Ash-colored Despair (24)
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to speak,” the owner of the castle, standing at the door, said with a polite intonation, while Talia looked around the room with a meticulous look.
Longboat, taking off his cloak and hanging it by the fireplace, calmly asked:
“I would be grateful if they brought water for washing and hot wine.”
- I’ll give orders now.
As soon as the man left, Thalia sank heavily into a chair with a velvet cushion. Since early morning she had visited several towns and villages, and fatigue was making itself felt.
Pretending to adjust her wet skirt, she rubbed her aching knees. Longboat, glancing over her, casually remarked:
- I'll call a healer. It would be better to rest today.
Talia frowned.
- What will you do yourself?
— I'm going to talk to the lord of the castle. It might take a while, so go to bed without me.
- When was it different? - Thalia snapped.
Although they had been sharing the same room for several days, she had never seen him go to bed. Longboat worked until late at night, and sometimes spent the night in meetings with local lords. Her previous tension from living together now seemed funny.
She silently stared at him, pursing her lips, and then lay down on the bed.
“I’ll manage somehow on my own.” You do what you want too.
Longboat stood silently, watching her, then quietly left.
After some time, servants entered the room with a wooden font of hot water and trays on which stood a jug of wine and fruit.
Talia called the nanny to help her wash up quickly, then ate a couple of pieces of fruit soaked in honey and took a few sips of wine.
As she was about to ask the healer to light the sleeping herbs, she heard loud laughter outside. Apparently, the knights had a feast.
At first she only grimaced with dissatisfaction, but suddenly her shoulders tensed. High-pitched female laughter was heard in the noisy cacophony.
She shook the nanny who had dozed off by the fireplace:
- Nanny, does the owner of the castle have daughters?
- How should I know? - she answered in surprise.
Thalia exclaimed irritably:
“Didn’t you hear anything at all?!”
“I don’t really know anything myself.” “They called me right away,” the nanny muttered with a tired sigh. - Now can I go? I also want to rest.
Thalia bit her lip. Seeing the nanny's tired face, her already not too big conscience was painfully pricked. She was already exhausted from the journey, and now she had to help her wash.
Talia nodded.
- Go. Rest.
The nanny immediately left, and in the meantime Thalia looked out into the corridor. The sounds outside became clearer, and she began to feel an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She knew perfectly well that Barkas was not the kind of person who would indulge in nonsense, but her anxiety still grew.
Pursing her lips, she put on her cloak and left the room.
Walking down the shimmering corridor and down the stairs, she saw a group of men and women chatting animatedly.
Squinting, Talia carefully examined the men - the faces seemed familiar, most likely they were mounted warriors of the Siekan house. One of them put his arm around the young maid's waist and whispered something in her ear. She blushed and giggled.
Thalia turned away in disgust and walked deeper into the hall.
Barkas' assistants sat around a long table laden with snacks and wine. They also accepted wine from the hands of women barely covered with clothes.
Looks like the castle lord hired all the corrupt girls for them.
Wrinkling her nose, Talia walked across the hall with difficulty. Her thoughts were occupied with only one thing: getting Longboat out of this vile place.
- Your Highness!
While she, dragging her leaden feet, looked around the hall, a familiar voice was heard nearby.
Talia turned around sharply. A man with dark skin was approaching her - an eastern knight named Tyrone. He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly:
“I heard that your highness has already retired to rest... What brings you here?”
“It’s too noisy,” Thalia said, looking around the hall in search of Longboat and throwing a cold look at the knight. - Did I interrupt your fun?
“Ha ha,” Tyrone laughed awkwardly, avoiding a direct answer.
Under Talia's icy gaze, he cleared his throat, and she looked deeper into the hall again.
- Where is Barkas? - she asked sharply.
“His Lordship is now in his office on the third floor.” Lord Darken asked for a private conversation.
Thalia turned around sharply.
- Just the two of us?
When he finally understood why she was looking around the room so carefully, a grin flashed across his lips.
- Yes. Even all the maids were driven away, so you don’t have to worry.
As if she had been read right through, Thalia felt her cheeks heat up.
- Who said I was worried?! - she shouted and turned around sharply.
But Tyrone followed her.
- You can't walk alone. I'll show you to your room.
- No need.
“There is a need,” he stated firmly. “If something happens to you, all responsibility will fall on us.” Let's go.
Without giving her even a second to object, he grabbed her elbow.
Thalia jerked her hand away.
- I said: no need!
Tyrone's face showed confusion at her outburst. Without waiting for further conversation, Thalia almost ran back down the corridor.
As she climbed the illuminated stairs, she felt her thighs and calves cramp. It looks like she overloaded herself during the day. We need to call a healer...
Lightly tapping her leg, which was trembling with cramps, she walked along the long corridor. Suddenly her step froze. A strange groan came from around the corner. Turning towards the sound, Thalia saw vague shadows at the end of the corridor.
Only after a few seconds did she realize that it was a man and a woman entwined in an embrace. She almost vomited in disgust.
Taking a step back, she barely stopped herself from vomiting. And at that moment I met the gaze of a guy passionately kissing a busty maid.
Thalia almost screamed. The guy was none other than Barkas's younger brother.
Stunned, she turned to leave, but lost her balance and fell to the floor with a thud. Severe pain pierced the knee, pelvis and lower back.
- Daughter-in-law! “Lucas pushed the maid away and ran up to her.
When he tried to help her up, Thalia slammed his hand away with rage.
- Don't touch me!
Lucas winced and stepped back. Under a gaze as cold as ice, Thalia rose with difficulty, leaning on the wall, and walked away.
He muttered with an offended look:
- Is it because of what you saw?.. I didn’t start it myself, honestly. She suggested it herself - she says she wants to give me an experience... I just agreed...
It was disgusting to listen to him talk.
- Who even asked you? - Thalia said ominously. “Why are you dirtying my ears with this dirt?”
Lucas's face turned red with shame and anger. He clenched his jaw and looked at her angrily:
- And what’s wrong with one kiss? And you yourself are having just as much fun with my brother every night, right?..
Talia hit him in the face, but as if expecting an attack, he grabbed her wrist.
- Ha! Do you think I'll put up with this forever? You hit me again and I...
He stopped the sentence mid-sentence - noticing how Thalia's face turned purple, as if a fire had flared up. He froze, blinking his eyes, and muttered, as if not believing his guesses:
- It can’t be... you still... haven’t done anything at all?..
Ugh!
Lucas doubled over. Thalia kicked him in the shin as hard as she could.
Then, without giving him time to come to his senses, she punched him in the back. Lucas, confused by her furious rage, did not have time to defend himself and instinctively pushed her away, pinning her against the wall.
“It’s no wonder he didn’t lay a finger on you... with such and such a character!” - he snapped, anger was already boiling inside.
Thalia flinched as if she had been stabbed. Lucas, looking down with contempt, added with a cruel grin:
“Or is he just still unable to forget his former fiancée?” Maybe he felt so good with her that he even...
Thalia didn't want to hear another word. She dug the nail that had grown over the last few days right into his dirty lips.
- A-ah-ah! - Lucas shouted and grabbed her hand. His thin body fell back under her pressure.
Thalia sat down on his stomach, grabbed his tongue with her fingers and looked angrily into his face, twisted with pain. Her face was burning with rage.