As soon as the door to the room she was pushed into closed, darkness greeted Adriana's vision. It was stuffy, humid, and hot. Until her eyes got used to the darkness in the room, Adriana fumbled, trying to stand up, but instead she stepped on the hem of her own dress and fell again.
It was only when her body hit the floor in the usual way: falling face down with her palms holding up her massive weight; that Adriana was able to breathe in the dust that flew through the air.
Her breathing was suddenly labored. Adriana warned herself immediately: Don't panic!
She breathes slowly, deeply, long, until she finally regains control.
Adriana didn't know this room. She had been in the capital since the age of 17, a year before the high-profile social debut that brought her together with Algis. When she came into the family, she was about six years old. She didn't even know where the dining room was because she spent most of her time in her room.
Considering how much dust she had inhaled earlier, Adriana was sure that this room had not been cleaned in a long time. It wasn't that there was a shortage of people, but that it had been abandoned and closed forever.
"That's too much!" said Adriana softly.
Her eyes could now see a little in the darkness, though of course no more clearly. However, she could see the darker shadows so she was sure it was stuff.
She straightened up carefully, her hands outstretched to feel around, wondering what was in the room.
"What are you doing!"
Adriana stopped, pricked up her ears and knew there was someone at the door.
"Let me in too! The princess must be scared inside!"
Adriana recognized the voice speaking outside as Bella's.
Compared to fear, there was so much anger she felt right now.
Whoever the guard was at the door swore quickly and then opened the lock. Along with Bella entering, the room became bright. Bella had apparently brought a light stone into the room as well and not just one.
"Forgive me, Princess! Forgive me," Bella said with tears in her eyes.
Adriana straightened her head and stared through Bella's bowed head. "Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I... You had to experience this terrible thing! I'm sorry!" Bella was still crying.
"Your crying won't provide a solution to my problem! You think I'll be let out of here if you apologize?" Adriana's voice was cold.
Bella was still sobbing. She glanced at Adriana slightly. "Sorry, Princess!" Bella told her.
Then Bella walked to where the light stone was placed to be able to illuminate the room. Once everything was brightly lit, Adriana's maid began to clean up the mess in the room. Although of course not everything. She only managed to clear the bed that Adriana could now sit on by pulling back the blankets covering it.
"Princess," Bella called softly.
Adriana, who still did not feel comfortable, turned to her servant. The young girl looked agitated.
"I have sent a message to the Crown Prince in the capital."
Adriana took a deep breath, smiling broadly. There was finally one thing her servant could do right.
"Thank you," Adriana said, feeling a little more relieved than before.
***
Cyril's sword bounced off and struck the dirt floor of the training room. Fortunately, it was only on the ground, not on the body of someone who was standing where the sword was pointing.
"Is it because you just died that your body has forgotten the sensation of holding a sword?"
Cyril did not reply, leaving the man who was his sparring partner and pulling out the sword stuck in the ground with ease.
"After you finish drinking, come back here! I still want to practice one more round!" shouted the man in the center of the practice field loudly.
Cyril stopped for a while and circled the training ground with his gaze. There were about 18 divisions of people there, standing at the edge of the field, staring while whispering to him. It wasn't that he didn't understand the reasoning of the man he was sparring with. However, it was childish in a way.
"Alright!" Cyril replied, flashing his most beautiful smile at the men.
Apparently Cyril's smile made the man who was the captain of his army even more annoyed. The man looked at him squinting like he saw something disgusting.
Cyril shrugged and then put the blunt part of his sword on his shoulder and walked away to get a drink.
"Lord Knight!"
Cyril stopped in the middle of the garden right above his bedroom window. He turned around and found Maria walking from the side of the large building that housed the knights.
The servant girl was still afraid of him.
"Where is Lord Knight going?" asked Maria hesitantly.
Cyril's sword was still on his shoulder. Maria looked down as she asked and she didn't like it that way.
"Raise your head, Maria!" ordered Cyril.
Mari jumped slightly and raised her head slowly. The look of fear was still there.
"That's better! I'd rather have someone talk to me by looking at my face. Am I too bad to look at?" groaned Cyril loudly.
He could see Maria's cheeks flushing and realized that the maid was pretty.
"It's not like that, sir." Maria paused. "Sir has not answered my question, where are you going? Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked, looking down again.
Although only slightly Cyril realized that the attitude of the other servants had changed towards him. From the little memory obtained last night, all this time the servants had been ignoring Cyril. They were clearly incited by the words of the knight captain who was his sparring partner earlier. However, ever since he woke up from the dead, the servants had become afraid of him. Their bodies suddenly tensed up whenever he passed by, as well as whenever Cyril called out.
It was better than being ignored. Even Maria was now cleaning the room Cyril used. Also gave him heating stones and light stones every day.
"I'm going to the kitchen for a drink!" said Cyril.
"Let me get it for you, Sir Knight! You can wait in the dining room." Maria apparently offered to help.
Cyril thought it was a good thing. He nodded and let Maria go first. Then he walked towards the dining room which was a large room with many tables.
As he was about to enter, Cyril heard faint chatter. He stopped and sharpened his hearing.
"Did I mention that Maria seems to like that lowly Knight Cyril?"
Inwardly Cyril quickly replied that none of that was true. Rather than liking, fear dominated Maria's gaze whenever she met his gaze.
"Even though she is favored by many other Knights. But she refused and got close to Cyril instead! What a fool!"
Cyril pushed the door wide open, making the gossipers startle and run out. The two maidservants were slightly thinner than Maria. They also looked older than Maria.
"They seem to be jealous," Cyril muttered.
He sat at a table near the door and placed his sword carefully in the center of the table, afraid of cutting himself and others.
"Please, Sir Knight." Maria came with a copper cup and a glass water container and poured it. Since Cyril was seated he could see Maria's face clearly now. The girl was beautiful with sun spots on her nose and under her eyes.
"Well, they do deserve to be jealous," Cyril said as he picked up the glass and got an uncomprehending look from Maria.
"Yes, sir?"
"Oh, did any of the Knights bother you?"
Maria blinked. Then the girl's gaze lowered in fear.