A Court of Desires and Darkness

Chapter 14

The next few weeks move forward at a crawl. With no help from magical healing, and the faebane that has slowly left my system, the wound has mended itself quite slowly. Against my handmaidens' judgements, I take frequent walks out to the small courtyard beneath the window to my chambers. The area has grown wild from neglect--gnarls of thorned plants cover the walls, the pathways mostly taken over by grasses growing between the cobblestones. A weathered fountain sits in the middle, some sort of sculpture that once spewed water. In the far corner is an old apple tree, its branches curved and swooping. The fruits of the tree and the bread that my handmaidens sneak into my chambers are the only safe foods to eat.

For every meal, I am sent a tray of food, direct from the King's table. I deny all of it, no matter how much my mouth salivates at the aromas. Occasionally, Daethia and Neia steal me some of the meat prepared for the King's next meal. They see me deteriorating, my mind and body. 

The only good to come of this long healing is that the King has not called upon me. I suppose he might have been using the Prince and Princess for his killing, if not just doing it himself. My handmaiden's claim that they are have been sent to Prythian, to the Spring Court, however. No doubt to have them examine the Wall, to find its weak points. 

I find that my mind frequently wanders to the Shadowsinger of the Night Court no matter how much I try to shove any thoughts away. When I close my eyes at night, I see his eyes staring back at me. In the bottom left drawer of the desk, underneath a stash of miscellaneous dried flowers, is a compilation of letters I have written to send to the Night Court--most of it probably useless information since being confined to this room to heal. Any information Daethia and Neia can muster, I write about. Every time a letter is written, I try to use my magic to send it, but it fails every time.

An invisible wall of my magic this morning told me that the King has put a ward around the castle, blocking out any magic from exiting or entering. So, I will continue to write, and hopefully I will discover a place I can get them out. 

I startle at the sound of a single knock on my door. Shoving the apple I took for lunch into the desk drawers, I respond, "Enter."

Two soldiers come into the room, their hands already on the hilts of their swords. "The King is traveling to the coast and wishes for you to join him," the taller, blonde haired soldier says. Their gazes inspect the piece of furniture I sit at.

I nod once, standing from the chair, "I will be ready in a moment."  

"His Majesty wants to leave this very moment," the other, black haired soldier said with a stern voice as they both took a step forward. 

I stiffen, "No, he can wait. I will be ready in a moment," I repeat firmly. 

The black haired soldier reaches for me, to drag me out of the room and to the King. Before he manages to do so, I step back and grab a hold onto his arm first. "I said in a moment." The soldier grunts in pain as I bend the armor around his limb. The sizzling pressure in my chest releases and shadows explode around me, racing down my arm like a charging cavalry. The blonde haired soldier steps backwards, his face a display of horror. 

Kill him Kill him Kill him, the Cauldron whispers in my ear, attempting to take control of the swirling darkness. 

I pull back, putting up an invisible wall to block it out. No, I hiss back, forming my shadows into their own kind of wall. They slam into the soldier in front of me, sending him flying backwards into the other one. They land in a heap in the corridor before scrambling to their feet and sprinting away. 

I straighten my ruffled clothing before closing the door, the silence now filled with the cawing of crows out the window. As I dress and prepare to leave for the chilly coast, pocketing the only safe foods in my pack, I let the stray idea of escaping to the Night Court take up space in my mind.