Chapter 244: Relieved Stomachs
Little Lily was nestled in her bed, her wide eyes filled with the innocence of childhood. As the night fell, she humd a soft lody to herself, the soft notes barely audible in the dimly lit room. Her mother, Isobel, lovingly tucked her into her cozy bed, her touch gentle and comforting.
"Do you know, Mama," Lily began, her voice carrying a sense of wonder, "I t a lady who looks like that lady in the portrait."
Isobel looked down at her daughter, curiosity dancing in her eyes. It took her a mont to realize what the little girl was talking about.
Lily had a habit of wandering around the castle, her inquisitive nature leading her into various rooms. It was during these explorations that she must have co across the portraits of the late Queen Lauren. And now, having seen the new maid, she had drawn the uncanny resemblance.
"Is she the Queen, mama?"
Isobel smiled at her daughter’s curiosity and affectionately patted her head, her fingers running through Lily’s hair. She bent down and softly kissed her daughter’s forehead, the love between them palpable in the room.
"You should sleep now, Lily," Isobel gently encouraged. "Don’t let your mind wander too far."
Lily nodded obediently, her round eyes shining with innocence. She clutched her favorite doll, the one she never went to bed without, and nestled it beside her. The room, softly lit by the glow of a single candle, seed to breathe with the warmth of their bond.
anwhile, deep beneath the castle, in the confines of the dungeon, Noelle and her friends were locked in separate cells, scared and starving. The chilling and damp surroundings were in stark contrast to the comfort of the chambers above.
The two maids were brought to dungeon earlier and when Noelle saw this, she couldn’t help but bla herself for the demise that befell her friends. Although she did not know what her fault was, she still thought that it was her who caused this.
She pleaded with the guards to free her friends, telling them that it was all her fault and they shouldn’t be implicated. But the few guards who stood vigilant in the dungeon’s narrow corridor remained stoic, as though they had turned deaf to her cries. She wanted to talk to the King, but at the sa ti she had a feeling the man wouldn’t hear her out.
"I take back my word! I don’t adore the King anymore!" Isabel’s voice rang out, filling the dungeon with its bitterness and resentnt.
Jenny, always the voice of reason, said, "Do not speak ill of the King, Issa. Lest you want to spend your whole life in this dungeon. Guards can hear you, and they might report it to His Majesty."
Isabel slumped on the floor and sighed in exhaustion and hunger. They had not been given any als or even a glass of water since they were thrown into the dungeon. She wanted to scream and call the King with foul nas, but she understood what Jenny said. Talking ill of the King could have her buried six feet under.
Noelle’s heart ached with a sense of helplessness. She had been thrust into a situation she didn’t fully understand, and the weight of her friends’ suffering weighed on her conscience.
"It’s my fault you two are in here. I am sorry," Noelle said. Their cells were aligned, although they couldn’t see each other, they could hear their voices.
"This is nobody’s fault, Noelle. It was His Majesty and those people who assud the worst. They don’t even know you, and yet they are accusing you of impersonating the late queen," said Jenny.
"But isn’t it strange?" Isabel thought, "Even the King thought Noelle was his wife for a mont. That ans Noelle must truly resemble the late queen to an extent where they can hardly be differentiated."
Noelle didn’t know what to feel about it. Should she be happy that she sohow happened to resemble a woman of high status? But the consequences of this resemblance had landed her and her friends in the unforgiving depths of the castle’s dungeon.
Ti in the dungeon moved slowly, the oppressive silence broken only by the echoes of their voices. An hour later, the sound of footsteps reached their ears, and the three won tensed, their hearts quickening with the fear of what might be coming for them.
They were already expecting the worst, perhaps a torture session, but to their surprise, it was not the guards but servants who entered the dungeon, carrying trays of food.
Isabel couldn’t contain her relief and exclaid, "Finally, I’m getting sothing to eat!"
Each of them was given a piece of bread and at, and a glass of water. It was a modest al, but in their current predicant, it felt like a feast.
Noelle had been dreading the prospect of going hungry until morning, as she was well aware of the harsh punishnt often ted out in the world of the upper class, especially within the walls of the royal castle.
With her stomach rumbling from hunger, Noelle wasted no ti. She tore into the bread and at, savoring every morsel as if it were her last.
The taste of sustenance filled her mouth, and she eagerly gulped down the glass of water. In those monts, the gnawing hunger and the churning emptiness in her stomach began to subside, leaving a sense of nourishnt and relief in its wake.
Within the dimly lit royal chambers, King Alec sat at his opulent office desk, and Matthias was standing by his side, pouring blood wine on the glass. Matthias held a wary face as he looked at the King, wondering what his superior was pondering about.
The two couples who visited the castle earlier that afternoon stopped by the King’s office to discuss the thing about the maid. They had brought with them troubling theories, one of which suggesting that Queen Lauren might still be alive, inhabiting the body of the maid. The room had buzzed with a tense conversation that revolved around the mysterious concept of soul shifting.
Matthias was convinced that it was this enigmatic notion that currently consud the King’s thoughts, darkening the once-proud depths of his gray eyes.
"Has Anthony replied to my ssage yet?" Alec asked, bringing the glass of blood wine to his lips. His gray eyes were darker due to the lack of light, and its lack of emotion seed to be in stark contrast with what he was feeling deep inside.
With the glass of wine poised at his lips, he took a asured sip of the deep crimson liquid, as if seeking solace in its dark depths.
"I have not received anything yet, Sire," Matthias replied. He cleared his throat. Having been at the side of the King for years, even way before he was crowned, he took the liberty to ask, "I thought the prisoners won’t be getting any food and water?"
Alec’s dark eyes flickered up, glaring at Matthias who imdiately straightened his back, avoiding his gaze.
"Pardon
for inquiring, I am only curious, Your Majesty. The maids seem to be telling the truth. What if she is only just soone who looks like Queen Lauren but has nothing to do with her?"
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