Ash-colored Despair (25)
Lucas jerked his head sharply and grabbed her wrist. Talia fiercely resisted and dug her nails into the soft, pliable meat. The face, flushed with anger, turned pale before our eyes to a deathly blue.
He jerked, letting out a hoarse cry. Not paying the slightest attention to this, she pressed with her fingers so hard, as if she was going to crush his tongue, when suddenly a piercing squeal was heard behind her. Then hurried steps were heard, and someone suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder.
Thalia roared furiously.
- Let go! I will tear out his tongue so that he can never utter this sickening abomination again!
- Oh my God! Someone stop her! - there was a shrill cry.
But Talia, as if she hadn’t heard, grabbed Lucas’s jaw and dug her fingers even deeper.
When her nails reached the root of her tongue, she suddenly felt someone forcefully squeeze her waist and her body flew into the air.
Gasping, she looked back. The longboat, who picked her up like a sack, looked at her with an icy gaze.
-What the hell is going on here? - He knitted his eyebrows, every now and then looking from her to Lucas, clearly trying to comprehend what he saw.
Lucas, who had been sitting on the floor with a stunned face, suddenly jumped up as if stung.
- This woman tried to tear out my tongue! Look! - he squealed and stuck out his bloody tongue, pointing at him.
- Come! “Talia roared, “I’ll really rip it out for you by the roots!”
The young man recoiled in horror:
- Did you see?! Have you seen it? She's crazy! Completely crazy! Why did you even marry her when you have your first princess?! You can still annul your marriage right now...!
— Lucas Raedgo Siekane.
Longboat's low voice shook the air in the corridor.
Both Lucas and Talia, distraught with rage, froze in their tracks.
Longboat took a breath, then spoke slowly:
- What did you say to my wife?
“I just...” Lucas was confused, not knowing how to get out.
Longboat looked at him with an icy expression and said decisively:
“That means those words that you cannot repeat in front of me.”
Lucas's face turned white. He started darting his eyes around, muttering under his breath as if trying to justify himself:
- Well, even if so, this is not a reason...
Talia threw a scathing look at him, but now Longboat’s chilling gaze turned to her.
She shuddered, straightening her shoulders tensely. He spoke with the composure of an investigator in court:
“Your Highness, would you mind explaining what happened here?”
Talia looked at him with an angry, blazing look.
Lucas' vile words echoed in her head, over and over again. Her whole body trembled with rage.
And he still wants her to say it out loud?
“Yes, I’d rather die,” she muttered through her teeth.
Longboat's eyes narrowed. He exhaled slowly and deeply, as if holding back his irritation, and calmly continued:
“Without an explanation, I won’t be able to make a fair decision.”
Lucas grimaced as if he was being accused for nothing.
Thalia shot him a furious look again and began to squirm, trying to escape.
“I don’t need anything, let me go.”
-...
-Are you deaf, or what? She said let me go!
In the end, Barkas put her on the floor.
Thalia straightened her aching legs and looked around at the people crowded in the corridor.
The faces, flushed with wine, looked with curiosity and suspicion. She was filled with disgust. Giving everyone a hostile look, she turned sharply and walked towards the bedroom.
The few steps seemed endless.
Staggering, she opened the door and quickly threw herself onto the bed. Soon Barkas came in behind her.
Thalia, burying her face in the pillow, deliberately ignored his presence. If she had looked at him even for a second, she would have attacked him like she did Lucas, with crazy questions:
“Is it true what your brother said?”
“Are you really... with Isla..?”
- Thalia.
The bed sagged under his weight, a shadow looming over it.
Her whole body tensed. A rough hand grabbed her shoulder, then he forcibly turned her onto her back. His sharp, blade-like face was visible in his eyes, blurred by tears.
He said demandingly:
“You really don’t want to tell me anything?”
- What should I tell you? - she snapped. - You saw everything. I wanted to tear out your brother’s tongue, but I didn’t have time, you interfered. What else can I explain?
- Why did you do this?
- Because I wanted to.
Barkas's eyes flashed with irritation. He clenched his jaw and said in a commanding tone:
-Are you going to act like a child for a long time?
Her face distorted.
Lukas Raedgo Siekane was the first to cross the line. Why should she now listen to reproaches?
Pushing his hand away, Thalia muttered angrily:
“I simply responded to humiliation.” If anyone is to blame, it’s your father, who taught his sons to behave this way.
Longboat rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.
— Revenge is carried out through proxies, rather than rushing into battle like ten-year-old brats.
- And who will be my confidant? You? You'll kill your brother for me, right? Thalia grinned. - I don't expect anything from you. If they attack me, I will deal with it myself.
“So you’re going to start a fight again?”
- Why not? - She looked straight at him. “If you don’t want this to happen again, keep your brother away.” If he comes across me one more time, I will finish him off.
There was a deep crease on Barkas's forehead.
He looked at her as if this was not his wife, but an unbearable problem. Thalia barely suppressed the urge to scratch his face and, backing away, crawled into the corner of the bed, hiding under the covers.
Some time passed. She felt him stand up. The sound of a door closing was heard. There was an icy silence.
Thalia peeked out cautiously. Empty.
And at that very second a lump came to my throat. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her sobs, but couldn't resist and buried her face in the pillow, sobbing quietly.
And I didn’t notice how I fell asleep.
Waking up in the twilight, she shuddered from a clanging sound, turned her head and saw Longboat. He was placing bottles of medicine on the shelf.
Thalia looked at him silently until he, as if sensing her gaze, turned around.
- You moaned all the time in your sleep. I brought painkillers. Take it and sleep.
His imperturbable face, as if nothing had happened, caused strange irritation.
She pulled the blanket up to her nose.
- No need.
A tired sigh escaped his lips. With a sharp movement he ran his hand through his hair. There was irritation in this gesture.
Is he holding himself back too?
Thalia stared at his face, illuminated by the lamp. On pale skin, only the lips seemed truly bright.
She didn’t even notice how long she looked at them. Suddenly, without realizing what she was doing, she muttered:
“If you give me something to drink from your own lips... then fine.”
Longboat's hand, reaching for the bottle of medicine, stopped. He turned around, looking at her with slightly widened eyes.
It was only then that she realized what she had just said.