Chapter 18: 18. Fading Light

 

 

- ARELLIA -

 

The woman pushes me through the door and into a cramped bed-chamber. The ceiling is low, the walls are made of stone and hung with no paintings or tapestries. There are no windows but attached to the wall is a single blazing torch.

The small cot pushed against the corner takes up almost half the space in the room and at the foot of the bed, Enka lies curled up on the stone floor in a pool of blood and urine. The smell is nauseating, I hold back a gag. The putrid air inside is so heavy and thick, that it is almost tangible.

Enka has been in my life for as long as I can remember; headstrong and devoted to the Faith. She always stood tall, back straight and her gait was full of purpose. She was a shining light in my life. My only friend. Now, barely half of that woman remains, fading before my very eyes. What does remain is emaciated and ghastly. The thin nightgown she wears is wet from her own fluids, clinging to her skin. Her arms have shrunken in on themselves, any muscle has withered away. Enka's dark bronze skin has turned pale and ashen.

"W-what happened?" My hands shake as I crouch and reach for her. "H-how?" It has not been long since I last saw her back in Vasilis' study, and yet, she looks as though she has been malnourished for years. My body goes numb from shock.

"I don't know, princess. A guard dropped her here only an hour ago all battered and bleeding. Surprised the daylights out of us. We'd no idea where she'd been or what happened. They said nothing, just threw her in here." The woman shuts the door quietly and breezes past me. She steps over the pool of blood and urine with careless ease, completely unaffected by the filth. With strong hands, she hoists Enka up by her waist. Enka is limp in her arms. I am suddenly reminded of the mercenary as he was dragged away.

"Is she…" I swallow painfully as I stare in horror. I do not even recognise this shell of a woman.

"No, princess, but I fear she is close to it. She keeps getting out of the bed to lie on the floor. Don't know why." The servant grabs a towel from the nightstand and wipes drool from her chin. Her head drops softly onto the pillow and she curls back into a ball under a nest of blankets. My heart aches and it takes all of my strength to stop the tears from falling.

"Name's Yhana, princess." She turns from Enka to curtsy, her movements are quick and casual. Then she twirls back again to wipe Enka's legs. I thought her actions to be rude and mocking, but as I watch her care for my handmaid, indifferent to the smell and filth, I realise she is sincere.

"Yhana, I brought this for her…" With shaking hands, I unclasp my jewel pouch. "Please, can you take her from here, you can buy boats, land somewhere…" I say quietly, voice shaking. "T-this happened because of me. She could've died because of me."

I show Yhana the pouch and the small woman shakes her head. "Princess, what would she do with these?" Her eyes flick to the pouch and back to mine. I peer at Yhana and saw that the servant's eyes are heavy and hollow, lifeless.

"Princess, lowly maids like us would be hanged the moment we're seen with jewels as fine as that. Why would you think to give her such things?" She says this without malice, in fact, her tone of voice is as flat and indifferent as the rest of her personality. But, I do not dislike it. I find her frankness refreshing.

"Enka can't move, she hardly speaks. How can she leave?"

I avert my gaze, embarrassed. Slowly, I pull back my pouch and tie it back to my waist. She is right. Enka is weak and sickly. I did not realise if anyone had been caught with these gems, they would be accused of crimes that could cost them their lives. I bite my lip, unsure of what to do or say. I feel out of place, useless.

"Princess, Enka may not be able to leave, but you can." My heart speeds at her words. For as long as I remember, I have always wished to leave this castle. But, it was a fleeting dream. Cause of an overactive imagination.

"H-how can I leave, Yhana?" I clench my fists at my side. "Where would I go?"

Yhana sighs when she sees my anxiety build, "Princess, do not think for a moment that you are alone. You kept to yourself your whole life, wasting away. You deserve more than this. Her late Majesty would want a better life for you."

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A sob escapes me and suddenly, I feel the hard stone against my shins, warmth and feeling flows back into my feet as I collapse onto the floor. Tears spill from the corners of my eyes. I lived in misery, but I did not realise it had been so obvious to everyone else. Yhana lingers close to me, but she does not touch me or comfort me.

"I have to go back, Yhana. If my brother finds out I left my chambers…" I mumble. Fear travels up the curve of my spine. I squeeze my eyes shut, pushing back this dreadful emotion. Fear is a reflex when I think of Vasilis. But, as I sit here and watch Yhana clean the chamber, as I watch Enka's chest rise and fall, I realise that I had been blinded by him. My brother controls every aspect of my life because I am too petrified to disobey him.

Just because my body is not battered and bruised does not mean that I have not also been subjected to malicious torment.

"Remember princess, there are many that would lay down their lives to help you. You need only to look up and ask." Yhana smiles awkwardly when I look at her, her frame looks like a blurry smudge behind my tears. Before I get to ask her any questions, she leaves the chamber with a bowl of dirty towels in her arms.

I drag myself over to the cot with shaking hands. Gently, I take Enka's hand. She flinches at the touch but relaxes after a moment. I scrunch my face when I see her right hand. The hand Vasilis destroyed. The skin, once bronze and smooth, is now loose and scabrous with yellow flakes, oozing pus and blood into white bandages. Only three fingers remain. Fingers that used to bathe me, comb my hair and dress me. I sob quietly into the side of the bed.

"A-Arellia…" A throaty groan echoes from the bed. I snap my head up to the sound of her voice and my tears flow anew. I squeeze her good hand, reassuring her that I am here. It is all I can do.

"Enka, I'm here. I'm here."

"L-l-leave!" She spits out the word, her gaunt face contorting in horrific anger. I have never seen this expression on her. I lean back startled, but Enka tightens her grip on me.

"Please, please, go! I-if he finds you here!" Her bloodshot eyes widen and tears stream down the hollowness of her cheeks.

"Who? Vasilis?"

"N-no, no, please, listen to me. Go!" The door creaks open and Yhana rushes in. Behind her stands a tall lanky man in drab brown overalls and a grey band wound tightly on his bicep. A palace cook.

"Princess, this is Ermund, he will help us today." Ermund bows deeply, but his stern face is unchanged. I recognise this man. When I was a child, I used to chase cats around the courtyard and steal milk and biscuits to feed them. Ermund was younger then, with a softer demeanour, but still just as stern. He used to shout all manners of profanities at me. But, all I did was laugh mischievously. Despite his anger, day after day, there would be plates of snacks and bottles of milk left by the window for the cats.

But, one day, the cats were gone. Vasilis had murdered them, and just for his twisted entertainment, he made me watch as their small bodies burned at the pyre. I screamed so loud that I lost my voice for a week.

Soon after, the plates of snacks and bottles of milk stopped appearing at the window. Vasilis was wrathful, even back then. I did not realise until much later in life that it was Ermund that had left them there for me. That he would stand by that greasy little window and wait for a small, naive princess to come running with kittens in her arms.

"Princess, you may not remember me, but-" I run into his arms, and hug him lightly; warm memories flooding back. I sob into his oily overalls as he strokes my back awkwardly.

"I feared you would not remember me as  we have not seen you around these parts since you were small." Ermund looks down at me and smiles. His face is wrinkly from hard years of labour.

"We do not have time, princess." Yhana interrupts and unfurls drab beige, brown tunics and trousers from a bag. I let go of Ermund as Yhana hands me the garments and boots. They are baggy and dusty. Men's clothing.

"If we are to get you out safely, princess, we must hurry before dawn breaks."

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