Esme's Pov
....I could hear low and disturbed chatters that made my head ache more and my eyes slowly opened and the first thing that caught my sight was two ladies hovering over me with worried faces. I could not just help but ponder why they stare at me like that.
" Thank goodness she's awake or else we would have been in a lot of trouble " . One of them said as she walked back with a sigh of relief.
" We would have really had it with the master if something bad actually happened to her". The other one said. " How do you feel". She sounded worried and I could feel it too.
" I'm.... I'm okay" . I said as I tried to lift myself up from the bed I laid but she pushed me back onto the bed, gently.
" No. You need to rest". She adjusted the pillow underneath my head carefully and my brows creased.What was happening? I couldn't fathom why I was suddenly treated nicely." Ulda , we need to tell the master that she's awake". the other one said as she walked closer to us.
" Yes ". Ulda replied before turning back at me.
" stay here. We would find the master now and tell him you are already awake" . She said and the two walked out leaving me speechless and surprised.I had a lot of questions to ask them. Why was I suddenly treated like this? Did anything happen while I was unconscious?I just couldn't tell.
With a deep sigh, I raised my upper body carefully and sat upright on the bed.It felt as though I had laid down on this bed for what felt like days. My body was weak. Too weak and my head ached so much too.My eyes fell on my right leg and realized that it had a tight clothing round my thigh. I quickly remembered when I fell down a while ago when I was taken to the dungeon. I glanced through my surroundings and I got to know that where I was was different from the other room I was kept in hours ago. This room was small and only had a tiny bed in the middle, a small closet and a small center table just at the head of the bed with a lantern on it. Everything about the room was just too small. Even the window!
I dropped my legs to the side with so much gentility so as not to make my wounded thigh be roughly handed.
I stretched my left hand to the wall for support so I could stand straight. Slowly and careful that I can be, I limped towards the window. I pushed the two windows open and I gasped. It was already dark and the night sky today again was so so captivating. It was totally moonless but the stars.....the stars gave it a breathtaking look. It was beautiful. I placed my hands on the pane of the window and shot my head out with my eyes closed. I was trying to enjoy the night breeze before I heard the door resounded shot.When did it even open that I didn't even realize?I turned and I realized that it was him.
That very man I had marked and named as my enemy.
Of course he was!.
I shot at him a deadly glare as he had this annoying smirk on his lips as he stared right into my eyes.
" I see you're awake ". He simply said before he began walking towards where I stood and stopped few inches from me. His gaze dropped to my injured thigh.
" Why is it taking longer time to heal? ". He asked returning his gaze back to my face and I couldn't control myself but to roll my eyes at his statement.
Was he trying to act concerned about me?
After he had abducted and ruined my kingdom , he was trying to be concerned.
Liar!
I dropped my eyes to the pained area and I realized he was actually saying the truth.
Why hasn't this healed yet?
I recalled the last time when I got my body injured by thornes ....it healed on its own.
But why wasn't this happening that way too?
" It is....". I trailed as he suddenly situated himself in front of me.
I was taken back. He was in such close proximity with me that we were literally breathing in the same air.
" What are you doing? ". I shot him another glare and he immediately placed his finger on my lips with a weird smile on his lips.
My heart jumped and I blinked . I didn't understand what was going on. This man right in front of me was my own enemy and I was...
He smiled? What was wrong with this man?
Did this man not really know what I feel towards him?
But why was he acting all different?I thought he had wanted to kill me and now he was behaving like he was having a change of mind.
Just then, I slapped his hand away and was about to push him away when he suddenly grabbed my hands.
His expression changed and he wore a serious but he maintained his cold demeanor.
" We'll be leaving for Umer tomorrow ". He said and turned back before walking away and ' pang ' , he left the room.
I stared at the door for a while, perplexed.
Still standing there, the door opened again and a woman walked in.
It was the lady from few minutes ago, Ulda." Ulda ....". I muttered underneath my breath as she walked closer to me.
" Esme. " She called out my name and I felt offended. I was a queen and how dare she call me like that. We aren't that close too Even if she said with respect, I was still offended.How she knew my name, that I didn't care of.
She stood before me and held my arm and looked down at my thighs before saying. " Do you feel pained down there?. She looked back at me with a hint of concern in her eyes.
" Yeah, a little". I replied as I looked her in the eyes. She was utterly caring and I suddenly felt relieved." Then why are you here?". She asked me and I didn't know what she was referring to until realization struck. " I just wanted to see outside". I replied as she directed me back to the bed.
" You need to rest. Tomorrow's gonna be a long journey". She said." Tomorrow? What journey?". I asked her. Suddenly, I remembered the man saying we'll be leaving for somewhere tomorrow.
" You'll be going back to the city tomorrow". She replied and sat beside me on the bed.
" But...". I was about speaking when she spoke again, cutting me abruptly.
" Yeah I know. The master doesn't stay here". Ulda replied with a smile. " Don't worry you'll be okay" . She said with assurance and I wondered where that was coming from.From the first moment I saw Ulda, I felt she was different from the others here. She's not like them.There was just something about her. That demeaning aura I felt that exuded everyone's body here didn't feel the same for her. She was.....she was just different." Who are you? ". I blurted out without warning and surprisingly she chuckled. I blinked coyly, did I say anything funny?.
" You don't need to know". She replied and stood up. " Ariel will be here with your meal anytime soon". Just then the door clicked and her second walked in before closing the door suspiciously.
" I brought it". She said with a large tray in her hands as she dropped it on the center table. She opened the plates on the tray and my stomach immediately grumbled.I had not eaten anything for days and I was seeing food....of course, I was hungry.My mouth watered at the sight of the dishes before me and I looked at the two ladies faces which had smiley looks on it.
" Go on. It's all for you " Ariel said with a warm smile and I looked up at her, replying her with a sharp smile.
" Thank you ". I said simply before I picked up the large spoon that was on the tray , beside the plate.I dug my spoon deeply into the berry pies that had large dollops of whipped cream and made the spoon stop midway in the air. As I was about to put it in my mouth, I suddenly remembered that my mom always prepare this.It was one of my favorites, because it was always my mom who'd prepare it.My mom surely had a secret recipe to the dish that made it so sweet all the time.My eyes bleared as I recalled how I stay with my mom baking the berry pies." Are you okay?". I heard Ulda ask. I was sure that she noticed my bleary eyes and I quickly looked up at her with a fake and sour smile." Of course, I am". I replied before I had a taste of the Berry pie.As soon as it got into my mouth, my eyes widened with an obvious shock. I savor it gently and a smile crept onto my lips. It tastes just exactly like my mom's.
" You like it right?". Ulda asked again and I nodded.
" Uh- huh". I replied before a single tear dropped from my eyes. I raised my head to look at Ulda. " It tastes so good ". Just then I saw the two ladies wink at each other with a happy smile and I began to fathom why they suddenly were. I couldn't ask them anything but continue with my food.
" Once you're done eating, we'll take you to have your bath and get you in your uniform". Ulda said and I raised my eyes at her with stuffed mouth.
What uniform? Of course, I knew that I was going to be taken in as a slave because he had actually mentioned it .
But the thing is was I going to dress the same way they did? I am a queen!
I noticed they both had a red gown on. Was this it?
Ulda smiled. It seemed like she understood my gaze.
" But yours will be different from ours ". She said and I swallowed what was in my mouth.
" Why ? ". I asked and she looked at Ariel before looking back at me.
I shifted glances from Ulda to Ariel wondering what they had to tell me.
" You'll be working for his highness ". Ariel said and my confused expression changed.
" His highness? ". I asked, my voice barely above a whisper . Ariel nodded and I dropped my spoon unceremoniously on the table as it made a loud noise.
" Why me? ". I asked a very obvious question.
I knew why it had to be me. It was because it was me, the lady in the prophecy to destroy them. To destroy him.
" But don't worry, we are here for you ". Ulda said holding my hands in her and I looked at her.
She has this reassuring look on her face again. And Ariel had a warm smile on her lips and I smiled back.
It was going to seem like I was not going to be alone here.
At least, I had Ulda and Ariel. Though we hadn't been together for so long, I knew they were reliable good people.
Their faces said it all and continued smiling as we gazed at ourselves.
I removed my gaze from them and dropped it to my legs.
I was going to take my revenge but it was certainly not now.
But I was going to and now it had began.