Page 16 of Poisoned Heart (The Emerald Realm 1)

“Well I do have this.” I pulled on the chain around my neck, displaying the metal whistle he had gifted me. “This way I can call on you if I need to see your charming face again. Just don’t keep too far of a distance, okay?” The words sounded more like a plea than I had meant, but he smiled warmly in reply.

“Do not worry, I would not dare stray far enough to risk your safety.” His gentle expression cast a feeling of security over me. How had it only been two days that I had known this man? I felt as if he had been in my life for years. and I could trust him with every aspect of my safekeeping.

“Thank you, Peter,” I hastily turned to leave, not wanting him to see the dismay on my face at our parting. I made it only a few steps forward before Peter’s voice rang behind me. His words making my heart flutter in a way I didn’t realize was possible.

“Goodbye, Arabella.”

chapter ten

An entire week passed without incident, and only six more days remained for me to survive through. My time at the mill blurred together as routines began to settle. Out of fear of the recent attack, I never left the mill. Hazel took Delilah with her on deliveries upon my reasoning that I was more efficient on the washboards. No one really argued the matter since it was common knowledge that Delilah had always been a tad sloppy with her work—not to mention, Delilah was happy to accept a change of pace. With the issue of remaining hidden resolved, there wasn’t much left to fret about. Other than the matter of removing King Garrett after I was free to return safely to the castle, and the other matter of Peter…

I hadn’t been able to get him out of my mind since our unexpected encounter in the woods. Images of his gentle eyes flashed through my mind each night, and I could almost feel the warmth of his embrace as if he was holding me in the middle of the forest again. It was completely ridiculous, of course. I had only known the man for two days at the time, yet here I was, day dreaming about him. The more I tried to convince myself that I was being foolish, the more I heard his voice ringing in my head.

“Goodbye, Arabella.”

The internal voice made my heart skip a beat and simultaneously sink at the reminder of his goodbye. I missed having someone to share my true name with. Perhaps that was the reason I longed for his company so much. Surely, his kind eyes, handsome face, and comforting presence had nothing to do with it. I groaned to myself as I recognized my own obvious attraction. There was no room for fancying a charming captain at a time like this.

Ten days had passed since my fourteen-day countdown toward freedom. Only four more days, then I would be safe from one villain, but I still hadn’t made any progress on how to remove King Garret from Isalla.

The usual morning fire glowed warmly as the girls and I gathered around for our morning tea and bread. The routine had become familiar and comforting over the time I had spent here, and the girls felt more like family than fellow workers. I took it upon myself to pour everyone’s tea this morning but paused when I noticed I was one cup short. I looked up from the group with a puzzled expression, counting the faces. Let’s see, there was Hazel, Glenda, Daniela, Susan, Bethanne, Delilah, and… Wait.

“Where is Sylvia?” I inquired with concern as Bethanne and Susan shared a glance.

“She’s still in bed.” Susan pointed towards the laundry piles and sure enough, I could see a bundled figure still curled up amongst the fabric. “She hasn’t been feeling well lately, and last night she spiked a fever.” She sounded worried as she spoke. Sylvia always seemed to be sniffling from one thing or another, but she had never been bad enough that she couldn’t work.

“I think there’s a flu going around,” Hazel chirped with less enthusiasm than usual. “Peter told me that a few of his soldiers had been coming down with something similar lately, but none have had fevers.” Her eyes lowered with concern. My heart leapt without permission at the captain’s name, but I quickly reeled the emotion back.

“That sounds terrible.” I felt my face fall as my concern for Sylvia hit. “Perhaps I could go into town and purchase some medicine? We just got paid the other day, so I wouldn’t mind picking up a few things from the local apothecary.” I recalled a small brick building I had seen on my first trip through the town.

“Ya don’t have to go spending yer money on any of us,” Glenda huffed as she munched on a piece of bread.

“No really, I want to.” I put the tea kettle down and walked toward my locker. “If I leave now, I should be back in time to help with the majority of the washing. We wouldn’t want the rest of us to get sick anyway, so it’s in everyone’s best interest if Sylvia gets better as soon as possible.” I tied my cloak around my neck and smiled reassuringly. The girls all shared an understanding look before Daniela spoke up.

“Very well, Annie. Just be sure to get back safely.” She smiled her sweet, motherly smile toward me, and I grinned back.

“Oh and keep an eye out for any more gossip from the capital!” Bethanne shouted as I made my way toward the back door. “Last night, when I was at the market, I heard Queen Minerva and King Garrett just announced their engagement!” I stopped in my tracks. My blood froze in my veins at Bethanne’s words.

No…

“Yeah, I heard that ,too,” Glenda muttered under her breath. “These blasted royals have no idea how to rule anymore. They can’t find the dang princess, so they marry each other instead. Sounds like a desperate act of alliance to me.” The other girls began to jabber away at the exciting news, but my feet held stiff.

How could this be happening so soon? They had only been together for a week, and now they were getting married? How was I going to find a way to dissolve the engagement without sparking an opportunity for war? If Isalla broke off the engagement without proper cause, then Drancos’ allies would get involved in the conquering as well. Isalla would be gone.

I knew I had been standing for too long, so I willed my feet forward until I made it out the door. As soon as my feet hit the cobblestone, I nearly ran to the apothecary, my body needing to exert the frustrations I was feeling. When I finally arrived at the rustic brick shop, my chest was heaving from the exertion. I took a few moments to catch my breath before stepping through the door.

The room smelled of herbs and was spotless. Shelves of healing elixirs and medicinal plants lined the walls that led to a front desk at the back of the room. Behind the counter stood a rosy-cheeked woman with curly red hair and a plain white tunic dress. She offered me a friendly wave, but then turned her attention to another customer who was already at her desk. I looked at the back of the man standing a few paces ahead of me and instantly recognized his tall physique.

“Peter?” I called, my voice filled with hope as the man turned and smiled widely at me..

“Annie? What brings you here today?” His dashing green eyes were alight with joy, but I also sensed concern in his voice. His elation seemed hindered by an underlined worry. Was he worried I was sick?

“Sylvia is unwell,” I clarified. His face relaxed at the news then grew concerned again. “I came to see if there were any medications that would aide in her recovery.”

“I see.” He nodded in understanding as he approached the counter with me following. “I fear I am here for a similar reason. Mass amounts of my soldiers have been falling ill from a mysterious cause. They haven’t struck any fevers, but they haven’t been able to recover, either. I have been using my gifts on the infected men, but they only remain well for a short period of time. Usually, I am quite adept at dealing with illnesses, but this one perplexes me. My magic never seems to be enough to fully resolve it.” I could see the worry on his face as he spoke.

What an odd plague this was.

“Sylvia has been feeling unwell for some time now, but last night she spiked a fever,” I explained solemnly as his expression grew wide.

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