She'd left me on the balcony to come to terms with the information, and when I couldn't do that, knowing Caz and Murph were close by — I took to walking aimlessly around the quieter corridors and halls of the castle.
My head drops back against the stone wall of the alcove I've tucked myself in, staring through the stained glass at the gardens beneath me. A cold feeling washes over as I try to picture Eveera's mother with mine.
The two of them as friends, what that would have looked like if my mother hadn't thrown it all away. Would Eveera and I have grown up together?No.She still would have hidden her, but maybe just maybe… Eveera wouldn't have had to suffer their loss. Maybe that would have been the difference in our stories.
I drag my palm down my face, ignoring the ache forming at the base of my skull.
THUD!My body jerks forward at the noise.THUD! THUD! THUD!"What the fu…" Slowly, I slide off the window ledge and tiptoe to the end of the nook, leaning my body halfway out to peer around the stone wall.
"Dammit!"
Nightmare?I push myself out into the long stretch of hallway, following the sound of her cursing until I’ve curved around another bend. The second I see her, a crushing weight steals my breath, her emotions pouring freely down the seal.
She has her forehead pressed firmly against a door, her right fist repeatedly pounding against the wood.
"Eveera?" Her head snaps towards my voice, gold eyes rimmed in red as I'm met with her tear-stained glare. She holds it for a second before I see her chest cave and her legs buckle, her head lolling to the side as she slides downwards.
I rush in her direction, grabbing underneath her arms just before she hits the floor, softening the impact. I clutch her to me, my hand wrapping around her head to ease her shaking. "Breathe, Eveera. Shh… What happen…"
"No." She chokes out, her head whipping back and forth.
"Okay," I whisper into her hair. "Okay, I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
It took her a while to calm down, but eventually her cries stopped and her tears dried, the two of us sitting in a heap on the floor.
"This is their hallway." She croaks, her voice raw and raspy from the sobs. "Behind us? The door we're piled against? It’s hers."
"Wha—"
She shifts her position, lifting her head and settling it on my shoulder. "I avoided it for years. Had the staff seal the doors shut, wouldn't even allow them to scrub the floors — I just wanted the room to be gone."
"I see."
“Do you?" she bites. Her hand reaches above my head and wraps around the metal handle. Despite the awkward angle, she pushes hard until the door on my left gives. "Do youseethe issue here?"
"Eveera… they unsealed it because of me."
Her head snaps up, steam rolling from her nose. "Excuse me?"
I sigh, tucking a stray piece of hair out from her face. "After our, erm, declared marriage, the council got it in their heads that we needed more space. Little did they know how much I can'tstandhaving space from you." Her eyes roll back, but I grab hold of her jaw, forcing her to meet my eyes. "I didn't know that you'd had these rooms sealed off, or I would have never let anyone touch them,beloved."
She chews her bottom lip and bobs her head up and down, resting it back on my shoulder, too tired to argue.
Wanting to fill the silence, I blurt, "Marjorie is apparently my grandmother."
She lays her soft hand on top of mine, stroking the side of my thumb. “I know."
"You know?"
She hums in response, locking our fingers together, "Mareese died telling me."
"Aren't we quite the pair," I mutter.
"Quite."
“I’ll have them reseal the rooms.”
Eveera exhales another ragged breath, shaking her head. “Don’t bother. I think it’ll be a good show and tell someday soon. Very soon.”
