NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Perdita walked out of the study room with a soft smile playing on her lips while she headed towards the kitchen, Emily joining to assist her.

As they continued preparing to bake the buns, Perdita turned to Emily, having noticed the unusual quietness of her maid. ”Is everything alright, Emily?” She asked out of concern.

Emily nodded her head. ”I am fine, My Lady,” she said, but then shook her head with a frown creasing her forehead. ”I am not, My Lady. I have been troubled with something since you left and returned to the castle. It is about Lady Eleanor.” She revealed, not wanting to dwell on her thoughts alone.

Hearing the name, Perdita cast a swift glance at Emily asking, ”What about Lady Eleanor?”

”I know I am in no position to talk about this, My Lady, please pardon me,” Emily began politely, measuring how her words would come out. She continued, ”She seems very close to the King. It is as though the King has a good relationship with her father. She even demanded having the chamber next to the king’s own. But I was quick to intervene as that is your chamber already.”

Perdita shook her head not because of what Emily had said, but because she had always seen Emily as a quiet person but now, she was someone who ly spoke her mind with her. She could notice their bond growing and it made her happy she had someone to talk to.

”Emily?” Perdita called to get the worried girl’s attention as she explained, ”Lady Eleanor is the daughter of Prime Minister Elliot’s son, nonetheless, her relationship with the king is not as close as you think. You have nothing to worry about. I have something, however, to discuss with you later today. It concerns my memories and something about me being read.”

”Yes, My Lady,” Emily nodded in understanding though the frown remained on her face. It was the limit voicing her thoughts could go as she dared not say anything more.

Perdita done baking the buns as requested by Sthena walked out of the kitchen with Emily carrying the tray as they headed to the study room.

As they rounded the corner in one of the hallways, Perdita came across Lady Eleanor again, this time smiling like a child who was granted access to a table full of treats, and in front of her stood the king whom she couldn’t see his expression.

”...I told you I was invited to the castle by you but you refused to believe me,” Lady Eleanor said to Sthena whose expression remained passive as he turned to look at Daemon. ”You treated me like the maids who had also not welcomed me well by refusing to prepare the Chambers next to your Chambers for me.”

”Care to explain how this happened, Daemon?” Sthena questioned, ignoring the words of Lady Eleanor with his brows furrowed, his dark red eyes squinted.

”Milord,” Daemon cleared his throat, his hand pushing his spectacle as he tried not to look at the furious red-haired pureblooded vampire even though he appeared calm on the surface. ”It is Prime Minister Elliot that is to be questioned as he had appointed his granddaughter to represent him. I delivered the letter to him as you had asked me to. I didn’t know he would ask Lady Eleanor to represent him.”

The frown on Sthena’s face deepened, and after a while, he said, ”Very well then, I hope he knows what is coming his way at such a foolish decision he just made. And you, Ms. Elliot, you shall always keep your distance away from me unless we are discussing the reason for your being here which shall always be done in the courtroom. Aside from that, standing before me two meters closer will earn you and your family what you can never pay for. Are you clear?”

Lady Eleanor’s gaze lowered as she clutched the parchment from earlier tightly in her palm. ”We used to be close, Your Majesty. What happened? You now seem distant towards me. Did I do anything wrong or is it because of—” She stopped speaking noticing Perdita standing at the end of the hallway staring at them. Her lips curved into a sly smile as a thought clicked in her head and the next second, she embraced the king once more even after his warning.

”I missed you. Don’t you miss me too, Your Majesty?” Lady Eleanor murmured, faking a pitiful tone and expression.

Perdita standing at the end of the hallway as she witnessed the scene, clutched her dress in a tight grip as she fought the feeling of her heart being twisted in her chest. She didn’t want to be jealous, but at the same time, she couldn’t fight the feeling of seeing another woman’s hand on Sthena. For a moment, she could feel her vampire traits fight to come forth, her green eyes threatening to change to a red color.

At the same time, the sound of someone’s shoes clicking on the hard floor was heard before the owner came into view bowing at the king, ”Greetings, Your Majesty.”

”Mark,” Perdita suddenly called out, a sweet smile on her face as she strode towards them. ”It is a pleasure to see you,” she remarked beaming with a sweet smile that marred her face as she hugged him.

”Perdita, I—I mean, Lady Perdita,” Mark returned her hug though apprehensively as he felt the deadly stare directed towards him which came from the king. Did he do anything wrong? He wondered.

”How have you been? It’s been so long since I last saw you. And you just came in time to the castle,” Perdita continued, the smile still on her face.

”You seem happy, Lady Perdita,” Mark noted, the contagious smile on Perdita’s face equally stretching his lips into one of his own.

Lady Eleanor stood without grasping what and how the atmosphere suddenly changed. On the side were the happy duo while the king on the other hand had an unmistakable frown on his face, staring at the green-eyed lady. Her attempt in getting closer to the king had failed and now she couldn’t understand what was going on.

Perdita beckoned on Emily to come closer as she opened the lid of the plate covering the buns, ”I baked some buns and I’ve decided to share with you since it has been a long time since we last saw each other. Do you want some too, Daemon?” She included the vampire who shook his head,

”Thank you, Lady Perdita, I appreciate your kind gesture, but I would have to refuse as I have some urgent matters to attend to. Perhaps, another time.” He politely refused with a small bow.

Daemon tried holding back the chuckle that almost escaped his lips looking at the sour expression on the king’s face as he watched the scene unfold. Wanting to escape before the king vented his anger on him, he excused himself, ”Milord, if you may excuse me, I need to get the reports to be sent out ready.” He bowed and without waiting for the king to respond, left from there as quickly as he could.

”In that case, you can have the buns then. I’ll have them packaged for you before you leave the castle.” Perdita continued speaking and Mark on the other hand was happy at being offered Perdita’s buns.

”Thank you, Lady Perdita, I will surely enjoy them,” Mark replied, still half conscious of the stare sent towards him.

”I shall take my leave now, I believe you came for an important work. Perhaps, some other time we shall discuss,” Perdita responded. Turning to Emily, she instructed, ”Make sure Mark leaves with the buns, Emily. You will find me in the garden outside.” Without sparing Sthena a glance, Perdita turned on her heels and walked away.

”Yes, My Lady,” Emily bowed with a perplexed look on her face. Didn’t she say the bus was for the King?

Now in the garden under the falling snow and cold which didn’t affect her, Perdita paced around while beating herself up at the thought of what she had done. She needed the cold to cool her burning skin anyway. She thought.

Out of spite and jealousy, she had acted impulsively before Sthena and now as the realization dawned on her, she knew she was in for a big trouble for giving Sthena’s buns to Mark and also for hugging him. But Lady Eleanor had also hugged him. She told herself but at the same time shook, her head as it didn’t seem the right thing for her to do.

Out of nowhere, something perched on her shoulder, the soft wings tickling her as it settled in the crook of her neck.

Almost startled, Perdita jumped and at the same time surprised to see a small bird on her shoulder. She gently held it out and her startled expression turned to a surprised one when she recognized the bird to be the same she had encountered in the forest. The one she fought over a berry with and had later shared it with.

”How did you find your way here, Pokie?” she remembered the name Sthena had given the bird after she had poked her forehead for calling it birdie.

A movement by the corner caught her eyes as she went to see what stood on the other side of the garden with the bird safely nestled in her palm.

Just as Perdita got there, she saw a bird fly into the sky with a small piece of paper hooked in its limbs. At the same time, a maid emerged from behind the flowers, ”What are doing here?” Perdita questioned, her eyes suspicious on the maid. Was she the one who sent that letter through the bird? She questioned herself.

”M—My Lady,” Startled, the maid jumped backwards before recollecting herself. ”Nothing, My Lady. I just came to check on a little flower that is about to die as it couldn’t survive the cold and snow.”

Perdita shifted her gaze to where she had seen the maid and noticed the ground where the maid had cleared the snow away from the flower. ”You shouldn’t worry about the flower, it will survive just when the snow stops and the heavens bless us with the sun again.”

”Yes, My Lady,” The maid bowed excusing herself.

The bird in Perdita’s palm let out a squeal that sounded almost like danger in Perdita’s ears. She brushed the thought away as the imposing problem she had thrown herself into came back at her when Emily returned to announce,

”My Lady,” Emily bowed and informed, ”I wrapped the buns as you instructed and he left with it. His Majesty wants you to meet him in his Chambers, My Lady.”

Oh no. Perdita cried out in her head, dread forming on her face as her brain searched for ways to save herself.