He wrinkled his nose.
Did she really stink that bad?
Embarrassed Gianna stood up and hurriedly walked away. She didn't like being dirty.
Bu where exactly was she going?
She turned to look back at him.
"Would you show me to the bathroom please. I would also appreciate some clean clothes." At this point she needed to be polite to get what she wanted.
"Look at you being a good little girl." He smirked.
I am no little girl,she wanted to protest but she wasn't willing to lose her chance to take a bath and at least change into something clean.
"I didn't think you'll be tamed this easily."
Tamed? Oh she wasn't tamed. If that was what he thought then he was in for a rude shock.
Gianna forced a small smile.
Prince Ian led her to a room.
"This is one of the guest quarters and you will have exclusive use of it while here. " He explained and unlocked it's door.
" Thank you." She tried to be appreciative even though she didn't feel like it.
" For what exactly? You know you should be thanking me for many things."
Many things? Like inviting her here to be tortured by his mother and...maybe lover?
But she was yet to find out that. Gael just seemed to be young man and the queen a beautiful young woman. Maybe Gael wasn't her lover but rather just an accomplice. She was yet to find out.
"For bringing me here." She simply stated. She was being sincere this time.
" I was merely fulfilling an obligation."
Gianna frowned. So they had that iciness in common. But he was definitely not as cold as his sister .
Gianna entered the room and closed the door behind her. She had just started undressing when her finger accidently poked the wound on the side of her stomach. She couldn't undress without hurting herself.
She tied the strap of her dress she had just untied and opened the door. She could see him near the end of the hallway leaving.
She was about to call him when he suddenly looked her away.
How had he noticed her? She had opened the door very quietly.
"Do you need anything else?"
"Yes, please assign a maid to help me take a bath. It's difficult to do it alone with this wounds." She said and he could see tears welling in her green eyes.
Gael!
How could he do that to her?
But why did he care? He hated women. They had destroyed his reputation and his life as well. He was having a hard time rebuilding it . He wasn't even sure if one day the people will accept him as their King. He had vowed never to trust a woman in his life. Not even his own mother.
"My apologies Gianna but no servant is allowed to see you and you're not to show yourself to any of them."
Gianna was shocked.
So Queen Mazarine didn't want anyone to know she was keeping her here? If that was the case even Kyler wouldn't be able to help her.
"I can help you take your dress off and that would be our little secret." He winked as a wicked smirk spread across his face.
" No thank you, I'll manage by myself." She said before shutting the door.
****
Queen Mazarine had just experienced a change of mind. She had to change her tactics. Threats didn't seem to work on Gianna. She assigned Gianna a room to start with. She wanted to be good to her; at least for now.
She knocked the door. She hated this! She was the QUEEN. She didn't usually knock any doors in the Kingshill Citadel. But she was now doing it for Fiona's sake. She had to remind herself this in order to succeed.
Gianna opened the door and Mazarine invited herself in when Gianna didn't. Now that Gianna could see Queen Mazarine's face closer, her youthful appearance was more striking.
"We need to talk."
"What is there to talk about? Hurting me and having me as a prisoner in your castle against my will?"
" I apologize for any misunderstanding Miss Gianna. I don't mean any harm to you."
"Oh yeah; you don't mean any harm. That's why you had me locked up in an underground dungeon." Gianna didn't care to hide her annoyance with how Queen Mazarine had treated her.
Queen Mazarine frowned. No one ever dared talk to her like this girl did. She was surely Tiana's daughter. However Fiona's wellbeing was her priority now. She would definitely punish her later on for her sarcasm given the chance.
"I would have had that tongue of yours removed for disrespecting me but you are lucky am in dire need of your help now." Mazarine didn't smile.
"My daughter hasn't been able to sleep well for months now." She continued the conversation.
" Oh so because she can't sleep am captured to cure her? Couldn't the other healers make her a remedy for insomnia?"
"For your information what Fiona is suffering from isn't insomnia. She has been tormented for a very long time."
Tormented? Gianna had never dealt with such.
"Tormented by who exactly?" She couldn't help but ask.
Queen Mazarine leaned forward.
"A restless spirit." She whispered.
Good Lord! A spirit? She was just a healer and that sounded like a completly different field. She couldn't make any medicine to cure that. That sounded more spiritual than it was physical.
"Could you maybe ask the priest to pray for her. A priest is a member of the Ailtonian Council right?"
Queen Mazarine sighed heavily. Why couldn't she just understand that she didn't want her daughter to feel more humiliated than she already was.
"I don't want to make the matter public. The priest thinks Fiona had something to do with her husband's death and that's why his spirit is tormenting her."
Gianna didn't know much about spirits but she found the priest's allegation logical.
"Did she have something to do with it?" She decided to ask out of curiosity.
"That's not what's important now. I need you to start your... your magic thing and send that spirit away for good soon."
Magic? What was she talking about. She was just a healer and nothing more. She didn't practise any magic .
She was no witch!
"I am sorry but I think you have me at a disadvantage Your Majesty, I don't understand what you are implying."
"Oh please Gianna. Don't be absurd. Away with the pretence. You know what am implying when I speak of magic. I'll compensate you adequately if you do it." She was now nearly pleading.
"With all due respect Your Majesty, are you accusing of being a witch?"
"I am not accusing you Gianna. I know you're one."
Gianna rose up from her seat. What did she just hear. She wasn't a witch. She was sure she wasn't.
"Think about my offer fast Miss Gianna. We have run out of time." With that she rose and headed for the door.
She looked back at Gianna.
"If your answer is a no be sure to tell me soon enough so that I can get rid of you.''
Get rid of her? Did that mean;
"You'll let me leave this place?" Gianna blurted.
Queen Mazarine laughed loudly exposing a set of white teeth perfectly arranged.It was the first time Gianna had heard her laugh and it fazed her.
"Let you leave? You wish!If you dare give me a no I'll let you move on to your afterlife!"
Of course the callous queen had something malicious in store for her. But that didn't shock her as much as being a witch did.
She was sure she wasn't a witch. She didn't possess any magical abilities. Her grandma was no witch nor her father. So she definitely wasn't one either.
She suddenly froze when a thought struck her mind. What about her mother?