Dionne
The healer moved very quietly. She didn't ask any questions or even look in my direction. She simply sat at the side of the bed and placed a gentle hand on Nora's forehead.
"You shouldn't have been wandering the castle," she finally said to me, in a low soft tone that made me strain my ears even though she was right in front of me.
"She was burning with fever," I whispered, my voice raw. "And she wouldn't wake up earlier. I—I didn't know what else to do."
"I understand. You did what any mother would do," the healer said, her focus entirely on Nora. "You wanted to keep her alive. But you must understand, that you shouldn't be wandering these halls without proper guidance or permission. You might not be so lucky next time."
What was behind these walls that made wandering around such a big deal? Why was the castle so unnaturally silent and empty? And why had we been locked away in that room without explanation?
I sat on the edge of the bed, hugging my knees to my chest, as I watched her work. Her fingers were swift but careful as she applied a cool, damp compress to Nora's brow and mixed a poultice in a small cup with dried herbs and some water. The scent of chamomile and mint filled the room.
Once she was satisfied with the consistency, she gently pulled Nora into a sitting position and fed her the mixture before letting her lie down again.
"She'll need rest," the healer said softly after a while. "But the fever will break by morning. I'll leave some medicine for her and will check on her again tomorrow."
I nodded, clutching my hands together in my lap, the knot of fear in my stomach finally starting to loosen. "Thank you."
She finally looked up at me then, her expression sympathetic. But it didn't last long as she began gathering her things back into the leather bag.
"Y-you said the King sent you? D-did he s-say anything about us? W-why we're here?" I tried and she paused in her movement, raising her eyes to meet mine.
And for the first time, I noticed the huge dark circles that sat under her eyes. The entire area under her eyes was black and had a hollowed look. Like she hadn't slept in weeks. Maybe even months.
"The King sent me with instructions to care for the child. Nothing else."
My heart twisted painfully in my chest. The image of him in the corridor replayed in my head. His voice had felt like knives, the fresh blood on his hands and the utter coldness in his eyes scared me deeply.
After the healer left, I curled around Nora, stroking her damp hair as her breathing deepened into peaceful sleep. Her fevered flush was already beginning to fade. For the first time in what felt like days, I let out a full, shuddering breath and shut my eyes, willing sleep to come.
But I couldn't get the image of the monster with those gray eyes who'd saved us from the auction house one moment, only to threaten my child's life in the next, and then in the next minute was sending the help that would save her life.
I couldn't understand how that was one person.
The next time I opened my eyes, Nora's fever had broken.
She slept peacefully now, her mouth slightly open, her soft breaths ghosting across the pillow. I stayed by her side, soaking in the quiet rhythm of her breathing, smiling when she murmured in her sleep.
But the peace didn't last.
A sharp, authoritative knock rattled the door. Before I could answer, it creaked open and Margaret walked into the room. I scrambled out of bed, thankful when I didn't land face first onto the wooden floors.
Margaret had the same blank, slightly annoyed look on her face as the first time I'd met her and now that I was up close with her, it felt like that was her permanent expression.
"You'll answer to me now," she said, her voice as crisp and cold as her appearance.
I nodded quickly, my heart sinking as I smoothed down the dress Violet had given to me. "Yes, ma'am."
"You and your child have been assigned a quarters in the servants wing. Follow me."
My gaze darted to Nora, still lost in sleep. "S-She's just—"
"She's coming with," Margaret interrupted, her voice sharp with impatience. "She's not going to be assigned work, but you'll share a room with her." She didn't wait for a response before she turned around and walked out of the room.
A cold dread twisted in my stomach, but I bit my tongue, gathered Nora in my arms and followed. Now that it was morning, the hallway didn't look as oppressive as it'd looked last night.
Margaret walked briskly, her kitten heels clicking a sharp rhythm, never once looking back to see if I was keeping up.
She led us out of the building and we took a winding path down north. We walked for what felt like a long time, but the deeper we went, the more people I saw.
Rows of buildings lined each side of the road neatly and I noticed that there were towers along the perimeter too. We were in a large circular estate with the creepy quiet castle in front, while behind it was a completely different story.
How come there were so many people here, but not a single soul lurking around the castle?
Finally, she stopped before a building and walked in. There were brown doors on each side and it wasn't until we got to the very end that she pushed the door on the left open to reveal a spacious room with two beds.
"Dionne?"
A wave of relief washed over me when my eyes fell on the girl curled up on the bed at the other end of the wall.
"Violet!"
She came forward, her smile soft and genuine as she touched my arm. "She looks uncomfortable, come on. Let her lie down." She said softly to me, as she led me into the room.
I gently laid Nora on the bed, surprised she hadn't woken up from that long walk.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Margaret cleared her throat sharply. "Enough pleasantries. We are already halfway through the week, which means I cannot assign you a fixed duty rotation yet. Instead, you will receive daily assignments until Monday, when you can be properly integrated into the regular schedule." She finished, and I nodded rapidly. But Margaret's frown deepened.
I couldn't tell what I had done to displease her further, but I had a feeling the older woman didn't like me.
"Today your assignment is to clean the dungeons. I'll put Hannah in charge of you so she'll show you everything you need to know. All cells need to be clean before sundown. You don't want to know what happens when you don't finish your assignments." Margaret said, her eyes straying to Nora's sleeping frame on the bed.
The implication was clear. My performance affected not just myself but my daughter's safety.