Yavanna retreated back to her room; doing her best not to stomp in her flat leather shoes.
She had expected at least some form of support from the king; she was to rule at his side. Did he not see her fit to be his queen? Why not? She was a princess, she'd been trained in the ways of a kingdom since she was able to speak. And Mirella, whom she was supposed to be, was even more well-known as a queenly figure. So why did he not see her as his queen?
'Maybe he'll treat me better after the coronation.' She said to calm her nerves that threatened to burst. 'And maybe then I'll also be freed of this infuriating veil.' She huffed mentally.
Her ears threatened to burn as the memory replayed in her mind. How could someone have said something so..so..so shameless? She hoped her reply had been well put. They had been the only words to come to her mind.
That duchess, she fumed. She didn't know why she was so upset. It was more humiliation than anything. The fact that he'd left without so much as a nod in her direction. But she'd met those blue orbs and saw him meet her annoyed brown ones.
And in front of all those people.
She opened the door to her room and slumped against it. Closing her eyes she breathed in a few deep breaths, the veil nearly smothering her as she did. Her face slowly cooled and her mind slowed in its rampant thoughts.
"Your highness?"
Her shoulders slumped slightly and she opened her eyes to see Vivian there. She turned her head and searched the room, "Where's Christa, and-"
"The maids? Oh, they've all gone home already." She answered with a smile that said Yavanna should've known that.
She swallowed and straightened herself with a line between her brows, "Why have they left so early?" She would've liked a bath, but since her maids were gone, she supposed that was not happening.
"Ah, they have families to get to and little ones to put to sleep." She answered and Yavanna walked to the dressing table where Vivian began to unpin her hair and remove the dress.
"No." She stopped her when she began unlacing the green fabric. "No. I think I shall get some fresh air."
"Alright, your highness." She retightened the dress and walked over to one of the chests to pull out a lovely woollen coat.
Yavanna needed to think through things and she was finding her room strangely stuffy. Vivian placed the cloak over her shoulders and Yavanna pulled the hood up.
"Oh, did you enjoy the book?"
She turned around and saw the book of kings in her lady in waiting's hands.
She swallowed, "Yes. I did, I should bring it back to Douglas."
"So you'll be going to the library?" She asked as she handed the soft, leatherbound book over to Yavanna.
Yavanna hesitated a second, "Y-yes. I will be."
Vivian nodded with a smile and began to pull out nightclothes.
Yavanna shrugged mentally and walked out the door. She had felt a strange coldness deep into her bones from Vivian's question. 'It wasn't strange,' She told herself. 'She was simply asking where you were going. If there was an emergency of some sort, the information would be necessary.'
She walked through the quiet castle halls and down the dark steps and into the courtyard. A thin mist was curling over the tiles and they only deepened the chill within her.
All the time that she stepped across the cobblestones she felt eyes staring at her back, causing it to be stiff. She turned and saw a window with a parted curtain, dim candlelight brightening it. She could make out a smudged silhouette of someone watching her and it only made her paranoia worse.
'Fresh air might have been a poor idea at this time of evening.'
She walked to the library, still feeling those eyes on her, and pulled the door open. Stepping in she breathed in the smell of mustiness and books. It was a warm smell and one that drove away some of the residing chill. She walked further in, the book clutched to her chest. She could feel the cloak dragging along the floor behind her.
She was tempted to call Douglas' name, but something in her told her not to. When she arrived at the centre of the building where the fire was and the chairs and desk. She could not see the old man's white head and found herself biting her cheek.
She breathed in a breath and pushed down her fears. Walking to the desk she set the book down, feeling somewhat accomplished.
"Enjoy the book, your highness?"
She straightened in surprise and turned to find Douglas standing there. His hands clasped behind his grey robes.
She quickly swallowed and fought to ignore the quivering fear in her chest, "Y-yes. I did. It was… interesting." The chill crept up into her cheeks and along her arms.
Douglas sighed as though reliving a memory, "Yes. I find the kings such a tragic race. They all suffered the same curse and the same country."
She nodded and found a question on her tongue, "What was their curse? All it ever says was that they had a bloodthirst. Was it a thirst for battle? Or was it like King Horst's"
It would be rather dreadful to think of all the king's having the same thirst for blood as King Horst had had.
Douglas nodded and gestured to the chair next to him, "Would you care to sit, your highness."
'I do. I really do.' She thought desperately, wishing that she could dash to the door. But her curiosity drove her actions at that moment and she found herself sitting adjacent to the librarian.
"The king's curse is a mysterious beast indeed. I do not understand it myself. But let me tell you what my great grandfather told my grandfather, and what he told my father."
She nodded, clasping her hands on her lap.
"King Horst.. had an unnatural thirst for blood. And the kings, their thirst for it is nothing natural, but they're…" He seemed to struggle for the words, "They are unnatural. For a Nothad king to thirst blood, it is only natural."
Confusion marred her face and she shook her head in confusion, "So… they're not like King Horst, in that they don't eat and drink the blood of their enemies?"
"No, no. King Horst was an animal, a beast who did those things for no reason but to be known as the blood king. The kings…? Uh, they uh.. they do it for a reason."
"Do what?"
"Feed on blood."