Chapter 30 CHAPTER THIRTY
ROSALINDA
It's been days since I had arrived. Investigation still hasn't stopped. Father was keen on finding the culprits behind the recent fire. But I? I really didn't care much, atleast I was home, even though the air felt suffocating.
"Are you alright, Rosalinda?" My mother asked, her voice laced with concern that felt both geninue and exhausting.
I turned, forcing a bright, brittle smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Yes, Mom. I am. Just really tired,"
She frowned, setting down her silver fork. "You don't look good, my rose. Your skin is pale, and you haven't touched your quail. What is it?"
I let out a weary sigh, the sound barely audible over the clinking of her cutlery from the far end of the table. "Just...well," I shrugged, picking at the embroidered silk of my sleeve. "I don't know, I just feel off..unsettled. Is that normal? Nothing bad has happened but... I feel so unrelaxed,"
Her expression softened, a rare sight for the formidable Queen. "I suppose it happens darling. You had a terrible long journey, and the event that happened was traumatic. It takes time for the soul to settle, you shouldn't stress about it,"
I let out another sigh and turned back to my plate, the rich food suddenly smelling metallic. "Perhaps I'll skip breakfast. I don't feel week enough to face the day,"
"Nonsense!" Mother said, her tone immediately shifting back to command. "We cannot have the princess looking unwell, especially with your engagement ball coming up soon,"
"Well, what should I do? Force myself?"
"No. Perhaps you could see the Royal physician, how's that?"
"Okay." I agreed instantly, relieved for an excuse to skip breakfast and avoid this awkward conversation.
"Good." She nodded and clapped her hands twice. Almost instantly, two maids emerged from the shadows near the wall. "Summon physician Elms. Tell him the princess requires immediate attention."
Within minutes, the elderly Royal physician, a man whose hands always smelled faintly of lavender and dried herbs, arrived. He bowed low, then took my wrist, his brow furrowed in concentration as he checked my pulse.
"Tell me, your highness, have you been sleeping well? Any unusual dreams or anxieties?"
"Sleep is fitful," I admitted. "And the dreams...they are loud. But no fever, no pain."
He released my wrist, stepping back and turned to my mother with his head low. "Your Majesty," he began. "Princess Rosalinda's pulse is strong, and her vitals are excellent... However, she is suffering from acute stress and nervous exhaustion. The recent events and the long journey have seem to taken a toll,"
My mother let out a groan. But I reassured her with a small smile. "See, Mom? It's nothing to worry about," I said, trying to sound positive."
"It can hinder your health if it goes on, Rosalinda," she warned, then turned to the physician. "What remedies do you propose? I need something fast and effective."
"I shall prepare a calming tincture of valerian root and chamomile, Your highness," he said. "And I recommend long hours spent in the garden, away from the noise of the court. Fresh air and light labor should be helpful, it will help ease her muscles and tension."
"See that it is done." Mother commanded.
As soon as the Royal physician left, I looked down at my plate, then frowned.
Why do I feel so unsettled? It wasn't just the fire or the journey. It was a deeper, colder dread, like something terrible was about to happen.
\-
The following afternoon, I was seated on a stone bench in the secluded garden, a spot that the physician recommended. The light labor of knitting was supposed to be soothing, but my mind was drifting somewhere else. I was working on a thick woolen scarf, the needles clicking softly, when the silence shattered.
"Your highness! Princess! Forgive my intrusion!"
I looked up sharply. It was Mira, one of the new maids, her eyes wide as saucers, her chest heaving. She looked like she'd run the entire length of the castle within a minute.
I slowly put down my knitting. "What is it Mira? Calm yourself. What's the meaning of this panic?"
She gasped and then bowed. "I'm really sorry, your highness. But-"
"Well?" I urged, my patience wearing thin.
She leaned in, her breathing now even. "The culprits behind the fire, they have been caught."
What?!
I jolted up at the news, my heart hammering. "The culprit?" I repeated after her. "Who was it? Did they confess?"
Could be it Valerius-
No no. I shook my head. He wouldn't be that stupid. Damnit! Why did I even think of him?
"Evidences were found, your highness," she said slowly, her eyes seeming to bulge out of her head. "The guards found the proof on his quarters, they are dragging him to the throne room..."
Quarters?
"Do you mean...the culprit is among us?"
She swallowed hard, and nodded. "Yes your highness.... He stays here..."
"Then who is it?! Speak up!" I demanded, my panic flaring.
"It's....it's...Sir Cyrus."