Ch#103
“If you allow it, I will examine the ingredients. That should set Your Highness’s mind at ease.”
Thalia neither affirmed nor denied the offer, merely waving her hand as if to dismiss her. The woman bowed immediately and left the room.
Sitting before the fireplace, watching the crackling embers, Thalia rose from her seat, overwhelmed by a heavy sense of fatigue.
As she lay down on the plush sheets, the pain radiating through her knees gradually began to subside. It seemed the ointment was finally taking effect.
Staring with hazy eyes at the stained patches on the ceiling, Thalia turned her head toward the window, which glowed with a reddish hue.
Before she knew it, the sky was shifting from a bright amber to a deep wine color.
The intense, burning sunset would soon be swallowed by darkness. Once that happened, it would be an advantageous time to launch a surprise attack on the enemy.
A brief flicker of worry crossed her mind—what if Varkas was injured during the battle?—but she shook it off instantly.
He was the man who had surpassed hundreds of Roem Knights to reach the rank of Commander before he was even twenty. Wiping out a band of marauders would be nothing to him.
Forcing the intrusive thoughts away, Thalia closed her eyes tightly. As her consciousness grew dim, the sound of a bell signaling the end of the day seeped into her mind.
Listening to the distant resonance echoing from the bell tower, Thalia fell into a sleep so deep it was almost like fainting.
When she regained consciousness, it was the early hours of the morning, blanketed in pitch-black darkness.
Waking to a parching thirst, Thalia pulled at the neckline of her linen dress as a sudden wave of suffocation washed over her.
When the stifling sensation—as if her windpipe were being crushed—did not fade, she crawled to the edge of the bed and gripped the lamp.
Just then, a faint orange light flickering along the wall caught her eye. Turning her head toward that trace of light, Thalia spotted the dying embers in the fireplace and took a deep breath. The fading glow felt like a lungful of fresh air.
Thalia climbed out of bed and walked over to the fireplace. A few embers were still sizzling amidst the black heap of ash. To revive the fire, she stacked several logs and pressed down firmly on the bellows lying on the floor. The wood began to puff out smoke before erupting into a bright flame.
Her shoulders slumped with relief, but then she suddenly turned her head. A strange sound was drifting in from somewhere. It took a few seconds for her to realize it was the cry of an animal.
Had a wild dog appeared?
Walking to the window, Thalia cautiously pushed the glass open. A dry, frigid wind rushed against her face.
Shuddering at the cold sensation, she scanned the darkness, following the sound that had grown clearer.
A mournful howling echoed over the hills drenched in white moonlight. However, there was no sign of the beast wailing its heart out.
Just as she was about to shift her gaze toward the edge of the meadow, wondering if the sound was coming from the forest, someone knocked on the door.
Thalia’s nerves pulled taut.
“Who is it?”
“Forgive me, Your Highness. I heard movement and wondered if perhaps you were unable to sleep due to the pain.”
It was the healer from the Si’eikan family.
Relaxing her guard, Thalia replied in a listless tone.
“I just had trouble sleeping. You may go.”
A moment of silence followed. The woman lingered at the door as if hesitating, then made a cautious suggestion.
“If it pleases you, shall I prepare some herbal tea to help you sleep comfortably?”
Thalia knitted her brows. A surge of irritation rose within her when the woman didn’t immediately obey the order to leave.
“I don’t need—”
Thalia was about to spit out her usual rejection when she suddenly fell silent. She remembered saying she would give the medicine the healer prepared to the Taren family’s healer.
She didn’t truly suspect the woman of feeding her suspicious drugs, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.
After a moment’s thought, Thalia spoke curtly.
“Fine. Come in.”
Once permission was granted, the healer entered the room holding a small bundle in one hand.
Thalia watched her closely with a searching gaze.
As if she had just rolled out of bed, the woman wore only a gray robe over a loose linen dress that looked like a nightgown.
The woman tucked her messy hair behind her ears as if embarrassed and walked toward the fireplace.
“Please wait a moment. I will have it ready shortly.”
She hung a brass pot over the fire and took a bundle of herbs from her pouch.
After mixing several varieties and lightly roasting them in the pot, the woman picked up a kettle and poured in water.
Before long, the scent of chamomile and lavender filled the air.
“There, it is finished.”
The woman poured out a proper amount of the darkly steeped tea and carefully offered the cup.
Thalia held it in her hands and stared down at it. Perhaps honey had been added, as a sweet aroma gently tickled her nose.
As she sat there savoring the scent, that long howl echoed once again.
Thalia let out a small groan. It seemed the beast was determined to bark all night long.
“Close the window. And draw the curtains.”
The woman immediately obeyed the command. However, the animal’s cry easily pierced through the thick glass and curtains.
The healer let out a troubled chuckle.
“It seems a wolf is pining desperately for someone in this village.”
Thalia let out a hollow laugh, incredulous.
“Are you trying to joke with me right now?”
“It is not that…”
Looking flustered by the sharp reaction, the woman continued calmly.
“In the East, there is a folk belief that those who pass away without being baptized are reborn as wild beasts. The cries of the animals heard at night are thought to be songs calling out to the ones they loved in life.”
Thalia scoffed.
“Souls that aren’t baptized merely fall into the abyss and vanish. Do you not even know such basic doctrine?”
“…I am well aware of the Church’s teachings.”
A bitter shadow cast over the woman’s lips.
“But is it not far more comforting to believe that a loved one has returned to one’s side, even in the form of a beast? Even the priests tend to turn a blind eye to such beliefs.”
Thalia looked puzzled.
“Are there really that many people who die without being baptized?”
“Like all citizens of the Empire, we Easterners are baptized within a hundred days of birth. However, such a blessing is never granted to a stillborn child, is it?”
Reading the pain embedded in the woman’s voice, Thalia’s eyes darted around in embarrassment.
Had this healer lost a child?
Unsure of what to say and feeling restless, Thalia watched as the woman forced a soft smile to change the atmosphere.
“The tea will get cold. Please, drink.”
Wary of the woman’s mood, Thalia swallowed the lukewarm tea.
Watching her quietly, the healer placed a few medicine bottles on the shelf and left the room.
Thalia lay back on the bed and listened to the fading howls.
Perhaps that woman had been hearing a song calling out to her. Maybe that was why she hadn’t been able to sleep until now.
Thalia thought idly for a moment before shaking the useless musings from her head.
It was hard enough looking into her own pain. She didn’t have the luxury to worry about anyone else’s.
Whether the herbal tea helped or not, she was able to fall into a deep sleep without even a dream.
Waking with a refreshed feeling she hadn’t felt in ages, Thalia looked at the window brightening with morning light, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
Just then, she sensed a presence nearby. Thinking the Nanny had brought water for her to wash, Thalia turned her head and jumped as she felt cool fingers cup her cheek.
Her eyes snapped wide to see Varkas sitting on the edge of the bed.
Blinking with a dazed expression, Thalia hurriedly pushed herself up.
Just as she was about to check him from head to toe to see if he was injured anywhere, she felt her chin being lifted, and his lips descended upon hers without warning.
