The King's Inamorata (A Queen's Tale #1)

Blue Bird

Agna placed her hand on Vivia's shoulder. "It must be a misunderstanding."

Viva stared at the letter she was writing with contempt before crumbling it up in her hand. She tossed it into the trash bin near her desk before putting her quill back in its jar of ink. She stared out the window. "It's been months." her voice was far away.

"Something must've happened!" Agna insisted passionately. When one of Vivia's patients stirred, she quieted her voice. "Luc would never--"

"It doesn't matter." she got up the kitchen table and tossed everything into an open drawer before closing it with a swing of her hip. She grabbed her cloak and secured it around her shoulders. "He's forgotten us and I don't want to hear another word of it. Am I understood?"

Perhaps it was Vivia's tone of voice, but Agna became submissive. Instead, she took a tray and filled it with glasses of water. There was still a hand full of people fighting off the last of the flu but she suspected they'd be back home by next week. 

She left the house without another word and into the late winter morning. The sun had fought its way through the clouds and was melting the last of the snow. In just a few weeks, the days would grow longer and it would be time to tend to the fields once more. The winter was just as harsh as everyone expected. It destroyed half of the land she lived on. How was she to support herself now? Everyone in the town was suffering and they paid her poorly for her services because it was all they could afford.

With no one being able to grow their own food locally they would have to import from outside of Canta and it would surely cost a fortune. Agna was doing her best to help maintain the bank but she had her own business to tend to. Vivia was left juggling the bank, the lands, and being a physician all at the same exact time. Now that Tomas's heart attack had paralyzed him from the waist down, she needed to figure out a way to manage everything on her own now.

Oh, poor Tomas. Just a week ago he was on the brink of death and as if, by some miracle, he somehow managed to survive. Now his health was in a more precarious state than ever. She heard the song of a bluebird coming from the tree branches above her head. It wasn't until then that she realized she'd wandered far off into the forest.

The reality of having to face the new season weighed so heavily on her that she crumbled until she was on the floor with her back against a tree. Tears of anguish sprung to her eyes and flew down her cheeks. She was all alone. Not even Tomas could help her. Once spring came, business for Agna would flourish and she would be too busy to help. How would she make money for food? How would she take care of Tomas, the bank, the land, the town, all at the same exact time?

She thought about moving away, perhaps to a big city where a physician was always needed. But she didn't have any money for that and moving Tomas came with too many risks. 

"What am I to do?" she said. "Whatever am I supposed to do?"

                                                                                          ***

It was night time when Vivia went upstairs to check on Tomas. Everyone downstairs had fallen fast asleep a few hours ago and since Tomas was in her bed, she was sleeping in the basement. She didn't mind much, however. It gave her the alone time she needed to ponder her thoughts. 

Tomas's dinner was still on the tray on her desk, untouched. He was sitting up in bed with his back against the wall. Next to him, the window was open just a crack. He was in the middle of sealing a letter. The red wax slipped off the stick with ease as it melted onto the yellow parchment beneath his fingertips. He used his stamp to close it then flipped it over to scribble an address on it. She noticed he'd been writing many letters lately.

"Should I mail that one out tomorrow, too?"

"Yes, please." he said.

She sat down at her desk and stared at the bowl of soup and slice of bread he hadn't eaten. Tomas looked to be only half the person he used to be, with hollow cheeks and dark circles under his eyes. "You've been writing an awful lot lately."

He opened his mouth the speak but the words got caught in his throat. He glanced at her but remained silent as he handed over the letter. She put it in her mail drawer. "If you don't eat you'll get sick again."

"My dear, I'm dying." he expressed bluntly. "There is nothing left to do but wait until my heart stops beating."

Tomas had been very resigned and accepting of his fate. Vivia, however, not so much. "Would you leave me an orphan in this world so soon, Papa?"

It was now that his eyes softened. He moved aside the panel he was using to write on and patted the place on the bed beside him. "Come here, my dear."

Vivia sat beside him and she rested her head on his shoulder. It reminded of her when Elda was still alive. On cold nights they'd all snuggle up in bed together and they would read her a bedtime story.

"I've not told you very much about your birth parents," he said. "Have I?"

Vivia was so caught off guard she was at a loss for words. "No...I suppose you haven't. But there isn't anything to tell. You found me, remember?"

The old man let out a deep breath. "Elda and I have not always been very honest with you, my dear. What I am about to tell you is important for you to hear. I'm dying but I cannot die with this knowledge still captive in my mind. But you have to promise me, not to lose your wits. I will tell you bits and pieces every day so that you may adjust to it all more easily."

"I don't understand--"

"I'm an old man and wise, too. Be quiet and listen to me Vivia, please." he sighed again. "Elda and I knew your mother and father. A very long time ago we all lived in the same...we'll call it a village for now. When something terrible happened, your parents entrusted you into our care."

"My parents..." Vivia's voice was very far away. "Are they...?"

Tomas shook his head once. "I'm sorry, my dear. I'm afraid they are not."

The little butterfly of hope she felt in her belly had been crushed the moment he spoke. She didn't understand any of this. Why would Tomas and Elda lie to her? Why weren't they just honest to her in the first place?

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I planned to tell you the truth when you were older but it seems as though, I no longer have the luxury." Tomas took one of her dark curls and wrapped it around his finger. "You have your mother's hair, you know? And your father's gentle spirit."

She quickly wiped away the tears that trickled down her cheeks and sat up. This was too much for one person to absorb in one night. "You knew them?" her voice was merely a whisper. "You...you know what color her hair was?"

"I can see this is too much in one night for you. Go to sleep, mail my letter. We'll talk about it more tomorrow." he looked at her. "I promise."

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Hey everyone! So, like I promised. Chapters back to back to make up for being so yucky! Please let me know what you think of this chapter! Some dramatic stuff is happening!

Also, I was thinking of doing a "Question of the Chapter (QOTC)" type thing so I can get to know you guys better?

Let's try it:

QOTC: Where do you guys live?

AOTC: New York City!

XOXO Lilly