"You've hardly touched your food," Maysie said sadly, eyeing Skye's almost-full plate."I'm just not very hungry," Skye replied."Maysie sighed, picked up the food tray, and carried it to the table by the door, hoping the chamber would only smell food once a maid came to collect it.A sudden knock echoed through the room as Maysie placed the tray on the narrow table. Her eyes widened, and she hurried back to Skye. "What's wrong?" Skye asked, sensing the tension. "Someone's knocking on the door," Maysie replied, trembling slightly.Skye sat up nervously. "Did you ask?"Maysie nodded."Okay. Ask who is and come to tell me.""Okay," Maysie replied and moved towards the door. "Who is this?" she asked, her lips almost touching the door.“It’s me Maysie, Roisin. Please let me come in. I am not here with bad intentions; on the contrary."Maysie didn't answer and turned back to Skye. "It's Roisin and she says she didn't come with bad intentions, but quite the opposite."Skye furrowed her brow
Maysie reluctantly agreed with Skye's suggestion. She knew Skye was right and could see no other way out of their predicament. However, she was still unsure how to justify their actions to the person they would meet. She asked Skye, "What exactly should I tell him? How can I convince him to join us in this endeavor?" Skye responded, "Just tell him the truth. We can trust him. He is on our side and won't betray us.""Okay, I'll go now under the pretense of returning the tray of food.""I will be waiting here for you. Good luck!"Maysie agreed to take the tray and left the chamber, walking down the hall. Different from Skye, Maysie knew her way around the castle and rarely got lost. During the hours she provided her help in the castle, she spent a lot of time moving around with Talisha or the maids. Although she may have yet to discover the castle, she was familiar with most of it, particularly the area around Skye's chamber, which she frequented the most.Walking down the stairs, inten
The soft knocks on the door gradually grew louder and more forceful."Eithne, please open the door. I know you're inside.""No, please go away. I want to be alone," came the reply from inside the chamber.Hector stared at the closed door, anxious to know what had happened. It was rare to see Talisha so upset. She had rushed to him, pouring out her heart as she explained that she had seen Eithne in a terrible state running down the corridor, and she was almost sure she had heard her crying."Please, Eithne," he said softly, barely audible. He decided that it was useless to insist. He would try another time again, maybe the next day. He turned to leave, feeling confused about what had just happened. One thing was clear to him: things didn't turn out how he expected or wished for. He rubbed his neck. What went wrong?The swish of the door opening made him snap his head back.Eithne's head appeared in the opening."Come in," she said. Her familiar smile was absent, her eyes were red and p
Hector was lying on his bed with his arms folded beneath his neck, gazing at the ceiling as he pondered Skye and Eithne in different ways.On the one hand, Skye was the woman he loved with all his heart, but he began to doubt her true nature. On the other hand, Eithne was the girl he cared for like a little sister, and she was deeply hurt after offering herself to help.With the arrival of dawn, he stirred from his bed and made his way toward the balcony door. As he approached, the darkness that had enveloped the outside world began to recede, making way for the faint light of the impending sunrise.He didn't know what to do— or rather, he knew —and that was to talk to Skye.Was it possible that he made a mistake with her?Maybe her behavior was the result of what she had been through. That was the only excuse he could think of.But that didn't justify hurting those who cared for her.He let out a deep sigh, rubbing his forehead. His thoughts were jumbled, leaving him confused and dis
Hector's hand trembled against his temple, the weight of Skye's words reverberating mercilessly in the depths of his soul. "Annulment?" he echoed, the word foreign and jagged on his tongue, a stark contrast to the warmth and familiarity of their relationship.Had he heard right? Had Skye just asked him to call off their wedding? The wedding he had patiently waited for twelve years to make come true and was finally a reality? A dream that had finally come true, but with just one sentence, that dream was destroyed, leaving only ashes behind. Memories of all the good times they shared flashed past him rapidly, each a painful reminder of what was slipping away. He remembered all the kisses and caresses they had shared, each touch now a bitter memory. He felt his muscles freeze as her once warm and sweet gaze turned ice like a frozen landscape, replacing all the words of promise for a beautiful future with a chilling emptiness."What did you say?" he asked. His voice remained steady, but h
Talisha's eyes, brimming with unshed tears, met Hector's with a silent promise. "I'll support you," she whispered, her grip on his hands a lifeline in the storm of uncertainty."This is not what I expected. I'm truly sorry. I can't understand the king's reasoning, but I will help you. All I can think of is that he's holding on to hope. If you and Skye reconcile, you may not be able to get married again, at least not in the near future. It may not be possible to get married at all.""I see. Maybe he didn't tell me that so he wouldn't upset me. So what the king is trying to do is to protect whatever eventuality arises?"Talisha nodded. "I know what to do, don't worry. You have come to the right person. I am the only one who has access to Skye's chamber whenever I deem it necessary. And now it is of great importance. Don't worry, I'll handle it. She's not going to notice anything I do. And what can I say? I hope everything goes smoothly and gets resolved. Do you want me to talk to her as
The girl stood up, and Talisha took her hand. She took the empty basket, and they headed for the exit."I'll send another maid to collect your tray later," Talisha said. "Continue eating in peace. Enjoy your food, and have a great rest of the day."Talisha's words were a distant echo as the door shut, sealing her in solitude once more. The untouched tray of food lay forgotten as she drifted towards the window, her gaze lost in the relentless downpour.As she gazed at the torrential rain beating down on the lush foliage, she watched the tiny rivulets that had emerged on the earth, tracing their way through the landscape.Each droplet was a note in the symphony of her despair, the rivulets on the glass a map of her shattered expectations.She noticed the candlestick was still beside the wardrobe, burning the candles. Its flames danced with a warmth she couldn't feel; their flickering light starkly contrasted with the cold emptiness clutching her heart. Her breath hitched, poised to exti
The door’s echo thundered in his ears as it slammed shut, sealing his fate. Hector, a statue of despair, stood there with his eyes closed, his hand clenched around the doorknob, his breath echoing in the silence. As he opened his eyes, tears cascaded down his face, each a silent witness to the tempest raging within. It was the end of everything he held dear. All he had left were shattered dreams and an unceasing love burning inside him. His head hung low, like a wilting flower, unable to escape the harsh reality of his hurtful words to Skye. He ached for the solace of delusion, for the sweet lie that this was but a nightmare, and when he woke up, none of this would have transpired, and Skye would be sleeping peacefully in his embrace.His grip on the doorknob tightened —a lifeline to the past he yearned to rewrite. To storm back, face Skye, and swallow his venomous words of anger, wounded pride, and broken heart.But pride still held him captive; he refused to grant her the victory