Royal Blood

VII: The Sorcerer's Workshop

"The two most important days of your life are the day you're born and the day you find out why"

~Mark Twain

*Adelaide's POV*

Everything hurts.

My fingers ached.

My head was pounding.

My stomach felt like it was on fire.

Oh God. . . The Blood Sky Ball. . . Mother. . . My heart squeezes with mental pain and I could feel the tears stinging at my eyes, yearning for release.

I breathe in shakily.

When I open my eyes I am back in my chambers, in my bed with the covers pulled up to my neck. I sit up slowly, trying not to provoke the pain, and the covers slip down to reveal my whole torso wrapped in white cloth that was slightly blood stained. I steadily swung my legs over the side of my bed and staggered to the mirror on the far side of my chambers.

My skin had a sickly undertone to it, like the color of fresh parchment, and my under eyes were red from sleep. My eyes themselves were tired and dull. I could see my hands quivering in the glass reflection. There was a knock on the door and Sura entered. When she saw me, her eyes lit up and a smile blessed her face.

"Ah, you're awake," she said. She was holding a single teacup and saucer. "I was beginning to think the worst. How do you feel?"

"Sore. What's that?" I questioned, gesturing to the reddish brown liquid in the teacup.

"This," she gently placed the tea in my hands. "Is anise tea. The Sorcerer said it'll help you sleep with no night terrors."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, the Sorcerer. Why him?"

"Well he stitched you up, after all." She stated nonchalantly.

"What about the surgeon?"

"His wife just had a baby, so he's taking some time off."

I hazily recall panic of that night, the feeling of being stabbed through the gut, feeling the cold hilt of a sword against my back, smelling the blood.

"I was impaled, Sura. I should be dead."

"Well thank your demonic genes and Seán for the fact that you're not."

Sura stepped closer and proceeded to examine me with sharp eye. "You look tired. Try to get some rest?"

I let out a short breath of baseless laughter. "O think I've had enough rest. How long was I asleep anyway?"

Sura shrugged. "A fortnight, maybe."

"Two weeks?" I gawked.

She shook her head and waved a hand like she was swatting a fly. "Relax, you didn't miss much. When you were uh, how you say, incapacitated, your father, well... the details are a bit gory."

"Spare me, please," I uttered. "I don't want to know." I didn't like where this conversation was going, so I decided to change topics. "Help me dress?"

After I was dressed, Sura was about to leave when a thought surfaced in my mind.

"Sura?" I asked as she opened the door.

She looked back. "Yes, your highness?"

"How did you know I would be awake?"

"The Oracle predicted so."

"Oh. . . Alright. Your dismissed." When Sura left, I gave one more glance at the mirror, looking over my outfit.

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