Ethan brought me food, or at least, he tried. I could take down water, and that was it. Even my grandmother’s delicious food couldn’t touch my lips without sending me into nausea.
I’d spent most of my time here lying in bed, slipping in and out of it. I was so exhausted that I was hardly ever coherent, but when night came, my anxiety kept me awake. I stayed up worrying about what would happen if Droga found me, and what he would do after he captured me...
The room blacked out for a moment, and my knees buckled, but I managed to stay on my feet. Good. I was proud of myself.
I heard a cute little snuffling noise ahead. Tygrys grumbled, and my eyes flashed up. There was some sort of creature. It walked on two legs, and was covered in a mess of long brown fur, with big green eyes and cute, soft paws. It looked kind of like a sloth.
When the creature heard me take a step, its big brown eyes widened at me. It tottered out of the way before it began wiping off a window with a little towel.
Such a strange creature. I didn’t know what it was, but it seemed harmless— and very intent on getting a smudge off the window. Maybe my grandmother had summoned it to clean. I moved past it and then slipped into the library.
The library at the estate was beautiful, as most libraries were. It had grand, open windows with seats that overlooked the ocean. It had a lot of natural lighting, and the shelves were painted white. There was a fireplace in the middle of the room, and lots of cozy armchairs to read in.
I collapsed into the nearest armchair. I flicked my fingers to try and summon a book from the shelves, but nothing happened. I sighed. Tygrys hovered the book off the shelf with his magic and set it in front of me.
I couldn’t use my powers whatsoever. I hadn’t cast a single spell since I’d arrived at the mansion.
I mean, it made sense. If I couldn’t remain standing long enough to go downstairs, no way would I be able to perform a spell. I just had to wait to get better so I could use my magic again.
I feared terribly that I’d never get better. That very idea made me want to throw myself off the nearby cliffs and into the raging sea. I couldn’t live the rest of my life reduced to a shadow of who I’d been before.
Tygrys perched on my shoulder as I turned pages aimlessly. The words on the page were written in English, but I couldn’t comprehend them. Might as well be written in a language I didn’t know.
Tears beaded my eyes as I thought of the powerful queen I had been before, and what I’d been reduced to now. Encaptured by these memories, under my breath, I began humming the words of the Malovian National Anthem.
“From a place there far beyond
We defend this glorious land
For our children and our people
For our country we will stand.
We raise up our sword and shield
We seek war within our mind
Victory be ours and conquering shall be mine!
All shall bow their head and pledge allegiance to the king and queen,
In every nation round the world shall our glory be seen,
All people before us will surely fall down to their knees.
From a place there far beyond
We defend this glorious land
For our children and our people
For our country we will stand,
From a place there far beyond
We find our bravery in this song
Emerging from the pale
