Women of Valor [An Illegal Adventure Awaits!]

CHAPTER 7 - The king's Ding-a-Dong

CHAPTER 7 - The king's Ding-a-Dong (you know what I mean)

The sky was painted a soft blue with tinges of orange, faint cotton candy clouds swirling in the mixture of colorful beauty, indicating that it was still very early in the morning.

Espen was trying to calm her nerves from the situation she was earlier on and tried to look decent as she walked across the courtyard back to the castle.

She combed her hair with her fingers and hoped she didn't look like a troll as she stomped her way on the ground and slowed when she noticed a carriage parked at the front gate.

Bars were seperating her and the front gate so she stood there, squinting on the visitors.

Visitors at this hour? It's still very early. But never mind,  it was none of Espen's business anyway.

The gates opened and the carriage slipped in as Espen now ran towards the back door that she came out of last night and walked towards the queen's chambers.

If it weren't for that perverted shameless idiot of a knight, she could be riding with the wind on the journey to find the traitor right now and not thinking of an excuse to tell Lady Elmore.

She could be punished for not showing up last night if she needed something!

The last thing she needed was a stuck-up woman who would rant until her ears bled.

Taking a deep breath, Espen knocked on the door gently and when she didn't hear a response, opened the door slightly, just a little crack to see what's going on.

There was a bulge on Lady Elmore's bed and it was breathing.

Well, it was still early in the morning, of course she'd still be asleep.

Sighing with relief, Espen was about to close the door when something on the Lady's dresser just beside the king-sized bed caught her eye in sudden panic.

An orange and black striped tarantula stood sitting vertically on Lady Elmore's night lamp.

Espen gasped quietly and searched her bodice and looked inside her gown to find that Jasper wasn't there at all.

Why do I always keep losing Jasper and keep finding him here? Espen thought as her eyes widened.

"What am I going to do?" Espen mouthed to herself.

Sighing gravely, she looked around the hall to find no other signs of life there at the moment with relief.

Espen bit her lip in frustration and recklessness as she slipped in the crack as quietly as she could.

She could pull this off. She'd snuck in thousands of times in different kinds of rooms, the only difference was, Jasper wasn't the one she was trying to get.

She ducked low as she crawled towards the dresser and slowly stood up and took Jasper in her open palms.

"What's the matter with you?" Espen mouthed again as her gaze trailed on the lamp to find it patterned with orange and black furry stripes.

Just like Jasper.

"Oh." Espen mouthed. "It-- It looks just like you, I know." Espen now whispered to her pet.

For a moment, Espen didn't want to break it to him but the little spider must face the truth so that they can move on.

Looking at Jasper straight in his many eyes, Espen took in a deep breath. "Sorry, buddy, you can never be. It's a lamp, Jas." Espen whispered and watched as the spider just stood in her palm, un moving.