Page 10 of Demonchild

Malissa looked up from her untouched platter of food—a greasy leg of capon with a side of roasted carrots and mushrooms. She rarely ate mushrooms anymore, after learning what had happened to King Wulfgang’s second wife. Today, however, she had not touched any of her food at all. After last night, her appetite had abandoned her.

It was midday now, and Malissa’s chambers were aglow with golden sunshine pouring in through the leaded panes of the tall, pointed windows. She was not sure exactly how long she’d been sitting there staring at her food, but judging from the angle of the shadows, it had been a good half hour or more.

“Your Highness?” the voice said again.

Malissa turned her attention to the woman standing near the door of the chamber. It was Droanna, Malissa’s chief maidservant. She was a few years older than Malissa, with a head full of lovely, flaxen curls and a shapely figure that turned the heads of all the men who worked in the castle. But it was the woman’s soft, gentle face that Malissa liked. Of all the servants in King Wulfgang’s employ, Droanna was the only one who had ever shown her any amount of warmth.

“Oh,” Malissa said. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I rapped on the door, Your Highness. When you didn’t reply, I feared some misfortune had befallen you.”

Not an unreasonable assumption. Misfortune had a way of befalling the many wives of King Wulfgang.

“Thank you for checking,” Malissa said. “I didn’t sleep well, that’s all.”

It was a lie. The truth was, she hadn’t slept a wink.

Last night, after banishing Beliath back to the void, she had stood there in the clearing for several long minutes, still as a statue, contemplating everything the demon had told her. Finally, she had dressed herself, blown out the candles, and gathered up all of her belongings.

The trek back through the forest had seemed to take an eternity. Every tiny noise, real or imagined, had nearly made her jump right out of her skin. She’d managed to sneak back into the castle without being spotted by the guards, and she’d slipped into bed a comfortable three hours before sun-up, but she had quickly given up any hope of sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind conjured a swarm of demonic faces to match the disembodied voice which had spoken to her from the center of the darkstone ring.

Droanna frowned and looked at Malissa’s untouched meal.

“Is there a problem with the food, Your Highness? Would you like me to take it away and bring you something else?”

“No thank you, Droanna”

The maidservant gazed at her with a look of concern, but said nothing. Malissa knew she had given the woman plenty of reason to be worried. First, she had insisted on dressing herself this morning, not wishing to explain her toe, which was stillswollen from when she had stubbed it last night, nor the scrapes on her side where she had fallen.

And now here she was, sitting with her plate untouched, so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t even heard the woman knocking at her door. If she had been in Droanna’s position, she would be very worried indeed.

She forced her lips into a reassuring smile.

“Truly, Droanna, everything is fine. I just need a good long sleep this evening, and I’ll be right as rain tomorrow.” She glanced at the door. “Was there something you needed to speak with me about?”

The maid, looking somewhat more at ease, made a quick bow.

“Dr. Jaeger wishes to see you, Your Highness. He has received word of the king.”

Malissa’s heart hitched. Not wordfromthe king. Wordofhim. Did that mean something had happened? Malissa tried her best not to appear hopeful. Most women would not be pleased by the prospect of their husband’s death. Then again, most women were not married to a man who habitually murdered his wives.

“I see. Please show him in.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After the maid had departed, Malissa pushed herself away from her uneaten meal and rose from her chair. She crossed the spacious room to the tall, silvered looking glass on the far wall and checked her appearance. She was wearing a blue gown today, and her hair was tied in a braid down her back. The long, sleepless night had left dark rings around her eyes, but otherwiseshe looked alright. She went back to the center of the room and awaited Jaeger’s arrival.

He entered a moment later, and greeted her with a deep bow.

“Your Highness.”

Dr. Jaeger was a thin, delicate man with dark, suspicious eyes and a small, pointed beard. A man of learning, he was Wulfgang’s chief alchemist, as well as one of his many advisors. When the king had departed for battle, he had left Jaeger behind to keep watch over Drachenval.

“How does Your Highness fare today?” he asked, obviously studying the dark circles around her eyes. “You’re not feeling unwell, I hope.”

“Just a little tired,” Malissa said. “I had a restless night.”

“Up late worrying about your king, no doubt.”

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