I did regret what I’d unknowingly done, though I would be lying if I said I didn’t savour the flavour that came out of that bite. My eyes closed once more, and I let out a soft exhale at the thought of my lips touching that same place where his had been.
Someone knocked on the door, jolting me out of my sweet trance. I jerked, quickly wiping my lips with the back of my arm. The door opened. Turning myself around didn’t keep me from knowing who the unexpected visitor was—the sound of clinking keys gave it away. I swallowed, bits and all, in one go, while passing my sticky fingers through the fabric of my dress.
“What are you doing?” Mounir mumbled from behind me.
I turned around. “Nothing. I just brought Lord Hailin his breakfast. I was just leaving.”
I made to walk away but he grabbed me by my arm and pulled me so close, his nose almost hit mine. He took a deep inhale; I pulled back a moment too late. I knew I was totally fucked the second I watched him glance at the plate.
Mounir stepped back.
His head turned towards Aegir’s approach. “Ah, Lord Hailin. I’m here on behalf of His Majesty. The king has requested your presence for the day. He also wishes you to dine with him tonight. I’ll be back in an hour to escort you.”
“All right,” Aegir replied, nodding. I could tell that he was tired, and not because his bed was made but because his voice carried a slight rasp. The rest of him, though, appeared sharp and focused.
I subtly raised my palm towards Aegir. He raised his own as he watched me close the door behind us.
Mounir’s silence only fuelled my anticipation. The stairs never seemed so endless. Yet the ground floor arrived too soon—because the moment I hit it, he barked, “My office, now.”
I had barely made it into his office when Mounir yanked me by my arm and shoved me into the closest wall.
“Who the fuck do you think you are!? Eating from a prince’s plate! Is it because you feel entitled, or is it common practice for you to act like a street dog?”
I made to slip away from his grip, but he dug his fingers into my arms, clipping me in place. Before I could even blink, he slapped me across the face, hitting my left cheek with his palm, then slapped my right one with the back of his ringed hand. My skin prickled and heated at the crack. I tried to push him away, but he slammed my back against the wall and held me there, pinned. I had never felt so powerless. I could do nothing. It was that—what made me boil with frustration. Frustration at myself for being so reckless, and even more frustration at my powerlessness. I didn’t bother with excuses; I didn’t even try to deny it. But I did not apologise for what I did either.
Mounir’s voice turned vicious. “If I ever catch you eating from your master’s tray, I will stuff my hand so far down your throat, I won’t stop until I reach your stomach. What you did today, your disobedience, it will not go unpunished.” As if what he was doing to me wasn’t punishment enough. “Now that you’ve sated yourself as you pleased,do noteat anything for the rest of todayandtomorrow. It’s a consequence of your gluttony, Delia. It will serve you as a reminder for self-control. If I catch someone else feeding you, they will suffer the same consequences.” He barked his threat so close to my face that his warm breath made its way into my lungs. And the irony of this bullshit story was that his breath smelled like fresh oranges. Fucking hypocrite. “Do you understand!?” His hands dug deeper—I had to squeeze my eyes shut to keep myself from roaring in pain and anger. I bet that would have pleased him. I only nodded. “Go to the laundry room. Do not come out until past sunset.”
By sundown, hunger had long been replaced by nausea and exhaustion.
Nadya’s gasp told me that I looked wonderful. “What happened to your face?”
“You mean,whohappened to my face?” I replied flatly.
“Son of a bitch,” she hissed. She handed me a small hand mirror and I met it with a frown. “I’ve just filled the half bucket, the water is clean. Let me.”
She gently dabbed my right cheek using a clean, damp cloth. Faint red now stained the white fabric.
“I can’t decide if being Semuel’s servant for three years was a blessing or a curse. I experienced freedom from him, yet knowing the feeling of being treated like a human, knowing what I’ve lost, aches my heart.”
“I would take it as a blessing, Delia.”
You’re right, I wanted to tell her.
It had been a while since Nadya and I lay on the same bed, talking, and whispering things to each other. It reminded me of that night when Nadya had giggled at my gasps.
“Nadya?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Have you ever kissed someone?” She screeched and leapt onto my bed. We lay facing each other, Nadya grinning from ear to ear.
“Who is he? Tell me!” she demanded.
“No one. It’s just…I saw two people kissing the other day and I wondered.”
“Who did you see?”
“I don’t know who they were.” Lie.
