Chapter 35 Move aside
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The next morning started with a forehead kiss from Treven, then I had a cup of my calming tea before the maids helped me to get dressed. I was dressed in a beige corset gown with elbow sleeves and a wide skirt. My hair was divided into six sections and braided individually with some golden threads by Annalise. I missed Eria a lot, her tender hands were magic to my hair even though Annalise was equally creative, she couldn’t match Eria’s expertise.
After a proper breakfast with Treven, one that doesn’t end with us pushing the plates away and fucking on the dining table after a few bites. He left for the morning assembly after kissing me. I felt a little bit nauseous but drank more water to continue eating my food.
” Amaranth?”
” Yes, Your Majesty” The young maid came to the table and poured another cup of my tea. After drinking it, my nausea went down totally. The door opened and Annalise stepped in with Erxi, who was dressed in her all white priestess gown. Her hair was tied in a tight bun and a single white jade hairpin held it in place. Praying bells were wrapped around her wrists and ankles, and they rang out with every step she took.
” Good morning your majesty” Erxi bowed slightly and I offered her a smile after wiping my mouth with the napkin. I knew for sure it was time to go to the temple, she paused for a smile and sniffed the air.
” Do I smell Sylvanis petals?” She said sniffing the air around me more. She moved closer to my cup of tea and brought it closer to her nose. I knew the smell of the plant well, I had been drinking the tea for the past two months, and if there was a tiny bit of the plant inside I would know.
” No Erxi, that is my calming tea, it contains honey and licorice. Not Sylvanis petals” I chuckled but she shook her head profusely sniffing it more.
” Erxi… Be calm. Who will dare poison her Majesty?” Annalise placed her hand on Erxi’s stiffened shoulders. ” Is this about the Vision?” Annalise asked and I raised my eyebrows at both of them.
” What vision?”
” Erxi had a vision yesterday, she saw someone poisoning you” Annalise breathed and I took a moment to look at the bewildered look on Erxi’s face. I pitied her, at such a young age, she became a priestess at Natalí’s temple. She has visions that haunt her and she wasn’t used to those images yet.
” Really? Taxi? Calm down. Sylvanis petals won’t kill me” She nodded at my words and visibly relaxed. ” Now shall we head to the temple?” I said and they both lead the way and the rest of my Entourage followed us the where the carriage was.
The welcome aura of the temple didn’t fail to calm my nerves immediately after I stepped inside the majestic building. The big stone in the middle of the door, formerly blue but now green stirred awake gently after being touched by my gloved hands. The light didn’t shine too bright since my hands were not bare. It just stirred and went back to its position.
” Greetings to your Majesty” The young maids at the temple greeted with their heads bowed. I offered them a smile, they were also dressed in an all white attire similar to Erxi’s but their hair was let down, flowing to their waists.
“Is there anyone waiting for me?” I asked and they all shook their head negatively. The number of people flocking to the temple to get healed these days compared to the first day I came to the temple. A lot of people flocked in the temple to get Natalí’s tears and a lot of Oaths were made to me. I could hardly remember some of them, some had been fulfilled already but I could hardly care about the others.
Since nobody was waiting for me, I made my way to the fountain of tears, I took a box of matches and lit the candles surrounding the dull green structure that resembled a fountain of water. That was the exact place Nati had died on the battlefield, and Natalí cried herself to death. Her cries created a fountain of tears which only awakened with the touch of her chosen queen. It lies asleep because I hardly touch it or use the tears directly from its source. I only use the ones at the main temple to heal but now, I have almost exhausted all of those.
Closing my eyes, I removed my gloves and tapped a tiny part of the fountain. It responded with a vibration and a loud hum, the light travelled from the tiny piece to the entire fountain of tears and soon, it began flowing like a real fountain. The sweet melodic sound coming from it soothes my mind and all tensions disappear. Scooping a clearer part of it, I weaved it, my hands as I offered a little prayer to Natalí.
Erxi entered with the large earthenware and I poured the tears inside. The tears hardened and turned to the former full green color immediately after it entered the pot. With a soft hum of my own, I gently lull the tears to sleep again.
” Annalise?” I called immediately after I entered the main hall of the temple.
” Yes, your majesty?” She bowed with a cheery smile, she always mentioned how I added an extra glow when I went to the fountain.
” Since there’s no one with life-threatening conditions, can we go to the marketplace?” I said with an excited grin. I love the bursting atmosphere at Nayaki markets, the food, the happy crowd, and the absence of nasty looks from the people always judging my barrenness back on Ruqgu.
” I will get your carriage ready”
” No Annalise, I want to take a stroll,” I said and she nodded. She told the other maids to wait at the temple and rushed to the marketplace if there was any emergency. We walked out of the temple and I pulled my simple cloak over my head as we headed into the marketplace to conceal my identity if my sleeved dress didn’t give that out. The smell of pastries waft into my nostrils and my mouth watered when I smelt chocolate-flavored snacks. Chocolate! The heavenly goodies made from cocoa and one of the best things I tasted in Nayak.
” Welcome….” The owner of the pastry shop, A young woman dressed in traditional Nayak clothing greeted me immediately we entered but her eyes widened immediately I removed my cloak.
” Sweet Nati! Aston! I think I’m dreaming, The goddess herself is in my shop” The woman almost screamed at my sight trying to contain her excitement. My face flushed under her gaze, and I could feel a slight blush creeping up my cheeks.
” Adaira you have started with your dramatics, what is it this time?”
A young man slightly older than her came from the bakery covered in flour. His eyes widened as he saw me and he started brushing the flour off his body.
” How may we serve you, Your Majesty?” The man and his wife knelt and bowed at my feet immediately.
” Ehhh can you just treat me like a normal customer? This is kind of too much” I muttered and they stared at me in shock.
” I told you, she is a goddess” The woman whispered not so quietly to her husband and I smiled. They both stood up and offered me a seat inside the shop, The wife started serving me some bite sized samples so I could choose what I wanted.
” I want the little snow rolls with chocolate fillings and the peach flavoured sponge cakes,” I said pointing at the snow white rolls and the cakes on the plate. The excited woman nodded and yelled out the order to her husband.
” Will you like a cup of our hibiscus tea while my husband packs your order?” She asked and I shook my head, Hibiscus tea has been making me nauseous and I don’t know why because I used to go crazy for it when I was young.
” No Thank you,” I said politely and the woman nodded, she went back to her normal position while stealing excited glances at me whenever she thought I wasn’t looking.
” Here are your orders Your Majesty, I hope you visit our shop another time” The man named Aston handed Annalise a large paper bag obviously containing more than what I ordered but I didn’t act like I noticed. Annalise brought out her pouch to pay him but he said no.
” Even if you were to ask for the entire pastries in this shop. We wouldn’t collect money from you, it is a form of saying thank you for healing our friend’s only daughter. You may not remember her but we are grateful. Laura was our friend’s only hope” Aston said and his wife gave me a soft smile.
” But that help came from Natalí not me,” I said trying to make them collect the money but they refused. I collected the pouch from Annalise and I removed a tiny orb of Natalí’s tears. ” Even if you reject the money, I’m sure you won’t reject this,” I said taking Adaira’s hands with my gloves ones, I slipped the orb into her palms and grabbed Annalise’s hands quickly. We spun out of the shop before they could refuse that too.
” Wait your majesty” Annalise breathed after me. I dropped her hands once we were far enough from the pastry shop. ” I dropped the pastry bag!” She exclaimed and I gasped out loud.
” I dropped it on the table when I wanted to pay them but you grabbed my hands so suddenly I didn’t get to pick it up again,” She said trying to control her breathing. I blushed in embarrassment.
” I will just back and take it again. Wait for me here” She said and I nodded wrapping my cloak around me again to hide my face. She started heading back and I turned my back to hide at a stall but I bumped into a wall instead of a wall of muscle.
” What the hell? Watch where you are going, peasant!” The large wall of muscle I bumped into groaned loudly. I moved my cloak from my face and I looked up to look at the rude human being I just bumped into. He looked so familiar but I don’t know if I have seen him somewhere.
” Move aside!” He pushed me roughly even after seeing my face.