This love is like a curse (11)
She got out of bed and looked in the mirror for a long time at her emaciated reflection.
Looks exactly like that rat in the stew.
With these thoughts, she involuntarily chuckled. At that moment, the maid who helped her clean herself up every morning entered the room.
- You are already awake. Come in, I'll help you wash up.
- No need.
The woman’s face twitched slightly at the cold answer. She gave Thalia an arrogant look and began to lecture:
“Her Highness is obliged to observe palace etiquette.” Children's whims are inappropriate...
- Nanny!
At her sharp cry, the maid shuddered and immediately fell silent. Thalia walked past her, ignoring her, and began to furiously shake the bell next to the bed.
- Nanny! Nanny!
The door of the next room opened, and a breathless nanny, awakened by a scream, ran into the princess’s chambers.
Thalia pointed at her and spoke with an arrogant tone.
- From now on, only the nanny will take care of my toilet. Yesterday my mother personally gave permission. So you can go.
- But...
“Are you going to disobey the Empress’s orders?”
The maid, looking at her with bewilderment, reluctantly left, not wanting to argue. It seemed like she had no plans to help from the start.
Thalia, looking at the nanny with eyes swollen from lack of sleep, sharply shouted:
-Did you hear? Now only you will dress and wash me. Get yourself in order and get to work.
“Yes, my girl...” she muttered, yawning.
Thalia didn't hesitate to hit the woman's plump cheek with a full swing. The nanny stared at her in amazement.
The girl portrayed the icy expression on her face that she often saw on Senevier when she was furious.
- How many times do I have to repeat: call me “your highness”?
Thalia looked into the amazed brown eyes and minted every word:
- Remember: if you call me a girl again, you will get a slap in the face.
Then, without allowing the woman to come to her senses, she ordered her to begin her morning routine.
The nanny was so slow that by the time she had finished her morning toilet several hours had passed. From long-term malnutrition, Thalia could barely stand on her feet, but she still straightened her back and left the room.
A gloomy man in black clothes stood in the corridor. Seeing the stranger at her door, Talia tensed, but remembering her mother’s words about the “good guard”, she nodded to him to follow her.
Entering the dining room, Talia received several dissatisfied glances. It looked like the servants had been waiting for her to come down for a long time. The girl did not pay the slightest attention to them, sat proudly at the head of the long table and snapped her fingers:
- Serve the food.
The servants, even after hearing the order, continued to stand with indifferent faces. But soon, under the guidance of a middle-aged maid, they appeared, bearing silver platters laden with food.
Following her instructions, they placed the silver plates one after another, and finally a bowl of soup was placed in front of Thalia.
She stared at it. The cloudy broth was full of beans and meat. Everything looked fine on the outside, but it was obvious that the contents weren't that good.
Thalia took a spoon and stirred the thick liquid coated with white cream. At the bottom of the plate was a dead sparrow with its neck twisted.
It looked like it had been picked up a long time ago: in the eye sockets of the decomposing bird, thread-thin larvae wriggled.
Her insides were so twisted that she almost vomited. But Thalia tried her best to hide her excitement and sharply called out to the maid who served the soup:
- You! Come here and sit down.
The woman froze with a puzzled expression on her face, and then looked warily at the princess.
After a short pause, the maid spoke in a cold tone:
“Forgive me, your highness, but I have a lot to do,” she said and immediately turned around, preparing to leave the hall.
Usually after serving, she stood nearby to watch Thalia's reaction, clearly enjoying the spectacle. But today, sensing something was wrong, she hurriedly tried to leave.
Talia suddenly jumped up from her seat, grabbed a copper teapot from the dining table and hit the impudent maid on the head with all her might, who dared not only to disobey the princess’s order, but also turned her back on her without permission.
Even if the blow was delivered by a fragile child’s hand, metal is metal.
With a piercing scream, the maid collapsed onto the carpet.
Everyone present in the dining room - and there were at least a dozen of them - seemed petrified. Several maids covered their mouths, screaming in horror.
But Thalia didn't pay any attention to their reaction. She nodded arrogantly towards the man who stood like a shadow against the wall.
“Sit this woman next to me.”
The man, who had not taken his eyes off her all this time, slowly walked up and picked up the maid, who was in a semi-conscious state.
The woman, having come to her senses, began to resist fiercely, but she could not resist the strength of a trained man. Almost dragged, she was seated at the table next to Thalia.
The girl returned to her seat and looked intently at the face of the woman sitting next to her. Due to the blow from the sharp edge of the teapot, the skin on his head split open, and dark blood flowed down his temple, leaving two long dark marks on his pale cheek.
Not paying any attention to the terrifying sight, Thalia pushed a plate of soup towards her, in which a dead sparrow was floating. The confused gaze darted to the soup, and then back up to Thalia.
She placed a spoon in her palm, despite the fact that the woman’s fingers were cold and wet with sweat.
“As a token of gratitude for your daily efforts in preparing my meal, today I give you my food.” Out of respect for me, eat every last crumb.
“Y-Your Highness, I... I...
- Eat.
Talia forcefully directed her hand towards the plate.
- After all, you brought this to me yourself. Why don't you want to eat now?
- I... I just...
The woman's lips trembled and she looked around for help. But everyone froze and seemed to not know what to do.
Talia shouted furiously:
- Eat quickly!
The maid quickly pulled back and shook off Thalia's hand, then tried to get to her feet to run away. But the man behind her squeezed her so tightly that she could not take a single step.
The woman's eyes darted between his grim face and Thalia's. Soon she began to sob and beg:
- P-have mercy... I... won’t do this again... Please... just forgive me at least once...
“If you don’t empty this plate, you won’t get out of here on your own two feet.”
The woman's face became deathly pale. She stared at the man's belt, apparently seeing a sword attached to it.
Breathing convulsively, she begged:
- Please, please... Have mercy...
- Don't you see? This is my grace,” Talia answered indifferently. “I could kill you right now.” But I give you a chance to stay alive.
The woman's body was shaking. Thalia pushed the soup with the rotting carcass close to her face.
- If you understand, put it all in your mouth.