Helena was in her chamber being treated to lunch by the maids when her mother walked in.
"Queen Mother…" The maids in the room bowed in courtesy. Selena focused her gaze on her daughter.
"Good morrow, mother." Helena said, rising to her feet. Her dark hair was braided in crown braids, and she was wearing a yellow gown with a slit running from her feet up to her knees.
"You look horrible, Helena." Selena's face became etched with worry when she gazed at her daughter's face from a close range.
"Do not make this harder than it seems for me." Helena simply said as they walked side by side to the terrace.
"What has been the grand maester's report lately? Selena asked as she took a seat on a wooden armchair on the terrace.
"Same as always, he said. I am not getting any better, nor am I getting worse." Helena took her seat opposite her mother.
"Eventually the sickness will leave." Selena consoled herself by taking a banana from a fruit vase on a table between them.
"Not before eating me inside out; I can feel my skin drying out, like some leaf on a withered tree." Helena focused her gaze on her entwined hand resting on her lap.
"Your beauty won't fade away; we won't let that happen. I have paid a merchant to import some herbs from Nehoviah; you will be fine again…soon." Selena said, taking the second bite from the banana in her hand.
"I heard the king has started the preparations for your wedding to the sea prince." Selan cheered up.
"So have I; that's the only thing keeping me going, the thought of spending my life with Vinson. It comforts me." Helena smiles.
"Then we must make this wedding happen at all costs and as soon as possible. We must not let anyone find out about your condition until after the wedding."
"I try to hide myself within the walls of my chamber, Mother. It's driving me nuts, no one to talk to, comforted by ancient books… Sometimes I feel the gods should have just taken my life instead of making me like this."
"Don't say that, Helena; there is nothing wrong with you.' Selena sighed, dropping the banana peel on the table.
"Come with me; you have to finish your lunch." Selena said, rising to her feet, she pulled Helena up from her seat and then led her into the chamber.
"Mother, I have had my fill; I can't take another spoon." Helena grumbled as her mother sat her down in front of the foods set on a table in her chamber.
"You have to eat some more; you are getting lean. You don't want Vinson to take his eyes off you… right?" Selan said, urging her to eat.
Helena blushed, then picked up a small spoon beside the dish.
"Okay, I will have some more food." She said that and then started eating.
"He does make your heart flutter, doesn't he?" Selena smiled, gazing at her daughter; she was talking about Vinson. Helena stopped eating for a while, then said…
"You have no idea."
...…..
Vashi was in her chamber, her upper body open as the maid massaged lavender oil into her skin, when the door opened and someone stepped in.
The maids attending to Vashi paused, then shifted their gaze to the door before bowing in courtesy.
"Queen Jia…" They mused, and Vashi languidly tilted her head.
"Well, well, what a pleasant surprise." She said, rising to her feet. The maids attending to her continued.
"Is this bad timing? Jia asked, snaking her way into the chamber.
"Would I be lying if I said yes? Of course not, come in." Vashi's sonorous voice pierced the air.
"That's enough." She tells the maids to massage oil into her skin. They stopped, then helped her into an orange dress, then made her sit in front of the mirror, running a brush through her long, thick hair.
"Here in Decreash, the men know how to lavish their money on their women." Vashi commended, and Jia smiled. She was seated on a hammock swing in the chamber.
"Even I am surprised at the way the king has spent good money in making sure your stay here is comfortable." Jia pursed her small lips, hardly moving as she talked.
"Have you come here to teach me how to play the flute as nicely as you do? Vashi feigned as she signaled the maids to leave them alone.
"Well, how can I? My flute was found broken, and a maid attested to dropping it while she was cleaning my dressing mirror." Jia cooed, then shifted her gaze to Vashi.
"What a shame, I would have loved to hear the melodious tune from the sound of the flute. I have never seen another play it as well as you do." Vashi said, then shifted her position from the stool in front of the dressing mirrors; she sat up on the edge of her bed.
"Tell me, Queen Jia, where do you come from?" Vashi said, flinging her hair behind her back.
"Hamstrung..." There seemed to be some pride in Jia's voice.
"Vashi arched her brows…" Hamstung, the second largest kingdom continentally? Vashi was mesmerized.
Jia simply nodded courteously to affirm her words.
"You came from wealth, then; it's no surprise your high taste says it all." Vashi peered at Jia's gown. It was lilac in color, having a silver embroidery on the waist, a very short sleeve, and a collar neck.
"Wealth, it clouds judgment, don't you think? Jia crossed her legs.
"You might put it that way, but I would say it determines judgement. Money and power—these two are alike; they fall under the same dictionary." Vashi cooed.
"Money isn't everything."
"So the rich say…" Vashi scoffed.
"A commoner will cut off his right hand to be in your place if it is possible. Hamstung sounds like an interesting place; that will be my next touring site when I leave Decreash."
"And when will that be? She smiled questioningly.
"Soon." Vashi said, pouting her lips.
The only good thing about Hamstung is the wealth, but the heat is enough to melt all the gold in the treasury." Jia started off.
"People literally walk naked around the streets, water is one of the most valuable things in this world, and that is the very thing we lack."
"The gods compensated it with money." Vashi purred.
"In a kingdom residing in the far east of the deserts, you would think we are doing just fine; it's a slave barricaded."
"Your father trades slaves? Vashi's curiosity was piqued.
"He traded slaves like it was a curse. My brother will be worse; he already exploits women. I wonder what will become of my father's empire when he dies. It was with these thoughts that I agreed to get married to Ragaleon."
"I see…" Vashi clicked her tongue.
Just then a maid walks in.
"Queen Jia, you have been summoned." The maid said goodbye, bowed, and then took her leave. Jia rose to her feet, her gown dropping simultaneously.
"It was an honor to talk with you again." Vashi smiled.
Jia smiled and then simply walked out. The smile on Vashi's face disappeared immediately after Jia left.
"And I have always wondered what is different about her; she swims in money and then tells me money isn't everything." Vashi rose to her feet.
"Viper, come to your mother." She said it crawled out from under the bed, then climbed up her legs, gliding until it got behind her neck, and then she used her hair to shield it.
She walked out of her chamber, her small curves swaying. For a split second she was distracted by something, then suddenly someone bumped into her, their shoulders colliding in the process.
"My apologies." Micah said, her eyes quickly flashing at Vashi's neck. She saw a tail, a black curled tail; she was not losing her mind after all.
Vashi quickly arranges herself and then runs her lean fingers through her hair, fixing it up.
"You should watch where you are going." Vashi said with contempt, her gaze ice cold.
"Queen Micah." Tamar suddenly walks up to them. Vashi was a bit taken aback; the lady in front of her was the famous Queen Micah she had been hearing about.
She turns to face Micah, then says…
"The queen that cares." She purred.
"These were the very words roaming around the streets of Decreash for days." Vashi smiled slyly.
Micah simply shifted her attention to Tamar for a fleeting second.
"Let me entertain you with wine, Vashi. Come with me." Micah said, slightly lifting up her purple gown, it had a zip running from her neck down to her chest, then a golden embroidery on the waist and collar of the dress.
Before Vashi could reply, Micah had already turned around and started walking away. She did this so that Vashi won't be given a chance to refute her invitation.
Vashi took her time walking far behind; by the time she got to Micah's room, the latter had disappeared out of sight. She entered the colossal chamber, her footsteps clicking on the marbled floor with precision.
The room was dimly lit as the curtains were shot closed and was also warm because of the fireplace in the chamber. Beside the fireplace was a wooden rocking chair that was empty.
Vashi allowed her eyes to roam around Micah's chamber for a while before finally landing on a desk, with an open book on it and a burning candle next to the book. She made her way to where the book was, then slouched forward, her green eyes magnetizing the words on the book.
Suddenly her eyes became cold; like a burning coal, the flames in her eyes died. When she slowly lifted her green siren eyes, there was a flash of hazard.
"Vashi, you are here. And for a split second I thought you turned around and left; that would have indeed wounded my pride." Micah walks into the room accompanied by Tamar.
Vashi faked a smile, her green eyes dropping, her gaze now fixed on the floor.
"Queen Micah… How is it that we have never crossed oaths before? She asked the question as though it was compulsory and must be answered, her tone firm but calm.
"I don't know; you tell me, Vashi." Micah swayed her gown to the side and then began to walk up to Vashi, who was reclined on the desk. But Vashi straightened up and then made her way to an armchair in the chamber and sat down on it.
"You have a taste for books? It sounded more like a query than a question.
"Knowledge is power." Micah slowly reclined on the rocky chair beside the fireplace.
"Too much knowledge, however, makes someone prone to danger, don't you think? Vashi was using her finger to play with her hair, her siren eyes fixed on Micah as if he were prey.
Micah crossed her hand elegantly on her lap; her wavy black hair cascaded at both sides of her face as her brown eyes lingered on Vashi.
"It is too bad then, because I plan to make knowledge my weapon, a tool that can be given out in return for something as valuable." Micah tapped her lean fingers on her lap.
The atmosphere was a bit tense.
"Let's dine together, shall we? Micah rises to her feet, then claps her hand twice. Maids began to file in, holding up different trays of exotic food.
"I have a feeling that this is going to be the beginning of a new relationship." Micah said, taking a seat on an armchair opposite Vashi as the food was set on a long table between the chairs.
Vashi watched as a maid poured her wine; she simply plucked the golden cup from the table and then slowly brought it to her lips…
"Let's hope this relationship lasts."