Thea
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I heard the front door slam, and five minutes later it slammed again and footsteps were heard. Not just one person. I got up and walked out of the bathroom as slowly as the pain in my legs allowed. A maid stood in the middle of the room with medicines in her hands. She bowed her head low and greeted me.
- His Majesty has ordered me to take care of you and treat your wounds. Can I take a look at them? – the maid was young, looked about thirty and she was a little anxious. So instead of coming to me right away, she was waiting for my consent.
- Yes, I would be very grateful to you, - I bowed slightly in gratitude.
- Oh, dear God, you must not bow to a servant in any case! She looked dumbfounded and immediately tried to explain herself. – You are a guest of our king and I am unworthy of such an attitude on your part. Her voice sounded guilty, even though she hadn't done anything wrong.
I understood what she was talking about, but it's been the way since childhood, my late mother always taught me to treat all good people with respect. And if I want to bow in return, I can do it without feeling disgraced. But, of course, only my mother and I thought so. The others saw it as humiliation and inappropriate behavior for a princess. And although I absorbed etiquette lessons like a sponge and was a diligent student, I never forgot that kindness should not have titles. Therefore, I was not ashamed, no matter who or what said about me.
- I'm sorry I embarrassed you. Where should I sit to make it easier for you to work? And may I know your name? - With a slight smile, I asked the maid good–naturedly.
- My name is Tana, milady! You can sit on the bed or the ottoman - which will be more convenient for you?
I chose not to use the fluffy and soft bed and sat on the ottoman. As I have already noted for myself – my rescuer-abductor turned out to be a king, it would be disrespectful to use his bed.
So, we're in another kingdom now. I wonder how far we are from Riliya? Tana was kneeling on the floor and had already begun to clean the skin on my legs from dried blood, then disinfecting the wounds with some kind of caustic solution. At the last stage, she wrapped them with bandages from ankles to knees. She worked very quickly and carefully, as if she does it every day.
- That's it, milady! There will be discomfort for a while, but soon everything will heal. I'm not a healer to tell you the exact timing, but the wounds don't look too deep. Get well soon. It's truly amazing that you stayed alive after the maze. - And bowing again, she headed for the exit, taking with her a box of medicines, from which the whole room smelled of herbs and from which the whole room smelled of herbs and de-sanitizer.
- Thanks for your help, Tana! I would like to ask for another spare pair of stockings if possible. – My stockings were hopelessly torn, and the kidnappers obviously didn't take my things from the house.
- Oh, I don't think I can find you a worthy replacement. But you must definitely tell His Majesty about it. You need a change of clothes. – I liked to see her concern about my problems. It made me think that with her help, I could at least adapt a little to life here. Moreover, it is unlikely that I will be kept here as a guest, because I am a prisoner after all.
I spent the rest of the day in this room, no one came to me, and I didn't try to escape anywhere, it's not worth aggravating the situation. Since I couldn't touch other people's things, I preferred to sit on the ottoman, which I had moved to the window in advance, and contemplate the beauty of the local castle and nature.
From the window I could observe that the castle was partially surrounded by majestic mountains with visible snow caps and a wide emerald-blue lake that stretched from the foot of the mountains and skirted the other side of the castle, which I could no longer observe from my place. The entrance arch at the entrance looked well-groomed again with relief columns, along which vines were weaving.
No one would have thought that they could get angry at any moment and strangle unwanted people in their grip. Everything in this place now screamed of peace and idyll. Up to a certain point.
He burst into the room like a whirlwind, forcing me to jump up from the ottoman and stare at him with wide eyes. So you can give your soul to God out of fright.
- Are you still here?. Fine. Sit down. – the king has already changed his clothes since the last time we saw each other.
Now he was wearing black pressed trousers that emphasized slender but strong legs and a perfectly white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the middle of the forearms, hugging a wide torso and powerful shoulders.
And the hands, what hands! Muscular, pumped up, you can immediately see that they often hold weapons in their hands, they are already covered with veins – it's impossible not to look at them. And these eyes - piercing, deep, hypnotizing bright scarlet eyes, like a magnet attract to themselves. A chiseled, even, straight nose, as aristocratic as if it had been sculpted from Apollo, and black unruly hair. The long bangs hung down, trying to cover his eyes, and the king just combed them back with one gesture of his hand, presenting in all its glory his ideal face of a seducer of women's hearts.
I often met handsome men at social events, but he was without a doubt their best representative.
I obediently sat down and waited for him to speak again.
- Good girl! You're silent - I'm talking. Let's start in order. – Well, what a dictator, a lover of command. – Yes, I saved you. What for? I do not know, consider that you were born twice. You don't need to know who I am yet, we're not so close yet that I can trust you. Now you are in my kingdom of Abion, in my castle. And you'll stay here until I decide to let you go, well, or bury you–how will events develop. No one here knows and must not know that you are the Princess of Riliya. My chief advisor believes that for now you should be extremely inconspicuous to the upper aristocracy, so from tomorrow you will work as a maid. You will also learn all the duties tomorrow morning from the housekeeper.
I sat and listened to him with my mouth open and eyes the size of the largest coin. Excuse me? The maid? I was about to be indignant when he saw my impulse and interrupted it in the bud.
- Don't you like it? Would you rather be in an underground prison? - he asked, arching an elegant eyebrow in intrigue.
- No, but ... - I pursed my lips tightly, choosing the words I want to say in my head. – Your Majesty, you said that I should help you, so what is this help? And can you promise me freedom after I fulfill my part of the deal? – I proudly raised my chin and looked into his captivating eyes without fear.
- If only it were that simple. But yes, I promise that you will be able to leave this place and get guarantees of safety for yourself. As for our case, you need to help find one extremely valuable thing that your low-grade father once stole.
- And what is this thing? – I couldn't wait to find out, maybe I could immediately tell where to look for her.
- That's the rub. This is a magical object that always takes on a different appearance, depending on whose hands it falls into and what is desired from it. In my hands, he looked like the sharpest sword in the world, who can take any life in the blink of an eye. In yours, it could be flowers or new dress, for example, if you needed it. But its form is only changeable once for each person. So, what kind of object it is now in the hands of the King of Riliya – that's what you have to find out.
- Will I have to go back? – I thought about it with a shudder of the heart.
- Sometimes. We will make forays to Riliya sometimes. Through the portal. But don't worry, it will be undercover and if you are not stupid enough to give yourself away, then there will be no difficulties. Also, if you find what I need, I will relieve you of the burden of marriage hanging over you.
The last words seemed to breathe a fresh breath of air into me, and I perked up. Yes, I will do it. And then I will definitely be able to be my own mistress.
- I want to believe that this is just a treasure hunt, but I need confidence that innocent people will not suffer. – I wasn't selfish, and even if I didn't love my own family, I didn't want to involve ordinary people. No one should get hurt.
- What a demanding princess, you have so many demands! The king sneered mockingly. - I don't promise, but I will keep in mind.
- Well, since I'm so demanding anyway, I also need extra clothes. - He didn't say anything, just laughed. And, apparently, this was the end of our conversation, because he immediately left the room, leaving me alone. And what am I supposed to do? Can I walk around the castle and look around? Although, he said that I should not be seen by the aristocrats, then it's better not to go out. A deep dark veil was already hanging in the sky, night was coming. I squinted at the big bed, soft as a cloud, and decided that today I would sleep like a king and no conscience, and the rules of etiquette would not change that. Spit.