Undead Fate

Chapter Nine

A TASTE OF FREEDOM

When I woke up, for a second, I thought everything that happened for the past month had been a dream. I slept well, I smelled like lavenders, and I was wearing fresh clothes.

I yawned gleefully and stretched my arms until my joints popped, and then I realized that my bed at home doesn't have a canopy.

I blinked.

I turned my head to the right and saw a traditional fireplace, complete with chunky protruding rocks surrounded by the hearth with a classic wood mantel. Then I spotted the roughly shaped, heavy wooden table and log stools, and big wide windows that spilled with bright sunlight. The rustic vibe of the log cabin completed the picture.

I sighed ruefully. Of course, that would be too good to be true. Well, at least, I didn't wake up inside a stinking shack or in a dungeon cell.

I had been declared innocent merely two days ago and the peaceful days I spent catching up on a much-needed rest was in the log cabin the king had gifted me. It was in the palace ground though it was too far back that it made an illusion as though I was outside the walls.

Today, I planned to get out of the palace and roam. I decided that since I was stuck in this world anyway, I'd rather enjoy my stay and treat this like an excursion. Now that I was free from my charges and I didn't need to treat a whole village, this was finally a good break from my hectic life in New York.

In fairness, I liked my entire wardrobe. Aleixandre had generously given me fancy Greek-style dresses, robes, sandals, and I wouldn't breathe it to another soul, but I loved the jewelry the most. True, I felt bad for receiving these gifts but since the king insisted, I didn't really have a choice but to accept them.

I just finished my breakfast when Medea came over to visit. I was glad to see her, mainly because I was thankful of her statement that proved my innocence, but also because I wanted to ask her if she had any breakthrough about the space traveling spell.

Medea was surprised when I greeted her with a tight hug. She looked at me with puzzled yet amused eyes that made me feel I was acting weird. But in the end she just went along with it, awkwardly patted my back and smiled.

"I see that you've been treated well after that gruesome trial." Medea looked around the cabin appreciatively, "very well, indeed."

"The king is generous," I pulled Medea inside and led her to the table, "he even sent me servants. Can you believe that?" I grimaced. The first day I was brought in the cabin, Aleixandre had sent me two palace maids to attend to my needs: cleaning the house and to my alarm, bathing and feeding me. This I vehemently refused that the two women went back to the palace affronted. Apparently, it is a grave offense to relieve palace servants of their duties, especially if the king personally ordered it.

Medea laughed, "after all that you've been through since you came to his kingdom? It's only proper he shows a bit of repentance."

"Not by lavish gifts, though," I said, shaking my head.

"The people of his kingdom think that you are a goddess,"

"Which is totally rubbish, if you ask me. I didn't cause that rain, you know."

She gave a smile, "that, I wonder. It could be that you did cause that rain, Isabella."

"Whoa, let's not jump to conclusions. In our world, we do have 'witches' but it's not real. And surely, I am not a witch at all. I'd know, okay? That rain was a total coincidence and I am thankful for it. It saved me."

Medea chose to leave that topic at that, "You look dressed for a stroll, are you about to go when I arrived?"

"Well, yes, I am planning to visit the town. But we can talk, I am glad you visited me. I haven't had the chance to thank you for saving me in that courtroom. If you didn't come, that Circe bitch would have eaten me alive. She's ferocious." I finished with a shudder.