61. Accomodating
2090 Words
Moon fell to the ground. The door was slammed behind her.
She was in some kind of a guest room. apparently big enough for the royal family to be accommodated. The king had sent her there and the guards who took her did not seem too nice.
The room was nice though. The furniture was stylish, a simple mahogany bed was placed next to the white wall, and its backrest was just below the tall window that was illuminating the entire room.
Near the opposite wall, the fire was burning and it was heating the whole room. Looking in front of the fire, Moon saw that there were two comfortable armchairs, dressed in cherry velvet. Between the armchairs, there was a small, perfectly sculpted table, with one leg represented by a woman with her half-naked body, holding around, a very large tray on her head. On that tray was placed a cup of water and a silver glass.
The tray held by the sculpted woman was on the tabletop, and Moon couldn't take her eyes off her for a long time, looking at the beautiful table in detail.
Close to the door there was an empty wall, all it was clad in mahogany wood again.
Yes, she liked the room. The bed was pretty big. She just threw herself on it, and it was all so soft. Better than the dungeon wet and dirty floor...
That reminded her, she needed to wash. She could not just sleep in that cozy bed if she was so dirty...
She looked around, but there was no one else in the room. She did not expect anyone to be there, but, now, thinking about it, she would use someone to point her to the cleaning room. She wanted to wash. So she went to the door and tried it, but of course, it was locked. She started to knock then, hoping someone would hear her. If the room was locked, maybe she needed to be guarded? Maybe there were some guards on the other side of the door, right? Or maybe not...
Someone just made a noise from the other side of the door, letting her know she as guarded, indeed.
-Please, I need to wash. Please? I really need to wash!
She heard nothing else, but there were clearly some noises there. After some time, the door opened and the old lady she had met before, came inside with some clean clothes and towels.
Moon was so happy!! She looked at the old lady heading towards the mahogany wall and in there, to her surprise, she opened a door. Was it a secret door? How come she missed it?
Woaaaw... When she entered in there there was a bathroom, a large room almost as half of the bedroom where she was given. The bathroom looked just as stylish as the bedroom. It even had a firework filled with firewood. The fire was already burning, warming up the water... and... there was a stone tub there...
Just like a child, Moon forgot that she was a princess with manners, and she almost ripped her clothes off in order to get into the tub. She was so happy to be in the hot water, even if there was steam all over the bathroom. It was perfect! And the old lady just lighted some incense, and poured rose petals in the water. Smiling at her. Why was she smiling at her?
-Why are you kind to me? The Moon became suspicious. No one has been kind to me ever since I was brought here.
-Because you made him smile, just like my lady was making him smile, the old woman told her with sad eyes.
-What?
Moon did not understand, but the lady just smiled back at her with kindness, then put the towels on the edge of the tube.
-Until you are ready, I will get the bed done for you.
-Thank you!
The old woman stopped in her way, and turned towards her with teary eyes. Was she, a high-ranked female thanking her, a servant? For what? Was she for real?
-No, My Lady, she said almost stumbling on her feet. We thank you...
She bowed and managed to get out of the bathroom, leaving Moon surprised. "We"? Who were those "we" who were thanking her? And why were they thanking her?
She tried to enjoy the water and it was all so good that she instantly forgot the small words exchanged earlier. This was the luxury she needed! And it was good that she could win some friendly faces here... Who knew when they would come in handy?
She did not know for how long she had bathed. Her skin was already clean and she was already sleepy, so she just got out and went straight to bed. In that big, cozy bed... And she was so tired that she fell asleep instantly.
She slept for a long time, with no dreams. She woke up with the birds singing and the sun touching her face. She did not know for how long she had slept, but she slept so well. She almost did not want to get out of bed.
For some reason, they had again forgotten her with the breakfast. Or, maybe he was planning to starve her again. Who knows.
It did not bother her much, she was used to skipping meals back home when they were wandering in the forest...
Yes, the forest... She looked at the tall trees out of the window. If she could only reach them... She could make herself invisible in there... But she needed to get there first. Win his trust. Step one.
How to win his trust?
She just allowed her to spend the entire day in bed, being lazy. Until...
He called for her.
He wanted to have dinner with her. She could not understand why, he could have dinner alone, without anyone looking at him and disapproving that he eats fast without breathing. Disapproving like his mother's eyes. What had happened to her?
And now, why did she have to think about it? Of course, he had a mother too, everyone has a mother! And if they are lucky enough, they can have her care about them for life. He had lost his mother long ago. Was that why he was so serious and cold with the people around him? Maybe, that was why he did not trust people from the start?
Only a mother can teach you trust. And love. And only a mother can teach you to fight for life and for love and for the people. He did have that fire in him, but it was not out of love. He only had rage inside.
Moon was watching him again and he caught her eyes on him. Again, he looked displeased, as if she was looking at him to criticize his appetite. She should eat something too, or he would get mad and sent her to bed with an empty belly. She put on her plate some fruits that she had tried from this world, and she found them delicious. She was thinking about how to take some with her when she left, to bring some to Amenah, because she liked fruits so much, she could eat a whole bunch at once at the table. Remembering her little sister put a smile on her face, and that did not go unnoticed by him.
She really looked out of this world. That big honest smile on her face was making her shine like a goddess. Her pale skin was almost building an aura all around her face, and the light was helping cover the mystery behind her eyes. He wondered what was making her smile like that. She looked so beautiful right now. And happy.
-Share your thoughts, king Tor said, looking at her with curious eyes.
She rose her face from her plate and simply stated:
-I was thinking that if you catch me looking at you like a mother again, you will send me back into the room without eating.
-Not into the room, he said. Straight into the dungeon, he looked at her.
Moon tried to figure out if he was serious or he was joking but she could not feel any danger coming from him this time.
-Are you feeling better? She asked him checking out his reaction.
-Are you preoccupied with my well being? He asked her and she already felt angry because of his words.
-Not everybody is assuming that people are evil. Some people do care about other people well being, you know?
-And you are one of them?
-Yes!
-That is stupid!
That was it! She was really angry now! How could he judge her for what she was? Kindness was her middle name! If he wanted to be such a cold iceberg, that was his problem! She knew that not all people are evil, and most of them could learn better ways to live. But not him! Noooooo...
-Are you calling me stupid?
He did not answer right away. So that was it! He was thinking that she was stupid for believing in people!
-I say it is stupid to believe that people are kind and they care for others just because they have a heart.
-It is not stupid, is called faith!
-How does that help you when one will have a knife at your throat?
His words left her with her mouth open. Yes, he had a point there, but they should not get there into that position in the first place! Right?!
-That is you twisting what I say! War changes one's values! It makes them cruel and greedy. Makes them not carrying!
-And why should they care?
-Because only united we can survive life. One against another, we will just fail our families, our children who want to live in peace with their parents. Only mad people want wars!
-Of course... So... You are saying that the Warchild House, they are mad for wanting to war with us...?
-You all are looking for this war! You are all mad, if that is what you want to hear!
-So... You are saying that I am mad because I want to revenge my parents, who were murdered by your house?
-That is where you are mistaken. My house did not murder any of your parents...
-You are a WARCHILD!!!
-AND ALSO A SHADOW ASSASSIN!! And I did not murder your parents!!
Moon raised her voice using the same tone as he did, leaving him utterly astonished.
Yes, she gathered that no "female" was raising their tone in front of these sensitive males playing masters, but she could not take it anymore.
In the same moment, she spoke in front of the king on that tone, one of the females serving at the table just dropped the plate she had just brought, drawing king Tor's attention towards her.
Moon just rose from her seat and dropped on the floor to help the poor young servant who could not stop shaking and she was trying to gather the food dropped on the floor.
He said nothing, waiting for them to finish what they were doing and when the servant left the room, he tried to find the right words.
-If I knew you were such a good service I would have had you to serve me dinner every night.
She looked at him defying, but his expression did not match his words. Those words were not what he was thinking.
-Helping people is not stupid. Maybe one day you would need help too... And who knows... maybe one day, someone would be there to give it to you. OR not!
-See... that is the difference between a man and a female... I do not need anyone to help me.
-Neither would a female, if you would let them learn and be free.
-Are you saying that a female can be equal to a man? Can she fight on the battlefield just like a man, defending her king?
-If the king is worth defending, you may learn that a female is even better in a fight than a man!
King Tor started to laugh. He surely believed her crazy. Of course, by the way he was looking at her, he surely believed that this female was delusional. How could a female assume she could ever be better than a man?
She must have been crazy indeed.
Maybe she had hit her head.
- Writer
