Racheal was swarmed with maids in her chamber. Every maid had something to do; one of the maids was massaging Racheal's feet with lavender oil.
Racheal was seated on a hammock swing in her chamber. Her stomach was swollen; it protruded through her gown slightly.
Her brown curly hair was pinned up in a messy bun, and her eyes were tightly shut as she enjoyed the magic of the maid's fingers on her feet.
Two other maids stood beside the hammock swing, fanning her with palm leaves. The atmosphere was filled with the sweet smell of the scented candles in the chamber.
Racheal slowly flutters her eyes open and then rubs her stomach tenderly.
"Is the king back from the meeting?" She asked, reaching out to a plate of biscuits on a table beside the hammock swing.
"No, my lady. The small council has been having some altercations recently."
One of the maids said, then got busy lighting up more candles in the room. The biscuits came back up in a harsh wave, spilling onto the floorboards, warm and sour.
Racheal sighed and then chewed on the biscuit angrily. She craved to be touched, to feel Ragaleon's body on hers, but that won't be happening anytime soon.
"Leave…all of you."
Her voice was firm, but the weight of authority was present. The maids stopped whatever they were doing; they filed out of the chamber one by one; the last maid locked the door behind her.
Racheal was wearing a loose, plain white gown, her nipples peeking out of the light dress. Her breasts were swollen; she was beginning to have a pregnancy glow.
She picked another biscuit from the silver plate on the table, but just as she brought it to her mouth to chew, her stomach churned, and she felt a little rumble.
She nibbled on the biscuit for a while, deep in thought, before finally shoving it into her mouth.
At first, the sweetness clung to her tongue pleasantly, but soon it began to feel heavy and sticky, as though the crumbs had turned to paste in her throat.
She pressed a hand against her stomach, a slow unease spreading through her belly.
She swallowed hard, hoping it would pass, but the nausea rose stubbornly, curling up her chest and tightening her jaw.
Her throat burned, and her hands shook as she clung to the edge of the table for balance before rushing to the bathing arena in the chamber, where she poured her guts out. For a moment, she could only gasp, her chest heaving, the taste of bile cutting through the sweetness she had forced down.
She washed her face and stepped out only to see a figure seated on a rocky chair beside the fireplace in the chamber.
Racheal paused in her steps; she squinted her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the person's face, and as she drew closer, she realized it was Jazell.
She sighed in relief before composing herself.
"Coming into my chamber unannounced is the perfect definition of lack of courtesy." Racheal groaned, placing one of her hands on her waist before settling down on a chair beside the rocking chair Jazell was seated on.
They were now seated facing the fireplace.
The chamber was quiet, save for the crackle of flames gnawing at the logs. Jazell was seated stiffly opposite the fireplace.
Her profile was sharp against the firelight, shadows dancing all over her face.
Jazell turned her eyes, cool as steel, and without a tremor in her tone replied,
"I knocked. Twice."
"That doesn't justify anything."
Racheal said before turning to her side.
Beside her, a brown wicker basket rested quietly; in it were some yarns and a pair of knitting needles.
She reached for them with a graceful hand, pulling the yarn loose before setting the needles into motion. With each careful loop and click, she began to knit, her fingers steady, her face serene, as if weaving threads was her way of taming the silence around her.
Jazell watched with intense attention before redrawing her gaze. She focused her gaze on the cup of wine in her hand, resting firmly on her lap.
"Lately you have been grumpy."
Jazell pointed out before sipping from her wine.
Racheal smiled bitterly.
"It's just the mood swings setting in. I will be fine."
She retorted, her gaze fixed on the yarn she was spinning.
"Accept it, Racheal; the king hasn't been giving you enough attention, the attention you so much yearn for."
Jazell said softly, her lips barely moving.
"You can say whatever you want to… I really do not care."
"Oh, but you do."
Jazell cuts in sharply, her rosy lips in a sly grin. She tapped the surface of the cup of wine with her index finger, then crossed her legs.
"You already had this whole thing pictured…didn't you? You earn the king's favor, he puts a baby in your womb, and then you become queen of the realms."
Jazell's face paled as she talked, her eyes losing life, turning cold.
"Who wouldn't want to be the queen of the realms? It is such a glorious thing to refuse it… is like throwing away a good opportunity."
Racheal retorted, and she slowed down the pace she was using to knit.
"Make no mistake. Jazell, I am not after the throne. I am not a blood-sucking leech like you. I only want what is best for me and my son."
"Isn't the throne best for you and your son?"
Jazell was terribly displeased, her voice dripping with authority.
Racheal paused what she was doing. She raised her gaze and turned to look at Jazell; silence followed.
"What do you really want to say, Jazell? I know you didn't come all the way to my chamber for nothing."
"True."
Jazell answers, lifting her crystal blue eyes slowly; the flames from the fireplace are reflected in them, giving her eyes a deadly glint.
"Let's face it, Racheal, the favor of the king is give and take." Her voice was low, barely audible.
"Tamina is a perfect example. A queen who rose in favor too quickly, and now there is nothing to show for it. She has been forgotten, like she never existed."
Jazell's eyes were fixed on the fireplace, unwavering. Her nonchalant aura overwhelmed the atmosphere; her fingers tapped on the arm of the chair lightly.
"What happened to Tamina wasn't a coincidence; we can both attest to that."
Racheal replied, putting the needle she was using to knit away. She tilted her head slightly, then sighed.
"Such a fate lies ahead of you if you don't watch your back." Jazell warned calmly, her blue eyes flickering towards Racheal for a split second.
Racheal's face fell.
"I will never let anything happen to my child." She said, placing her hand on her stomach.
"Tamina must have also sworn to protect her child…"
"Do not compare me to that fool! She has always been careless, parading herself like some proud peacock." Racheal hissed irritatedly.
"There we go," Jazell smiled slightly.
"It didn't take long for me to dig up your real feelings towards Tamina." She mused, then scoffed.
"I have no ill feelings towards her…" Racheal said she felt guilty for condemning Tamina in the first place.
"But the feeling of resentment is only natural; we can never get along, not in this life, but maybe in the next." Racheal said and then lowered her gaze.
"We have both come a long way…" Jazell was interrupted.
"We?" Racheal chorused in a mocking tone.
"Admit it or not, we both make a good team."
Jazell said, rubbing her palms together before crossing her hand elegantly on her lap.
"So this is what all of this is about. Skimming around the bush only to hit the nail on the head in the end. If you want an ally, you should have just said so."
Jazell froze. Although her face was rigid, void of any emotions, her body stiffened slightly. Even at this, she was still able to maintain her charisma.
"Not just an ally, a loyal one. We are better off as friends than enemies. Having each other's back, we leave no room for the external enemies to penetrate. I have made this offer before…."
"And I turn it down again."
Racheal cuts in rashly.
"You have said it yourself, Jazell. You are never loyal; you only do things for your selfish interest. You came to destroy and reign in the ruins of your enemies."
Rachael paused, then swallowed hard.
"I will be a fool to ever trust you; it will be the last thing I will do."
"Maybe you are right, and maybe you are not."
Jazell started off and then adjusted on the chair.
"But things have changed, and my heart has been softened." She added, then turned to look at the reaction.
Racheal couldn't hold back the laughter crawling up her throat. She laughed mockingly; it was the first time she had been cheerful today.
"You know what? You have simply made my day; that is enough reason for me to ignore your rants."
She said and then rose to her feet. She tried to hold back her laughter, but it was pointless.
"You spin the yarn so well, I might have to come to you for some lessons." Jazell said without sparing her a glare.
Racheal was still recovering from her laughter; she waved her hand off irritably.
"Name whatever it is you want me to knit; you deserve an award for making my day."
Racheal was in the mood to be entertained and make more jests.
"Whatever you knit for your baby, make it twice as much."
Jazell answered and then rose to her feet; the blue gown she was wearing dropped to her feet.
The smile on Rachel's face disappeared. Now it was Jazell's turn to have the last laugh.
When Jazell slowly placed her hand on her stomach and then rubbed it softly, Racheal didn't need any confirmation of her worst fear.
"My baby should also have nicely knitted sweaters; it's such a shame I am not handy with needles, but thank the gods… you are here." Jazell smiled.
Racheal stumbled a few steps backwards, blinking her eyes rapidly. Her throat became dry; her gaze was now fixed on Jazell's stomach, which was not swollen yet.
"If you are lying to me…" Racheal didn't want to believe what Jazell had just said.
"I have no reason to lie and no reason to prove myself either." She said, then inched closer.
"You turned down my proposal for the second time, Racheal."
Her voice was calm, filled with ominous dread.
"I just hope…you don't regret it."
Her words echoed in Racheal's ear; she locked gaze with her, eye to eye, then finally turned around and took her leave.
Racheal was left in absent silence. Her legs grew weak; she held on to the arm of the chair close to her for support, but when she could no longer take it, she collapsed back on the chair.
"Once an enemy, always an enemy."