Ki'tory watched the Prince retreat, and her heart filled with dread for what might happen next. He stopped in front of her, and she fought a thousand battles of will to stay put.
She hated this, she didn't want this. She hated the castle, hated the Queen!
He held her hand and pressed a kiss to it, then finally he left. She let out a small sigh of relief, but that feeling vanished when she saw the bloodstains he left behind on her hand.
"I advise you to begin seducing him tonight," The Queen spoke over her shoulder. "Although, as your mother's daughter, I expect that wouldn't be so difficult."
Ki'tory balled her fists by her sides. How dare she?!
"If you fail to acquire his love before the war, then you can be certain that your people will not have Rf'Guztak to fight for them."
Ki'tory turned back sharply to the Queen. She crushed her rage between gritted teeth. "You gave my Father your words, your Majesty."
"And I can easily break it." The Queen smiled. "I am sure your Father will understand."
Ki'tory's heart was racing too fast, she couldn't think. Rage was colliding with defeat, vulnerability, and loneliness were seeping in; it was too much! Overwhelming!
Think, Ki'tory! Think!
"And if I acquire his love before then."
The Queen moved from behind her and stood in front of her.. "Then my army will fight your war."
"I'm afraid I will need more than just your word, Your Majesty."
The Queen snaked her hand into one of her gown slits and pulled a dagger from her thigh hiostler. With the blade, she sliced her palm. "You can have my blood then."
Ki'tory took a step back, the sight of blood making her feel repulsed and even more overwhelmed. Tears fogged her eyes, the memory playing in her mind. She blinked them away, wanting not to show weakness that had already surged to the surface.
The Queen smirked and brushed her bleeding hand over Ki'tory's hair. "I'll let you in on a little secret; you will not succeed. But wouldn't it be fun to watch you try?"
*******************************
Ki'tory poured another bucket of water on her body. She washed her hair so much, until it felt like it would start falling out, she scrubbed her hands too until the cut she had dug into her palms started bleeding.
She just wanted to get other people's blood off her.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, the maids the Queen had assigned to her were waiting for her. Imova, the one with the black hair and a mole at the right corner of her upper lip, quickly wrapped a towel around her.
Rf'Guztak was cold, they had a strange kind of rain, and if it wasn't for the lit furnace, Ki'tory was sure she would have frozen. The sky had darkened into nightfall, there was only one moon in the sky; they had shorter days here.
Aytao, the second maid, one with freckles and brown hair, led her to the bed and handed her the most revealing dress Ki'tory had ever seen. It was transparent and left nothing to the imagination.
Ki'tory was not shocked at the turn of events, after all, her time to seduce the Prince was running out. She couldn't understand why the Queen was punishing her son in this manner, though. They seemed to have a good relationship at first, and he clearly didn't want her. So what was going on? Beyond her curiosity was her worry about the dress.
This wasn't good at all.
Where would she hide her poison if he could see everything?
"The Queen picked it out for you. She hoped you would be pleased as it matches the colour of your eyes." Aytao said.
Another mockery.
Ki'tory concealed her anger, knowing that these maids were not only here to serve her but to report back everything to the Queen.
"So does it please you?" Ayutao asked.
"Of course. My greatest appreciation to heer Majesty."
Aytao smiled. She offered to help Ki'tory get into the dress, but she gave a hurried excuse and stepped into the bathroom. Then, she slipped on the dress and, with shaky hands, she hid the tiny bottle underneath her breast. It felt stupid thing to do, considering what was supposed to happen tonight, but her fear of being so far away from her only weapon was overpowering,
She stepped out of the bathroom, and they suspected nothing. They styled her hair and bathed her with fragrance, while Aytao assured her that if there was anything she needed help with, she could rely on her. Imova on the other jhand stayed silent.
When they were done, they left.
Ki'tory sat by the edge of the bed and waited for the arrival of the Prince as she watched the wood burn in the furnace.
What would he do when he saw her again? Behind closed doors, and alone. Snap her neck? Pull his sword and finally sever her head? Not if she would seduce him successfully. But that was the problem. She couldn't even seduce herself if she were another person!
The door pushed open, and the Prince stepped in.
He smelled of a fresh bath, his red short hair still damp. He was no longer clad in black attire and a hood, but in a silk blue robe. When he saw her dress, his eyes rolled with disgust, and his shoulders tensed like she was going to pounce on him. Hatred still swindled in his eyes, and his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
Ki'tory's eyes widened.
His Sword?! What was his sword doing here? By Muktury, she was even more exposed and vulnerable than she had been in the throne room, and here he was with his sword.
This man was here to kill her!
He closed the door firmly behind him, and Ki'tory felt trapped. She wanted to grab a cloak and put it around her, she wanted to bolt out of this room, but she couldn't even move. Paralyzed by fear of what the Prince would do and scared that at any rushed movement, the bottle would fall, she stayed put.
Without a word to her, the Prince sat at the other edge of the bed.
Silence stretched between them, neither making any move.
Then there was a knock, and a woman wheeled in a small table with a teapot and two teacups. Ki'tory paid all her attention to her to distract herself from the presence of the Prince.
She poured the tea into both teacups.
"Tea for fertility," she said and handed Ki'tory a cup, then handed the Prince the other. Then she wheeled her table away, closed the door, and turned the lock!
Ki'tory's heart dropped at a realization.
The woman had moved her hand! Before she poured the tea into the Prince's teacup, she had moved her hand very slightly on the handle. She wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't been paying rapt attention, and she wouldn't have known the implications if her mother hadn't used the teapot to fool her many times as a kid.
That was an assassin's teapot, and her tea was poisoned!