章節 2: A Silent Promise

It was a hot, burning, searing pain that jolted Viella from her sleep. She rolled off her bed, landing face down against the cold stone floor.

Stretching her arm forward instinctively to soothe the foreign pain, she looked around in panic, searching for its source. But as she scanned the room, she couldn't figure out where it came from.

There was no snake, no fire, no insects. Nothing.

Tears trickled down her face once again. She bit her bottom lip, stopping herself from screaming in agony.

The last thing she wanted today was angry screams from her fellow maids. But it had taken everything in her to hold it in.

By the time the pain began to subside, the moon had risen high in the sky. Sweat trickled from her forehead, her breathing heavy, her chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm.

She lay there on the floor, letting the coldness make up for the lack of fresh air on the windless night. The humidity of the air before rain pressed down on her as Viella pushed herself up.

Her eyes widened in wonder as she gazed at her wrist, surprised to see a new mark engraved into her skin. Like burning coal hidden beneath the thinness of her flesh, it shone with a fiery glow, creating a slithering image of thorn-ridden branches. She swallowed, fearing what it meant.

Had someone cursed her? Viella thought. She scrambled to her bedside table and poured some water on the burn. It sizzled under the touch of the liquid, causing smoke to rise from her skin.

It must have been her stepmother. Viella swallowed and checked to see where the moon was. It wasn't yet midnight, and if she hurried, she could still meet Gideon behind the stables.

Carefully, Viella wrapped a piece of torn white cloth around her wrist. Then, she slowly opened the door to her bedroom, revealing the long, narrow corridor of the maids' quarters.

She gently closed the door, moving as silently as a cat, before stepping over the stairs that led her up to the foyer of the workers' residence.

There were over two thousand workers who served the palace, and in the dead of night, it felt as though no one was there.

Viella could hear her own heartbeat as she reached the double doors of the entrance, slipping out like a ghost covered by a black cloak.

Knowing the path as well as the back of her hand, Viella reached the guest stables outside the main palace walls within fifteen minutes. She peeked around the corner, finding Gideon already there, sitting with his head leaning against it.

"Gideon," Viella said, her voice low.

The man with sandy hair and blue eyes looked over at her, his smile wide and contagious. "My dear Viella," he said, his words soft as they locked in a tight embrace, sinking into a deep kiss.

"Did you manage to get Her Majesty's blessing?" he asked, the moment their lips parted. Viella felt her face mirror the sadness in her chest, the happiness slipping away.

Being a herbalist was all she could talk about with him, and as much as she wished he hadn't brought it up immediately, she couldn't blame him.

"My hidden gem, what's the matter? Has she denied you your request?"

"She has. Apparently, it was not my place to ask for it," Viella answered. Gideon's face softened with concern, one hand gently caressing her cheek. "Then she is not a wise queen. I've seen what your hands can do. You are a healer above all else."

This made her smile. Speaking ill of the matriarch could mean certain death, but it seemed Gideon cared little for that fact. His face lit up when he saw her smile.

"Your tongue will be your downfall," Viella whispered.

"It would be worth it to lift you, my dear," Gideon said, then reached into his pocket, producing a small leather box—one Viella knew was worth far more than Gideon could afford. He was just a sailor.

"Gideon?" Viella's voice fell to a gentle whisper. She felt her heart beat louder in her chest. Gideon looked her in the eyes as he slowly knelt before her, his gaze wide with wonderment and worry, yet there was hope there too.

"Viella. They say you are the bringer of misfortune. The bane and sorrow of this kingdom. They say you are as useless as a bucket with a hole in it. But I know more, far more than that about you." Gideon's words were sweet as honey to her ears.

"I don't see all of these things. What they are is no different than what has made me the person I am today. It's rather foolish because they rob themselves of the wonder that you are. A smart, beautiful, kind, understanding, and loving young woman. Who is more than I deserve."

He smiled, and it bloomed like the first rose of spring. All the love, joy, and adoration shone through his icy blue eyes.

"I will not hold it against you if you choose not to stay by my side. I know my place in this world. But I guess there's enough evil in me to hope that you do not know yours. So that you will agree when I ask you... Viella Ivelle, the rightful ruler and heiress, Crown Princess of Olaos. Will you give me the honor of becoming... my wife?" He finished.

By then, tears had stained her eyes, and embarrassingly, snot filled her nose. She nodded, letting him place the small silver ring on her finger. Viella had never felt warmth like this in her life, but she knew, without fully understanding, that this was the beginning of finally filling that hole in her chest.

The two embraced in a tight hold, Gideon spinning her around through the air. She chuckled softly, still careful not to let anyone know they were there.

"It is only that we must wait before we can finally marry," Gideon said, setting Viella back on the ground. She frowned at his words. "What are we waiting for? If it's my father's permission, I wouldn't worry. He doesn't care about me anyway."

"My dear, you know I'm a sailor. Tomorrow night, I will be embarking on a new journey to Ezahel. I'll be working there for at least a year before I can return," Gideon explained. "All I ask of you is to wait until I return."

"A year?" Viella repeated to herself. She needed to wait a year before they could marry? "That's too long!" she exclaimed. Gideon placed a finger on her lips, reminding her to keep it quiet.

"That's too long," Viella repeated in a whisper.

"Actually, I have to be there for a year, but the journey itself is eighteen months—back and forth," Gideon explained. Viella's eyes widened. The most he had ever been gone was six months.

"That's almost three years. No, Gideon, I will not wait. Please, take me with you. Don't leave me here to suffer this life of servitude any longer. If you leave me here, I fear they will force me to marry an old decrepit man," Viella said, clutching at his shirt as she leaned against his chest. The smell of sea salt and evening wind calmed her nerves.

Gideon cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look up at him. "If this is true, then we don't have any other choice. Meet me tomorrow night at the ship's courtyard. I'll sneak you in with the other women. Then we will stay there forever. We will not return."

Viella nodded, her heart blooming with joy and hope.

"I will see you there," she whispered.

Suddenly, a series of footsteps approached them from one side of the stable. Viella pushed Gideon to run. He whispered desperately, "Run with me."

"No. If they catch you too, there goes our future," Viella said. With that, Gideon planted a quick kiss on her forehead before running away, just in time before two male figures appeared behind her.

Viella turned on her heels, her eyes wide at the sight of Jasper and Finn. Their familiar blond hair seemed to hold the light of the moon's yellow hue. Their smiles would have been charming on their handsome faces if not for the malice written there.

"Was that a man I heard?" Jasper said, glancing at his twin brother.

"It was. My, and we all know the punishment for maids who have relations within palace walls, don't we?" Finn asked, staring into Viella's eyes.

She couldn't place when or how they had managed to find her, only that it was her worst luck that had brought them here. Viella tried to gather her words, but before she could, they each held her by an arm. Their soft, sinister laughter accompanied her as she was taken away.