This love is like a curse (33)
But the door did not budge.
Thalia pulled the handle several times before realizing that the door was locked from the inside. She clenched her teeth.
"Damn Isla..."
The anger she had been holding in all night was ready to burst out and explode.
Biting her bleeding lip, Thalia stared at the door in rage, then spun around.
Perhaps this is even for the better. If she acted impulsively, without any preparation, and failed... It would result in a senseless death - only for her.
We must act calmly. Get ready. The path is still long, but the opportunity will definitely present itself.
With an effort of will, she regained her breathing and quickly left the corridor. I was just about to go down the stairs and return to my room when I suddenly heard a creak.
She hastily pressed herself against the nearest column and hid.
With the first rays of dawn, a dim shadow stretched along the corridor.
Talia cautiously peeked out from her hiding place. A slender woman stood in front of the door of the next room. The light made it possible to see her face: middle-aged, with thick brown hair and simple features.
Only a moment later did Thalia recognize her as one of the maids assigned to her by her mother.
The woman quietly closed the door, threw a dark brown hood over her head and silently glided down the corridor. Talia followed her, keeping her eyes on her.
The woman left the building and quickly moved along the damp, muddy road, in which there were puddles. Her movements were confident and practiced - as if she had undergone reconnaissance training.
Looking around, she stopped at a small gazebo behind the main chapel.
Thalia hid behind a column of the arch and began to watch. The woman was rushing about in front of the gazebo, as if she was expecting someone. And then, noticing someone, she quickly moved forward.
Following her gaze, Thalia saw in the darkness a monk in black robes who was slowly approaching.
His face seemed familiar - perhaps he was among those present at the dinner. He looked to be about forty. He pulled out a small bottle from his bosom and handed it to the woman.
She opened the lid, looked inside, then closed the vessel again and hid it in her sleeve.
After that, the woman turned around and went back the same way.
Talia took off and rushed back to the residential building.
As she climbed the stairs and ran into the bedroom, she felt the strength leaving her legs.
Leaning her back against the door, she listened. A couple of moments later, there was a creaking sound outside - someone opened and closed the door, then everything became quiet again.
Thalia swallowed.
She didn't know exactly what this scene meant.
Who is this monk? Her mother's ally? If so, what did he convey? I? Are they really plotting poisoning?
Talia swallowed hard.
If it was poison, it could have been obtained without the help of others. And if such complex mediation was required, it means that the substance was so dangerous that it could not even be transported to the capital.
What were they up to?
She turned over possible options in her mind, but none of them formed a clear picture.
One thing was obvious: something serious was being prepared.
Senevier always achieved everything she wanted. If she decided to get rid of her long-time enemies, the crown prince is already dead. And if you're lucky, Ayla will disappear with him.
Her heart was pounding wildly with excitement, and a satisfied smile appeared on Thalia’s lips.
* * *
A new long and tiring journey began.
An escort of hundreds of knights and foot soldiers moved forward under the scorching sun. At this rate, they will cross the border of the former kingdom of Osiria in ten days.
Having unfolded the map and estimated the remaining distance, Edric Lubon turned his head and looked at the crew, where dead silence reigned.
The princess, as always, closed the windows with thick curtains and did not show herself.
He rode his horse closer to the carriage and peered into the vague shadow behind the curtain. Even the horses were suffocating from the heat - was she really boiled alive there?..
- Your Highness, maybe we can air it out a little?
-...Get out.
Luckily, she seemed to still be alive. Edric sighed and directed his horse forward, towards the head of the column.
There, as always, the crown prince rode on his golden Nornex steed. Edric carefully studied his face. Gareth, red with anger, shouted something irritably towards Sir Siekan. Judging by the fragments of phrases, he seemed to be trying to find out when the rest would be.
It won't be an easy journey.
Ahead of them lay days of travel through wastelands, wild fields and mountain passes. Will the stubborn and spoiled heir be able to withstand such an exhausting journey?
Edric shook his head and rode up to Longboat. His commander, with an absent look, ignored the prince's complaints and carefully watched the road. He didn’t even show that he cared about how the future emperor behaved.
Amazed by this calmness for the umpteenth time, Edric spoke with caution:
- Sir Siekan, the heat is very exhausting for the soldiers. Perhaps it’s worth looking for a suitable place and stopping, albeit a little earlier?
The longboat, which had previously been silently looking forward, turned to him. Edric involuntarily tensed. He had never seen the man raise his voice or lose his composure. And yet, standing in front of him, he felt an inexplicable pressure every time.
He swallowed dryly and hastened to add:
- If this is an inappropriate suggestion, forgive me. It just seems like the back rows are starting to fall behind a lot...
— In half an hour there will be a lake. “We’ll rest there,” Barkas interrupted.
Edric stared at him in bewilderment, then nodded hastily. The Crown Prince, who had been watching them all this time with a displeased look, suddenly exploded:
- When I speak, you pretend that you don’t hear, but as soon as this young man blurts out something, you immediately rush to do it?!
“I just didn’t see the need to answer, Your Highness.” But your every word was heard.
- Who gave you the right to decide whether to answer or not?!
The Crown Prince roared. His powerful voice, matching his imposing figure, literally pierced my eardrums.
Edric suppressed an irritated click and returned to the rear of the column. He was amazed at how helpless and capricious the prince, famous for his temper, became next to Sir Siekan.
...What really needs to be feared is what will happen after Sir Siekan leaves.
When Longboat Raedgo Siekan leaves for the East, not a single person will be left nearby who could restrain the prince’s fits of rage. But the first princess will go with him. Only Gareth and Thalia Roem Girtha will remain in the palace.
The thought of the future of the Order under the rule of these two madmen made Edric shiver. He sighed heavily and drove up to Thalia's carriage.
Soon a horn sounded ahead, signaling a halt. Edric stopped his horse and ordered his subordinates to set up camp. The knights quickly set up light tents on a flat surface, creating shade. Edric led the horse to the carriage and knocked softly on the window.
— Halt. It's time to go out, don't you think?
-...
- How much longer are you going to persist? You've been locked up all day. If you continue in the same spirit, you may lose consciousness.
He deliberately spoke harshly, even ready to slap her in the face just to get her out. But there was no sound in response. Edric frowned.
What if she really lost consciousness?
A feeling of foreboding came over him and he swung the door open. A cloying smell hit my nose - a mixture of honey and milk, and hot air escaped with it.
Wrinkling his face, Edric peered into the twilight of the carriage - and immediately froze. The princess lay limp on the floor.