"The queen that cares? Jazell shot her dark eyebrows up, her crystal blue eyes filled with dread.
"Yes, my lady, Queen Micah had visited the temple; she earned the favor of the people."
Jazell scoffed….
"Micah…" Jazell called out the name in a whisper, and it tingled on her tongue.
"I was right after all, Ramah and Berth; none of them could enter the Harem. But a girl who put little or no effort found her way into the harem." Jazell said, fondling the silver bracelet on her hand.
She was dressed in a violet gown with a silver necklace on her neck and coral pearl earrings dangling at both sides of her ears. There was a golden cup in her hand, filled to the brim with red wine.
She was seated at the terrace apartments in her chamber, beside the railings. From up there she could see Racheal practicing her sword fight with the commander of the guards.
Jazell sipped from the wine in the golden cup, her blue hawk eyes resting on Rachel for a while before she finally shifted her gaze to Linn, who was standing erect beside her.
"My web of spies…how are they coming along?" She had a very sharp but calm voice, like a music harp played in a high pitch.
"Very well, my lady, they are spreading across the kingdom, even inside the castle." Linn answered.
"Good…very good." Jazell said calmly, tapping her lean fingers lightly on the arm of the chair she was seated in.
"Keep an eye on Micah; I see her as a weakling, one who can be easily eliminated. But again, never underestimate your enemies until you know their weaknesses." Jazell sipped from her wine before reclining on her chair comfortably.
"She has earned the favor of the commoners; that was indeed a smart move. One I could never have thought of because I have a penchant for the subjects of Decreash." Jazell continued, her eyes fixed on the commander of the guards Racheal was sword fighting with.
"I was told Prince William visited the pleasure house." Linn said, and Jazell paused halfway, the golden cup she was about to sip from a small distance away from her lips.
She smiled, then slowly placed the golden cup on a table beside the bench chair she reclined on.
"Queen Mother Johanna, where do you reckon she would be? Jazell asked, rising to her feet. She adjusted her flowing violet-colored gown, the long arm sleeves dropping concurrently as she stood up.
"In her chamber My lady, these days Johanna hardly comes out; she finds solace within the walls of her chamber." Linn said, making her way into the chamber from the terrace, following Jazell behind.
"Is she aware of her son's recent activities? Jazell was making her way to the bed in her chamber ; her shoulder-length blonde hair, which barely grazed her shoulders, didn't sway as she walked.
"No, my lady, Prince William has been very discreet on his meetings at the pleasure house, usually seen with a disguise, as per the words of the spy." Linn answered professionally.
Jazell's eyes darkened…..
"It is about time I pay Johanna a visit."
.......
A breeze blew inside from open windows in the long hallway. The windows were large, taking up almost all the space on the walls. From the beginning of the hallway, there were windows from the hallway.
Windows that were constructed by just leaving a huge space on the wall; there was no wood or glass door to close the window at night. This was the place in the castle that was heavily guarded.
The sea green gown Leah wore clutched her boobs down to her waist; from her waist down to her feet, it was flared. The gown had short sleeves, dropping just below the shoulders; her shoulders were bare. It was an off-shoulder dress.
Some part of her cleavage was exposed, her violet hair dropped side by side on her face, and the cool breeze coming from the windows in the hallway made her hair sway as she walked.
Her dark eyes were fixed ahead of her; a royal guard walked past, and she halted in her tracks when her eyes spotted something.
"Stop…" she said without turning around, and the royal guard who had walked past her froze in his tracks.
"What do you have there?" Leah questioned, finally turning; the guard also turned around, and Leah could finally have a good view of what was in his hand. It was a scroll, rolled up and sealed.
"A letter for Princess Helena." The guards answered.
"From whom…? Leah said, covering the small distance between them, she snatched the letter from the grip of the guard and peered at it.
"From Prince William, my lady." The guard answered, and Leah gazed at him…
"You may leave. I will have the letter delivered to her myself." Leah said she was making to leave.
"Prince William had given me strict orders to deliver it to Princess Helena myself…" The royal guard dared to argue.
Leah didn't say a word; her eyes did the talking. The guard shrank where he stood and immediately took his leave.
Leah made her way to her chamber calmly, her violet hair, which had a shade of purple, bounced as she walked. Her dark, seductive eyes filled with ominous dread.
She took quite a few turns and took a short staircase located in a dark alley lit up with candles before finally getting to her chamber.
She reclined on the chair in front of her dressing mirror, then slowly broke the seal holding the scroll together. Her lean fingers clung to both sides of the papers. Her lips were shut tightly. Her eyes moved from the beginning of the paper to the end as she read the words inwardly.
When she was through reading the letter, her eyes had lost their vigor, as if enclosed by a shadow of darkness. She was as still as a statue for some seconds, gazing into nothing.
All of a sudden she broke into cunning laughter; as seconds flew by, her laugh became more intense and high-pitched; she was losing her mind.
She raked her hair with her hand as tears stung her eyes, but she was still laughing. She fell from the chair and was now on the floor, but still her laughter won't cease.
Suddenly she slowly took off the black gloves concealing both her hands. With her left hand, using her nails, she started pinching her right thumb. The thumb looked like it was already decaying; it was red and filled with blisters.
Urana was one of Leah's personal handmade dolls; luckily, she was already making her way to Leah's room when she heard it...the laughter. It irked her, and it scared her, because she knew very well such laughter never ends well.
She had a pile of folded clothes in her hand when she walked into Leah's chamber but dropped them quickly on Leah's bed as she made her way to where her mistress was seated on the floor.
"No….no, no! Princess, what are you doing?? She crouched behind her mistress, trying to save Leah from herself. Picking up the hand gloves that were on the floor, Urana tried to put them back on Leah's hand, but the latter resisted.
"Listen, listen to me." Urana pets her and slowly puts the hand gloves back on Leah's finger; the latter could no longer pinch her nails.
"I want to pay Princess Helena a visit." Leah said, rising to her feet, her face calm, like nothing ever happened.
"No, princess, you need to rest. You need to take your medicine." Urana, said Leah, but Leah pushed her away and began to walk away.
Urana managed to get up, staggered, and then fell again. She still slowly rose to her feet and caught Leah's wrist just before she made her way to the door.
"Slam!! Leah struck Urana across her cheek, and the latter landed with a thud on the floor.
By the time Urana rose to her feet, Leah was gone. The maid quickly made her way through the door, and looking sideways, there was no sign of Leah. The maid felt as if she was having a heart attack.
She quickly made her way in the opposite direction Leah took, got to Johanna's chamber, and saw the latter seated on a rocky chair, eating some slices of apples in a black glass plate on the table beside the rocky chair.
"My lady…," Urana started off panting, sweat beaming on her face.
"It…is Princess Leah." Immediately she said that Johanna froze. The slice of apple in her hand faltering, she didn't need any more explanation. Whenever Urana was in her room, it was always the same situation at hand; that was why she had trusted Leah in Urana's hands for years.
"Where is she? Johanna quickly rises to her feet.
"She is heading to Princess Helena's chamber."
I would like to see Helena." Leah said with a straight face, and the royal guards in front of Helena's door glanced at each other.
"The princess is sick; she is under observation by the grand maester." The guards said, and Leah smiled.
"I was sent here to deliver a message by the grand maester himself, do you understand?! Leah said the last sentence with impatience.
The guards had no choice; they let her in, and Leah smirked slyly.
Helen's room was a bit dark due to its position in the castle. The whole row of windows in the room faced the inner courtyard, so no sun could penetrate inside due to the shadow of the inner courtyard building, which was cast on the window.
Leah made her way to where Helena was seated. Her face was pale, her knuckles were white, and her breathing was unstable but calm. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her lips were chapped.
She sat beside the bed, close to where Helena lay unconscious due to the sleeping medicine the grand maester had given to her.
"You look more beautiful when you are dying slowly… I pray you never recover from your illness." Leah said with a deranged smile, then ran her fingers on Helena's face.
'Poor thing, your lover sent you a letter…. Do you know what was inside?" Leah asked bitterly, biting her bottom lip.
"No? You don't know? She asked Helena even though she heard nothing.
"Okay, I will tell you." Leah said before leaning in, bringing her mouth to Helena's left ear.
"He said you should visit him on the third night after today, at midnight when everyone is asleep." Leah said, then slowly straightened up, leaning away.
"Tell me, Helena, what will you be doing in a prince's chamber at midnight? You want to fuck him! Leah clenched her fist, then squeezed Helena's hand, all while wearing a forced smile.
"I know you won't be able to make it; don't worry, I promise to stand in for you, I will…." Leah paused when a handmaid walked in with a bedsheet in her hand.
"Princess Leah? The maid was stunned; never in the ten years of her stay in the castle had she ever seen Leah in Helena's chamber.
"I was just about to take my leave; when Helena wakes up, tell her I came to check up on her and to wish her good health." Leah lied with a straight face before making her way out of the chamber.
Immediately she stepped out of the chamber; that same moment Johanna just walked out from a hallway opposite Helena's chamber, and her gaze fell on her daughter.
"Leah?! Johanna's body was shaking; she got to where Leah stood, then hugged the latter before slowly leading her away from the peering eyes of the royal guards.
"Mother, I am fine….
"Hush, hush, my little one." Johanna pampers her grown-up daughter with words.
She led Leah to her chamber, then sat her down…
"Let me see." Johanna said, taking off the glove from Leah's right hand.
"I… I didn't mean to; I know I promised I wouldn't, but…but then Helena…. Leah's voice was shaking as she tried to explain why she pinched her thumb.
"Don't, hush." Johanna enveloped her in a hug, her pupils dilating with fear…of the unknown.