Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Eating your feelings
Anaisa had done her best to collect herself before standing and preparing to leave the king’s chambers. She couldn’t stay here forever, wallowing in self pity.

No wonder Father had treated her as practically worthless. With no noble blood, in the kingdom’s eyes she was valuable to no one.

“Annie,” Sapphira said softly. “You don’t hate us, do you? Father and I. What he did to you…”

“Made complete sense.” Anaisa shook her head, beginning to cast off the wretched feeling. There was nothing to be done. No position to restore her to.

Another sob broke from her throat, and a sound from the adjoining chamber filled her with guilt. She was disturbing the pregnant queen.

“Is everything all right?” The graceful woman emerged from her chamber, “I thought I heard–oh, dear.”

“Annie is having a crisis,” Sapphira explained as best she could. “She was kicked out of her home, and though Father ordered it, apparently she had blamed Barnabas–”

“Do not refer to the Counts by their first names, Sapphira,” The queen corrected. “Use their proper titles, including Lord Oakdown.”

“Fine,” Sapphira sighed, “Anyway, poor Annie is suffering terribly. Is there anything you can do for her?”

“There is nothing to do for me,” Anaisa lifted her head and used the back of her hand to scrub away the last of the tears. “I apologize for disturbing you, Your Highness. I will remove myself from your presence so that I do not unsettle you any further.”

“You poor dear,” The queen shook her head. “If you think of anything I can help with, let me know. I recall the gossip around your father’s downfall. It was quite an event, and I did wonder what happened to his daughters.”

“I will survive,” Anaisa tried to give her a brave smile, but she didn’t believe it. She didn’t know what to believe. Everything she had known was apparently some horrible lie she’d been unwittingly a part of.

“We all survive, if we can, but I do hope you will learn to thrive in spite of what life has dealt you so far.” The queen reached forward to pat Anaisa’s hand.

“Would you be able to?” The question to the queen seemed rather impertinent, but the woman’s eyes softened.

“We all have our struggles, our burdens.” Her hand fluttered seemingly unconsciously towards her belly. “Face them, but share them also. Here, have something to eat before you go, you could use the strength.”

Standing, Anaisa took a deep breath, eating the small treat the queen handed her without looking at it and thanking the woman.

She probably looked a complete mess. Rumors would doubtless circulate in the castle about whether the Princess was ill or had received some terrible news. There was no way the other servants would not notice her pallor and puffy eyes.

Sapphira quickly did her hair and tied the scarf back over it.

“Let’s get back and you can rest a while, Annie,” She said quickly. Anaisa simply nodded. Her head ached from the intensity of her weeping. She felt parched, and dehydrated.

She grimaced. She’d never been like this when she and Katia were thrown out of their home. Not for a moment had she given in to the fear and grief… because she had focus back then. A purpose.

Katia’s protection, obviously, and then revenge. What purpose did she have now?

With Sapphira supporting one elbow, the ladies stepped out of the door.

On the other side was one guard; the other must have accompanied the king to his meetings. A few steps down the hall stood Trace, his back to the door. When he heard it close, he turned toward them.

His face was as readable as ever as it registered shock at Anaisa’s tearstained, puffy face. The boredom he must have felt waiting out here alone was gone in an instant.

He strode towards her, stopping short as he saw the guard watching.

“Are you all right, Your Highness?” He asked formally, but his eyes searched hers for answers.

“I don’t feel quite well,” She admitted softly as an excuse. The shock of her father’s confession and the physical exertion of a grief spent in tears was making her lightheaded. “I would like to go back and rest in my chambers.”

Sapphira continued to support her under one arm, either playing the role of devoted maid with extreme dedication, or genuinely concerned for Anaisa’s health.

“Do you need a doctor?” Trace demanded, but Anaisa shook her head firmly.

“No… no, just rest, please.” She told him.

He gestured for the ladies to lead the way. Anaisa’s eyes were blurry, so she allowed Sapphira to guide her gently along through the corridors back towards the princess’s chambers.

Anaisa’s vision seemed to constrict, but she berated herself for weakness and pushed onward. There was nothing physically wrong with her that some water wouldn’t fix, surely.

Just as she reached forward for the door’s handle, she stumbled and fell forward, her body landing roughly against the wood as she tried to stabilize herself.

“I’m… not feeling well,” She repeated quietly, and suddenly found herself floating.

“Send for a doctor, immediately,” Trace’s voice was the last thing she heard as she stared at the ceiling above her.

She drifted into dimness, not really certain where she was or what was happening. Words seemed not to make sense, faces were disjointed. She was laying now, still. Perhaps on one of the sofas in the sitting room. Shock was a truly daunting thing.

Someone was pulling at her eyelids, and she groaned lightly, trying to push them away. She wanted to sleep so badly, but there was a queasiness in her middle that kept her from being quite comfortable enough.

Anaisa’s head throbbed, and she twisted in pain, hoping there would be some kind of relief soon. She knew giving into her emotions would go poorly, but she didn’t realize her body would react this badly to a bout of weeping.

Something touched her forehead, and she flinched away.

“Poison,” The single word made its way to her consciousness before here awareness faded away entirely.