'An offer? Was he going to let me go in exchange for more information on the stone?' She thought silently, waiting for him to say what the offer was.
Unbeknownst to Vanessa, Theodore had seen what happened before her escape—through her eyes, while she was still in her thoughts. But he didn't bother to comment on it.
"Apart from what you know about the Krispadal, it seems like you don't know what you will be losing." Theodore said.
'Krispadal…is that what it is called?' She wondered, not knowing what it was called.
He continued, 'I suggest you don't go blurting out that the Krispadal is with you; you would only be digging a deeper grave for yourself." Theodore's words lacked any humor in them, making Vanessa gulp slightly.
She asked, "What is the offer?"
'The most important thing now is getting out of here. No one knows when this king will decide to kill her.' Her brows furrowed in thought.
"Give me the Krispadal, and I can spare you enough time to think about your escape." Came Theodore's offer, and Vanessa's mouth fell open in shock.
She quickly changed her expression before saying, "That's not an offer."
"Then, what is it, forest girl?" Theodore was no longer looking at her. He walked to the fireplace, which had not been lit, and he muttered, "What a mess."
"A threat."
Theodore stopped walking and turned to look at Vanessa. A wicked smile crept onto his lips. Making the human have cold feet
"Now that you mentioned it," his smile broadened. "Why don't we do it the right way?"
In the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of her. Vanessa gasped, closing her eyes tightly, waiting for what he would do next. Her heart thudded in her chest.
Theodore's index finger tipped her chin to look up at him. "Scaredy-cat. You made the proposal, and you are being like this? Tsk. Tsk."
She rushed to say, "I said I don't have it with me."
"Trust me; you do. A few practice of spells should work it out," he assured, which was not helpful in any way. "And I must warn you about your escape—don't get caught." The warning in his voice just didn't sit well with Vanessa.
And, as if Theodore had given Vanessa a friendly tip and he needed her response, she nodded, causing his lips to tug upward at one side before he walked away proudly.
Not a moment later, Rosetta came back into the room to complete her work. Vanessa turned to her and offered a friendly smile upon seeing her worried face.
When they started cleaning again, halfway through, Rosetta said, "It will be better for you to avoid his highness." She looked up at Vanessa. "I have followed three rules since I started working in the castle, and they have kept me alive till now."
"And what are they?" Vanessa asked curiously.
She needed all the rules she could use to stay alive in the castle. But the question was, could she stay by those rules?"
"Obey and don't question anything, avoid the king. The simplest mistake you commit might put you on his bad side, and trust me, you don't want to be there." Vanessa stared at Rosetta, taking in all the information.
'I guess I have seen firsthand what he can do. Perhaps a tidbit.' She reflected on the gruesome scene that greeted her in the courtroom.
"Lastly, don't act too smart. When it comes to the king, there's no one as cunning as him. Best, remember who you are--just a mere human."
"I will keep that in mind." Rosetta nodded at her response. "How long have you been walking here?"
"Two years and a few months."
"Where are the king's parents?" She wondered, because she hadn't seen any elders in the castle.
"People—"
"Has gossiping now turned to a work in the castle?" Ralph's hard voice made Rosetta's body stiffen.
Rosetta quickly gave a bow in apology, and Vanessa followed her lead.
"The works are too little; maybe that's why you have enough time on your hands to gossip. I think i should add more works."
"No, no, I was just telling the new maid the rules here in the castle." Rosetta hurried to say something, not wanting to add to her already-existing works.
"And what are those rules?" Ralph asked, his eyes moved away from Rosetta, who still had her head bowed, to look at Vanessa.
"T-That…"
"To obey instructions." Vanessa came to her aid. Rosetta let out a small sigh.
"Good. Go water the flowers in the pots." He ordered Vanessa, and she left as soon as the order was given.
Ralph walked away and headed towards King Theodore's study room. He only made one small knock on the door before he opened it.
Theodore sat relaxed in one of the chairs close to his window, a book raised to his face, hiding it from sight; and he didn't bother to check to see who entered his study.
Meanwhile, Ralph went to the fireplace to add more wood so it could burn brighter.
"Are there any records about the Krispadal in the library?"
Ralph's brows drew together in thoughts before he said, "I think there is just one. Let me go get it." He hurried out to go to the library.
Once in the library, Ralph went to one of the shelves and reached out for the book, which was on the top side of the shelf, as no one had used it for years.
All of his attempts to get the book from the top shelf were futile, and he decided to get the stool. Ralph did not realize that his last attempt had pushed the book forward.
When he took a few steps away from the shelf, the thud sound of the book was heard as it touched the floor. He turned around before walking back to pick it up.
Unbeknownst to him, a piece of paper that had been safely kept in there for years fell out and was pushed under the shelf with the same pressure that the book landed on the floor.
"Here it is." Ralph handed the book to Theodore.
Theodore opened it, and his eyes trailed from one line of words to the next before closing it and placing it on his desk.
"Has the Krispadal been found?" Like everyone else who knew about it, the stone had been lost, and no one had any idea where it was.
"Mm, the new maid has it."
"Then she is no ordinary witch without abilities, like she had claimed. Do you think she's lying?"
"That would be interesting now, wouldn't it?" Theodore said. Adding, "The Krispadal was hidden away from her since she was a child."
"It must be the reason she can't perform the art of witchery like her kind." Ralph said, quickly changing his judgment.
The Krispadal is said to accompany his owner from birth to death.
Theodore wondered why Vanessa's parents had taken the risk to make their daughter weak without her powers—was it for her safety against those who seek the Krispadal, or was it something more severe than that?
With a thoughtful look on Ralph's face. "People say the stone is the soothing antidote for the red mark; her blood would be needed for it to work." Ralph watched Theodore lean his back into his chair. "When are you going to take it?"
His eyes burned bright red, and he remarked, "The forest girl can't tap into it; she has no idea what spell to perform."
Ralph nodded in understanding.
"Bring out the book of spells." Theodore ordered, and Ralph bowed, ready to leave. But at the same time, a servant ran into the study room, huffing for air.
The servant's breathing was heavy, as if he had just run a long mile.
"Your H-highness…"