The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles

Chapter Ten: The Sweet Suffering Creed

Rein processed the conversation she had overheard and hundreds of questions ran through her mind: What was Martalitas? What was a Facio Ritus? How could Rein find out? When did they plan to kill Renée and how? Rein tried to shake the questions from her head. From what she had just heard, she would be there for another month, so she should get as comfortable as possible since there were still thirty days left in the month. There would be plenty of time to answer these questions later.

By the time everyone else in the White Castle had gone to bed, Rein had found the optimal spot to create her hiding place in a wall behind a cupboard in the grand kitchen. Before she used the nail to carve out her alcove, she made her way to the bathhouse so that she could wash the blood and fishy odor from her body and clothes. While her clothes dried, she found a stash of thin linens which the Grand Master would use to soak his face, and she tore off some pieces to use as bandages for the wounds on her arm and leg. After finally getting redressed, Rein spotted a basket of potpourri on a countertop and decided this would be her bed. She stopped by a guest room to cut a swab from a blanket for herself as she dragged the basket down the corridor and then finally made her way back to the grand kitchen.

Rein spent many hours chiseling into the wall behind the cupboard—a task which took longer than it would have if she'd had two healthy arms. She eventually paused to rest and realized it may have been wiser to bathe after she had completed this job. She sweat profusely and quickly found herself covered in white dust. Too late now. She brushed the dust off, took a sip of water from a thimble she had set aside for herself, then continued to cut into the wall. Once she was finally finished, she hauled her potpourri bed into the hole, collapsed on top of it, and passed out.

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When Rein awoke the next day to the sound of the kitchen staff hastily preparing an upcoming meal, she realized she had absolutely no idea what time it was. She lay in her leafy bed and listened in on the conversations beyond her sanctuary in search of words such as breakfast, brunch, luncheon, or lunch, which one would expect to hear from kitchen staff. For whatever reason, they failed in this regard, and this put Rein in a mood in which few prefer to begin a new day. She continued to eaves-drop as she stretched her sore body, and nibbled on some bread and burdania petals. Her burdania petals... did she have enough to last her a month?

Rein endeavored to remain calm as she dumped the petals and seeds on the floor of her nook and counted. Fifty-four petals, not counting the one she was eating at the time. She contemplated. Rein had planned to use some of these petals as a trade-off for the Mystery Miracle Worker in case the seeds weren't enough. Granted she only planned to stay at the White Castle for another thirty days, but she felt the need to be prepared to stay longer if she ran into more hurdles. This provided her with an extra twenty or so petals and she was required to eat one a day to stay alive without her wings. Could she survive on one every other day? Or perhaps half a petal a day? She couldn't imagine that she would die overnight after skipping one petal.

Rein stuffed the petals and seeds back into her pouch and decided that she would eat this one petal today. Tomorrow, she would learn what would happen if she skipped a day. She had to confess that she looked forward to skipping a day as the burdania flower had a nasty taste. Meanwhile, her next mission was to learn everything she could about Martalitas and Facio Ritus. This seemed necessary if she was going to save Renée. Hopefully, she'd find a clue about the key in the process. Rein remembered there being a bookcase in Jaska's study. Chances were, she might find information on Martalitas in there.

With extreme caution, Rein exited her little hole and peered around the cupboard to assess the situation beyond. There were a couple members of the kitchen staff still rummaging about, but Rein felt it possible for her to avoid their gaze as she zig-zagged around tables, chairs, and counters. Then there were the stairs which led up to the first floor of the castle. They were a completely open, no-man's land, and Rein felt certain that she would be spotted running up them. Her options were few though, so she glanced around from where she stood behind a table leg and prepared to run for it.