Heiress To The Cursed Godslayers

"That is enough."

They both freeze as Freesia's serene and solemn voice cuts through their argument.

"She will have her rest. Take your quarrel to another room."

Her footsteps are soft and measured as she crosses the floor. Her brows pinch and she observes me with displeasure.

"She's too tall for this cradle. Niathe you've ordered a bed for her correct?"

Niathe fidgets with her dress and averts her gaze."…"

Freesia is not impressed and her voice reflects that."Have it ordered at once."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Niathe looks down at me sorrowfully. No. It's not directed towards me. The cradle. 

It must have been his.

My fists clenched and I forced myself to look away from her. It's nothing personal I'm not her real child anyway. I'm not even a real child.

"I'm tired. I want to sleep."

Freesia questions me."Have you had a bath yet?"

"No."

"Have you eaten?"

"No." 

"Then you're not ready for bed. Where are her nursemaid and attendants?"

Niathe knew the answer to that and answered in a hesitant voice."Sarabse is currently working outside the estate."

Where did she go? I mean I just saw her. 

"And her attendants?"

Niathe's shoulders hunch forward and do the first time in—ever. "She…has none."

"…" Freesia's brow raises as she regards Niathe in a new light with narrowed eyes. Her voice takes on a cutting edge. "So you've been doing something very important lately. I see."

She adds on without waiting for permission or agreement. "Something more important than providing necessities and services to your child. I see that you are dressed in exquisite clothes and your attendants are in the tens. Yet you have neglected your daughter to this point. Cleary, you are too busy to take care of her. So I will kindly do you the favor of completely taking over her governance."

Niathe interjected."That's not—"

Freesia doesn't take no for an answer and waves her hand at Niathe in a dismissive motion. "You're very welcome Niathe. Now be a good girl and assemble a group of fresh faces for me. Within the next hour of course. Unless you're too busy. If that's the case then I'll employ other hard workers like myself to help govern Miseria. I've heard the new going rate is three hundred gold a month at least."

"…"

Niathe's eyes reddened and she looked away."I'll have them here in the hour."

She turns to leave and Freesia follows her with her eyes."You're not going to say your farewells?"

"I'm coming back in an hour!"

Niathe slams the door shut and I jump. Freesia catches everything with her eyes. All-knowing and piercing candy apple red eyes. Her black hair is tied back in several complicated braids and knots with metal accessories.

After they're sure my mother is gone Illyria grits out in frustration."I am somewhat less than pleased with her parenting."

Freesia retorts."Not in front of the child." Illyria shuts up.

I blink and stare at her. Who is this lady? She just sent Niathe out of the room fuming and shushed the Queen. Super Nanny!

"Now, let's have a look." Freesia inspects my back which had already stopped hurting a while ago. "Barely acceptable. I'll have to dress the scar myself later. For now…"

Freesia picked me up and took an inventory of everything. Illyria followed from behind. I rested on Freesia's shoulder as she inspected the other two rooms inside my room.

The bathroom and the storage room. 

"Oh, Niathe." It's a sigh and a doleful whisper from Illyria's lips. I can't see either of their expressions but I'm not sure what they're unhappy about. This room is huge and has almost everything I need.

Illyria sighs."This is all my fault."

Freesia doesn't suppress Illyria's commentary this time. "There is work to be done. Nothing less. Nothing more. We cannot predict or divine it from afar. Neither of us are oracles."

Illyria asks in frustration."What shall we do then? We can't just leave her in this state."

Freesia spat out mockingly. "We? I am her nanny. I have no intention of leaving her anywhere. She is my charge until I am no longer needed."

There's a tense moment of silence that passes between them. Words go unsaid but are understood. "Please…I don't know how to fix this."

"Yes, you do. You're just playing both sides like a coward. Stand up for something or fall for nothing Illyria. I didn't raise a coward."

Freesia took me to the bathroom and gently scrubbed off the blood from earlier. She paid special attention to my back which was practically numb by now. That medicine did work.

Points for Niathe.

"Do you have any particular preference for your evening meal?"

"No."

"So I can just order you a salad?"

"…"

Normally I'd say hells no and throw some type of fit. But now…I just feel too numb to care. I just want to sleep. I've talked too much today. I just want to lay my head down and rest for a minute. 

My eyes are burning but I don't have any more tears left in me.

Happy Birthday to me.

Happy Birthday to me.

Happy Birthday too Gracie. 

Happy Birthday to me…

The penguin didn't disturb me that night. After Freesia had bathed, dried, clothed, and fed me. She tucked me into my cradle and I stared at the turning mobile until my eyes couldn't stay open any longer.

I wasn't lucky enoughh to have dreamless sleep that night. I dreamed of a past. Sitting in a tub with rubber animals as her hands worked through my hair to my scalp. Warm after was dumped on my head again and again. I closed my eyes to keep the soap out and fell into a darkness that didn't have vengeance hidden in its depths.

I was at peace again.

Just for that night.

Then I woke up.

At the asscrack of dawn. From a massage? What the hell? When I opened my eyes I could still see the night sky but it was lightening considerably. It's probably only been a few hours since I fell asleep.

What is she doing?

"My apologies but I received my medicine bag from the palace. So I decided to take immediate action." 

Her aged hands applied firm pressure all over my back and arms. It's burning again but in a good way. Her hands fluttered over my body and drove into my joints. Wow.

My eyes rolled around in my head and I fell back to sleep again. This time however the Penguin got to me.