoped Leonard would come back safely. With a sigh, I looked at the secret compartment.
It was time to be her again.
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I wore my warrior attire and roamed the castle in stealth. It was past midnight. The hallways were silent and ghostly as I paid attention to every detail. I walked through the hallways and there was no human in sight yet. I did manage to pass a few guards but luckily, they did not notice me. That was something that both scared and relieved me.
What should I do?
I could not just roam the castle pointlessly. There must be some clue.
I wandered the servant's chambers and expected nothing strange. As I was about to take a turn into another hallway, I found someone. I paused and stared at a hooded figure walking through the hallway without noticing me. It was someone from the maid's chambers.
Who was that?
I took a deep breath and started to follow that individual.
As the hooded figure walked to a darker part of the castle, I started to wonder how big this place was. There were even lesser guards stationed in this region. As that person reached the end, I hid behind a pillar. A few seconds later, there was a voice.
"No one suspects me." A woman's voice said.
"Good. What news have you collected?" Some unknown voice was heard. It was a man.
"The King has not taken any actions yet. But he has started to suspect Lord Esther. He should be more careful. The King and the Queen seemed to have bonded," The woman reported.
My mind was filled with many thoughts. So, I was right. There were spies right under our noses and no one noticed. The woman's voice has been embedded in my mind and I could recognize her if she ever makes an appearance in front of me.
"Good. What about the others?"
"I told you, no one has suspected me,"
I needed to find out more about this secret conspiracy. Who was this mysterious man? Was he the one who was helping the spies to stay hidden? I could not recognize the voice as someone familiar.
"King Xander has to be vulnerable for us to succeed," the man's voice said darkly. "Let him to a slave to his emotions. Next time, we can use the Queen if we have to,"
"Understood..."
There were sounds of steps and I hide more carefully. After the woman walked away, I was frozen in my spot for a few minutes. How evil could people be? And what was this plan that they were hatching?
My head was swirling in thoughts and my rage was threatening to ooze out. I wanted to hold the girl and question her, but my body stopped me and did not obey the commands I made.
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I was back at my chambers and was wearing my nightgown. I was still distracted by what happened. I wanted to shut away those thoughts or at least devise a proper strategy to counter what was about to come next. As I was about to turn off the bed lamp, I felt something strange. It was a sharp pain in my abdomen.
I sighed and ate some muffins that Karra sneaked for me earlier. I felt that there was something strange going on with me. My head was not clear. Brushing them off, I fell asleep after I finished my midnight snack.
I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Princess Catheline, The King wishes to see you," a guard said.
I turned around and nodded. As Mimy sat on my shoulder, I walked towards my father's study. Father just gave me an assignment just a few days ago. It was to make my presence known and catch him off guard. So far, I was futile in my attempts as he always noticed my presence.
"What do you think Father would say, Mimy?" I asked my dear bird.
It simply chirped in reply, making me giggle. I arrived at my destination and knocked on the door twice.
An excited 'come in' came from inside. I entered the room to see that my father was hiding something in his hands, which were kept behind him.
"What is it, father?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes.
"Cathy, I have a surprise for you," he said with a wide smile.
I walked closer in confusion. He slowly revealed that he was holding. To my surprise indeed, it was a shiny blue sword and looked as if it was made a few days ago. It had small and beautiful sapphires encrusted to its handle. I gasped and stared at the beauty. It was so shiny and sparkling and I was mesmerized watching it.
"Do you like it, daughter?" He asked me.
"Yes! It is very beautiful and well-designed, father, " I said while still staring at the sword.
"Good that you like it. Because from now on, it belongs to you," I heard my father say.
I was shocked and looked at him. He was serious about it. I never had any sword of my own. I did have a few wooden ones but this was a different thing. To receive such a present from my father was being accepted by him as a person who deserved a sword.
"Really?" I asked him, still stunned.
"I think you are ready," he spoke cheerily. "Take it, sweetheart," he offered the sword.
I smiled happily and gently took it from him. It felt so light and very easy to hold.
It was my first sword.
"Here is the scabbard," my father told me as he offered the item. It was in a deep shade of blue making me squeal in happiness.
I took it and put the sword in the scabbard. It felt so good. The sound of it was music to my ears and I was afraid that I fell in love with it.
"What do you wish to name it?" My father asked me.
I closed my eyes and thought about it. This was a unique weapon and also my first sword. Suddenly, I remembered something. A few years ago I and my father visited a nearby waterfall. So peaceful and calming. As they say, a determined person is as swift as a river.
My mind should be straight and clean as a passing river, whose confidence and strength will never waver. I would be unstoppable like a river.
I opened my eyes and looked at my father. It was a bit rushed but my heart was convinced of what I chose.
"Waterlight,"
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My eyes jerked open as I remembered that memory. It was the next morning and I was rather tired than relaxed. Why would I dream about that incident? I looked at the place where Waterlight rested.
Was it a sign?
I pushed the duvet away and stared at the hidden cavity intensely. Many emotions ran through my head. It was not just a sword. It was a duty that I had been handed over.
Before I could approach the cavity, the door opened. It was Karra who looked exceptionally cheerful as usual.
"Good morning, Your Grace," she greeted jubilantly.
I stared at her before smiling. She approached me and stared as if something bad had happened.
"What seems to be wrong?"
"Nothing. It was just a dream," I assured her. "Help me get ready,"
.......................................................….......
"Oww!"
After having a bath, I was helped into my gown for today. Karra had tied the strings of my corset too tightly, making me welp.
"Careful, girl..."
"I am so sorry, Your Grace," Karra mumbled and let go. "I usually make it tighter,"
I brushed it off and let her continue. It was nothing odd. I always despised corsets anyways. Maybe it was the events that had happened last night that put me in such unrest. I had to calm down and resume my duties.
"Are you planning to meet the King today too?" She asked curiously.
I sighed and thought about it. There was so much going on in my mind and there was no way I could discuss this openly with Xander. Perhaps I should keep this to myself and investigate further.
"I feel hungry right now," I told her bluntly.
She stared before nodding. I was slightly surprised at my sudden statement but did not bother much. Food. Maybe food can help me calm down.
.................................................................
"Your Grace?"
"Mm?"
"You did eat something the night before, right?..." Karra whispered into my ears.
We were at the breakfast table and all I could do was eat. I was confused by her random question and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course I did,"
"Uh..." she groaned. "That was your fourth helping, Your Grace..."
I glanced at the blueberry waffle. I did not understand why she was concerned over something so silly. I was simply nervous and was not sure how to vanquish it.
"Maybe I am worrying for nothing," Karra mumbled.
After I finished eating, we walked toward Lady Daraa's room as usual. But something was odd with me today, I was sure.
"Karra..." I called her. "After taking Daraa's lesson, I wish to rest. I have a headache. Can you inform the King right now?"
"After munching down so many waffles, why would you be fine?" She mumbled.
"What did you say?" I stooped and asked her loudly.
She flinched, nodded, and quickly ran away. I was surprised at my sudden outburst. I must have scared the poor girl. I sighed and turned around, realizing that I had already reached the destination in mind.
For some reason, my entire body feels so tired. Perhaps the reason could be that I was simply stressed by the information stored in my head. If I did not do anything about it, it might be the death of me. Or maybe moving around with flexibility last night must have stunned my body. Constant warm-up and training were what I resolved. Today, I must allot some time for that.
I was so drowned in my thoughts that I had not noticed that someone was before me.
"Good morning, Your Grace,"
I flinched and looked in the direction of that greeting. It was Madam Daraa who was watching me. I let out a nervous smile and greeted her back.
"Forgive me...I have been preoccupied with my thoughts,"
"How have you been?" She asked in her usual deep voice.
"I-" I remembered all the things I heard last night and almost blurted them out to her. "-am feeling fine. Just a little dizzy,"
"Dizziness?" She repeated loudly.
"Yes..." I answered.
"For how long?"
"If I am not wrong, it has been a few days,"
She stared at me with no emotions and let out a smile. I was so stunned that I almost lost my footing and fell on the floor.
"What is it?" I questioned. Her rare smile meant that something was off.
"Nothing," she replied, and the smile wiped away as if it never happened. "Do you mind if we have tea first, before our lesson?"
I was still taken aback by her smile but nodded nevertheless. We walked to her study all the time, and I felt nervous. Out of nowhere, I found lt a sudden urge to throw up. It was just getting worse and worse.
"Is there anything wrong?" Lady Daraa asked me.
"Nothing..." I replied as I caressed my throat.
What was wrong with me?
Was I so disturbed to the point that I was feeling ill? I did not want to be so weak. I begged my mind to allow me to gather my strength and composure. She opened the door and soon, we both took a seat, which I was grateful for.
"If you are feeling unwell, you may rest, Your Grace," she voiced her concerns.
"Nothing is wrong with me," I replied, assuring her and myself. "I ate too much this morning,"
"Take care of your health, Your Grace," she told me calmly, after a small glance. "The King will order for my head if anything happened to you,"
I stared at her, aghast by her statements. But then, I let out a nervous chuckle because I knew my husband would never do such an unreasonable thing.
"These days are not so peaceful as before. I just want you to be safe," she said a few moments later.
"Of course..." I nodded, appreciating her concerns.
I pressed my fingers tightly while she took a glance at one of her books. The door behind me opened and I looked around to see a young maid carrying a tea tray. I gazed at her, as I thought I had seen her before.
"Right timing, Ellen." Lady Daraa told the girl, her voice laced with satisfaction. "At least now, I found someone competent enough to my preferences,"
"Thank you, Madam Daraa,"
I sharply turned around to look at the maid. My mind took me back to the eerie voice of a man and the female he conversed with. The one who was the spy. It was her! It was this girl. I was sure that I recognized her voice.
She placed the porcelain teacups, having small leaves imprinted on their front, in front of me and Lady Daraa.
"This is Ellen, a hardworking individual," Lady Daraa told me with a hint of a smile. "I am afraid that I am too don't of this girl,"
I was glad that I managed to fake a smile as long as I could. I could already sense my heart beating at a faster pace due to anxiety.
"It is very hard to find someone who impresses the famed Lady Daraa," I told her, my eyes watching Ellen.
A shade of light red spread across her cheeks as she poured the tea into my cup.
"I do not deserve your praise, Your Grace," she said and put some sweetened biscuits near my teacup.
I stared at them, terror rising in my blood. Those were one of my favorite snacks and I never told anyone except one individual.
"Er...how do you know that I liked these snacks?" I asked her, suspicion forming a dark cloud in my head.
"Oh, uh. I am a dear friend of your companion, Karra. She told me,"
After that, I said no more words.
____________________________________
"Are you sure you do not need to see the physician?"
"Xander," I shook my head. "Stop fussing. I am fine,"
I was in my chambers all afternoon and it was late in the evening. Xander had arrived and started saying that he should call for a physician. But I felt that it was too unnecessary. I knew that my nerves were to blame.
All the time, I only thought of what happened. So, this girl who I heard that night was Ellen. But why was she working under Lady Daraa? I assumed that she did it on purpose it was to gather information to deliver to the other side. Besides, Lafy Daraa did know many things regarding security. But...why would she mention Karra?
I trusted Karra with all my heart. She was an orphan who was raised by a local librarian in a nearby town, a few miles away from the castle. I had shared many of my thoughts with her. She was always so happy and concerned for me. No. I refused to believe it.
The door suddenly burst open, revealing Karra, who was holding a tray of cakes and sweets.
"Your Grace! I had them freshly prepared!" She said, cheerfully.
But the moment she saw that Xander was here too, the color on her face faded. She quickly bowed.
"I did not know of your presence, Your Majesty," she said, embarrassed. "Forgive me for my behavior,"
Xander did not look so offended. He quickly dismissed the matter and allowed her to approach us. I watched as she walked toward the nightstand, with her face almost as red as her hair. She looked so innocent and kind. Surely, she can not be a traitor. She seemed to notice my gaze and smiled in return.
"Take care of yourself, Catheline," I heard Xander say as I turned to him.
He had a concerned smile, making me return a faint one. I nodded and assured him that I would be fine and at last, he held my shoulder.
"I will come again tomorrow," he uttered. "And if I still see you feeling ill, I will not refrain from calling the physician,"
I nodded again and he stood up and glanced at Karra. "Take good care of your Queen,"
She nodded, a wide smile appearing on her lips. "You can rest assured, Your Majesty,"
After that, with one last smile at me, he left my chambers. When he did, I silently glanced at Karra, trying to make my paranoid mind understand that she was innocent.
"Karra, how do you know Ellen?" I asked her slowly, making sure that I did not sound accusing.
She paused and did not reply. More than anything, she felt confused as to why I was asking her such a question.
"I do. She is my close friend," Karra replied in an unsure voice.
"Do you know what she is up to!?"
She jumped and stared at me with wide eyes. I paused, stunned at my behavior. Why was I so angry? I always kept my emotions at manageable levels but ever since this morning, all my efforts to calm myself seem to be futile.
"I...I am not sure to know what you are talking about..." She whispered and I could say that she was almost on the verge of tears.
"Why does Ellen know what snacks I like?" I questioned her, pushing away all the guilty sparks in my heart. I had to ask her. "Did she spy on you while you were making them?"
"I told her...she is my only friend. She always accompanies me when I bake the snacks prepare for you..." She answered, as her eyes became more glassy.
The fact that the woman who I was sure was a spy had been managing my food scared me. Who knows what she had been doing?
"Karra," I sighed as I looked at her. "She is a---"
I resisted saying the word traitor. If I did, it would only make me look more paranoid and suspicious of everything.
"She is the only friend I have...And one of the kindest people I ever met. How can she be no good?" She asked me, as tears began to drip from her eyes.
"Karra, I can not tell you. But you must know that she..."
"She is?..."
"I am afraid that I cannot say,"
Karra looked away and cried silently. I sunk deeper into my thoughts. Was I overthinking? Now I even made Karra upset, was it even worth it? I upset the poor girl with my words. The one true friend who I had from this place.
Was I foolishly suspecting Karra?
"I...I think I should not bother you, Your Grace..." She mumbled and bowed.
"Karra, wait!-"
But before I could finish, she walked out of who room, crying.
"- I am so sorry..."
What have I done? Why did I even think of doing that? How could I be angry at Karra?
I sighed as tears started to form in my eyes. I staggered onto my bed, feeling uneasy again. It was the same urge to throw up.
I felt so helpless now. There was no one I could share the truth with. Hence, I had to burden myself and keep my secrets with me.
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Author's note:
Sorry for this horrible cliffhanger, my fellow book lovers :(
We needed some drama in the boring chapters, so I needed to make this argument.
I am pretty sure you all know the reason why Catheline feels sick ;)
Also, the next update might be coming sooner than you think ^^
Thank you so much for reading my story and please vote for this chapter (we are so close to 500 reads!)
See ya~