“Actually, do you mind if I have a slice of that?” I motion to the bread.
“Not at all, Your Majesty. Would you like some cheese and grapes as well?” she asks, wiping her hands on her apron.
Julius’ comment about no other food flashes in my mind. So he lied.Big surprise there.
“That would be amazing,” I reply. She grabs some grapes from a basket and some cheese from a large medieval-looking ice box before placing it all on a copper plate and handing it to me.
“Thank you so much,” I say around the mouthful of bread I crammed into my mouth. She stands there, shifting from foot to foot, watching me. “I’ll, uh, just eat this in my room,” I mutter.
Her face relaxes, and she nods before heading back to work. I munch on my pilfered snacks, thankful that my good manners won over at least one of the staff.
I nudge my bedroom door open with my elbow and peer around the doorframe. Perhaps I’m being a bit paranoid. I don’t think Odessa or Julius would kill me, but it’s becoming apparent that Julius, at least, does not want me here.
Birthright or not.
My room has lost some of its sparkle and isn’t quite the sanctuary it was before.
The new armoire isn’t as large, so all my clothes are squeezed tightly together on the racks. I dig through it, trying to find my sleep clothes, which are shoved into the far back corner. The duvet is no longer a soft white either, but a sickly beige color. It looks ancient and smells musty.
After bathing and getting ready for bed, I slip under the sheets.
I want to scream at the feel of the scratchy linens against my bare skin. Exhaustion slides over me, and a shiver wracks mybody. I roll on my side to get comfortable, but it’s a difficult task.
They’ve replaced my mattress, too, and the new one is riddled with lumps. I sigh to myself, trying to think of an appropriate way to bring this up with Odessa without seeming ungrateful, but sleep drags me under, finally.
21
FEAR
My stomach clenches as I make my way to the training grounds, anxiety churns in my gut, and my arms are heavy at my sides. I focus on my surroundings: there isn’t a cloud in sight, the sun’s warmth kisses my skin, and the ever-present breeze soothes the burn. Poppies are already sprouting up to replace the ones damaged by the storm, and their petals dance in the wind.
Today is beautiful and calm.
A bitter contrast to the storm raging inside of me, full of anxiety and chaos. My breath quickens into sharp pants, my fight-or-flight reflexes kicking in, but the source of my panic remains unknown.
When coldness begins pulsing from my necklace, it puts me even more on edge. But it’s quiet, not a soul around, and even the birds have ceased chattering.
The birds have stopped singing.
Realization has me stopping in the middle of the path and scrutinizing my surroundings. There’s nothing out of the ordinary. The breeze through the tall grass is the only sound.Sighing to myself, I resume walking. The mud squelches beneath my boots as I dodge the last few remaining puddles.
Odessa and Julius are the only people on the training grounds when I arrive. No spectators today. They’re bedecked in their foreboding black leathers, and they stand close together, heads bent in conversation.
I cross under the archway, and my heart begins pumping erratically in my chest, blood pounds in my ears, and my vision narrows. Something inside me is screaming that this is a bad idea, but I brush the voice aside and continue on. One foot in front of the other, I force my body to push past the unease.
Odessa turns away from Julius and steps towards me.
“Hello, darling,” she croons.
Her voice has the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I give a small, awkward wave as I continue on to them.
Julius turns and saunters to the fence, where he has several weapons propped up against the railing. He grabs his ostentatious sword with one hand and rises to slap the hilt of Odin’s ax buried into the tree.
It’s a maneuver he has done before each of our training sessions, but the brazenness of the action still causes a flicker of disgust. He stoops again to pick up my practice sword before hurtling it at my feet. It slides against the dirt, dust clings to the handle, and floats up into the breeze.
Odessa glares at him with annoyance, and the action causes my anxiety to ease a bit. It looks like she won’t be condoning his abuse today, after all.
“Today, I thought we could work on how to battle when you’re outnumbered.” She hoists her sword up.
