章節 53: Beat, the chihuahua
Alyssa was tapping her fingers on the table. "That is interesting,"
Maya was in the princess' room, reporting what she discovered. Alyssa bribed and threatened the guards outside her door to let Maya and Elion in.
"The water of the gods does not have medicinal properties." Alyssa knew that Zenalda's attempt was a lost cause. "Let the old duchess be, believing that she did everything to save her pets would be the best for her."
"But…" Maya said.
"Instead," Alyssa waved a hand in the air. "What is the name of the one who ruined my gown?"
Even though it was just a second, Maya saw the queen in the princess--- there was no doubt as to who raised the princess.
"Give me her name, Maya." Alyssa demanded.
"Lily, from the laundry division."
"I'll deal with her when I get out, I still have a day with those guards outside my room."
After her quick report, Maya left the princess's room with a heavy heart, she gave a name, she betrayed her kind.
Is she too turning into a royal's puppet?
'No.' she convinced herself. 'It was a necessary move.'
In order for Maya to break the princess' bond with her queen mother, this was a necessary sacrifice.
This was just Maya's first step in breaking the royals apart.
***
It was a painful sight to see.
Duchess Zenalda and Duke Vis was sharing a table together for an afternoon tea.
"Ison Vis." Zenalda placed a bag on the table with a thud. "I hope this is enough."
The bag was filled with diamonds, but Ison Vis was not interested enough to look at its content.
"The membership is not something that can be bought, Zenalda." Ison Vis smirked. "You must wait for our invitation."
"But I never received an invitation! I waited for years! Never!" Zenalda snapped back. "How else will I be able to get a cure for my baby!"
"You have no patience, Zenalda." Ison Vis took a sip of his steaming hot tea. "The invitation will come."
"How long do I have to wait?" Zenalda's hand were fisted under the table.
"For eternity, I suppose." Ison Vis fixed his tie and stood up, leaving Zenalda alone.
"Ison Vis! Making a fool out of me!" Zenalda banged on the table, spilled teas dripping at the edge of the table. "Who do you think you are?" she said to herself. "You're not the only one on the market with the vaccine."
***
"Tina!" Sarah, Tina's best friend ran to her side. "Maya is looking all over the palace for you."
"She already found me." Tina shrugged.
"What was it about? Spill it!" Sarah's curiosity grew bigger. "Was it about Eli? Did she want you to step back because they're together?"
Princess Alyssa might have saved Maya and Elion from being banished from the palace, but she did not save them from the gossips. People talked, and every attendant knew of the alleged affair--- it was a secret that everybody knew.
"No," Tina shook her head. "she wanted to buy the vaccine from me."
"What?!" Sarah was scandalous with this, she snorted. "So she could use it to heal Eli's wounds?"
"No, I think it was more than that." They rounded the corner as guards waved hi at them, knowing they were a royal's attendant. "I think the princess asked her to."
"Did Maya take away it from you?"
"Of course not." Tina smirked. "I already gave it to the duchess."
"That's good news then!" Sarah clasped her hand together. "You think you're finally going to be promoted?"
"No, it's still far down the road."
"But you're getting there!"
"WE'RE getting there." Tina looked sideways at her best friend. "They will eventually see our worth as long as we work hard for it."
"Yes, they will." Sarah fisted her hand in the air. "Just like Chief Barn did."
"But definitely not in our sixties."
Both of them laughed.
That was their dream, to work hard in order to earn the vaccine, while they were still young and beautiful. They believed that going the extra mile for their royal masters would eventually lead them to being awarded the gift of immortally---these were two young women who were willing to do the work to achieve their goal.
"What about you?" Tina asked Sarah. "Is Dr. Natalie satisfied with your work?"
They were each other's accountable partners, encouraging the other to work harder.
"Yes, more than I can handle." Sarah suddenly turned sullen. "You know you're lucky right? Just tending for the dogs, makes Duchess Zenalda happy."
"Are you seeing these?" Tina revealed her hands to Sarah. "They bite all the time."
"Still, it's better than mine." Sarah insisted.
"Why?" Tina asked her best friend. "What does Dr. Natalie make you do?"
"It's better for you not to know." Sarah looked at her watch. "Look at the time, the Dr. Natalie would be looking for me." She ran, away from Tina.
"Sarah! Wait!" Tina called for her best friend.
"It's time for Beat's medicine remember?" Sarah turned around and waved goodbye to her best friend. "Go on and feed him! See you later!"
***
A screeching outcry can be heard on the empty hallway, a whining puppy screaming with pain.
A loud pleading that turned into silence, replaced by a human's---or rather, a royal's--- chuckle.
Duchess Zenlada's eyes were bloody red, her greying hair disheveled, her body shaking, her hands smeared with blood. "It's okay my boy, it's okay" Beat, her second child, was lying on the velvet floor, his breathing was shallow. "You will live." She was kneeling on the floor, caressing Beat with her bloody hand.
Cici and Ciel were whimpering beside her, their white fur was smeared with Beat's blood, more aware than their owner that Beat was dying.
The vaccine her attendant was able to acquire was too little for the three of her dogs, but she was positive that it would be enough for Beat for now. She was already planning to look for other sources for her other two babies is the near future.
"Those scoundrels!" Zenalda gritted her teeth in anger. "They thought I will let my boy die. They will see who they are dealing with."
Cici and Ciel walked towards Beat, licking his wound, trying to ease his pain.
Zenalda was about to caress Beat once more when Cici and Ciel snapped their heads to their owner and growled at her. "Shhhhh," Zenalda cooed her dogs. "Beat will be fine, don't worry."
"Duchess, I've brought Beat's medicine," The door slowly drew open as a glass suddenly shattered on the floor. "Duchess…" Tina's eyes widened in shock, upon a quick scan in the room, she discovered three things--- a bloodied kitchen knife thrown on the floor, an empty cylinder beside Beat's plate, and the Duchess' bloody hands.
The duchess attempted to kill her own sick dog.
"Duchess…" Tina closes the door abruptly, not bothering to clean up the wasted medicine--- it was not needed anymore. "He's…" she ran towards the duchess. "Beat is dying…" she tried to reach out for the dying chihuahua, but the other dogs almost bit her, she jerked her hands away.
"Do not panic." A tone of authority on Zenalda's voice. "He will rise again."
Tina nodded, not daring to disagree with her master. For Tina, the idea was absurd, but if her master tells her otherwise, then so be it.
"Yes, he will wake up." Zenalda nodded, making her saggy neck bob. "The vaccine will do the trick."
"Duchess, I could have done it for you." Tina took the weapon and hid it inside her apron, she began to clean the blood on the duchess hands. "There's no need to dirty yourself."
"I had to do it as her mother." Zenalda did not leave Beat's sight as he took his last breath, lying still on the floor. "He will rise as a newborn."
The duchess, successful in killing her precious dog.
Tina was doubting this, she thinks that the water was too little to save the dog. "I hope the vaccine is enough..." she blurted out.
"It is enough!" Zenalda pushed Tina away. "It will work."
Tina fell on her behind. "Of course, it will." she recovered herself and knelt beside the duchess.
"My work is done." Zenalda stood up slowly. "It's your turn." she walked towards the door. "Don't take your eyes off him, feed him as soon as he wakes up." she opened the door and exited the room.
As minutes passed by and as her knees began to numb, realizing that the duchess would not return, Tina finally stood up. She began working and cleaned the room, she made sure to leave the dogs alone for now--- she did not want to add another scar on her hand as much as possible.
She brushed the blood stain on the carpet, she swiped the dogs' feces, and she organized the pillows.
As if on time, her stomach churned as soon as she was done with her work.
Tina turned the knob on the door, realizing that it cannot be opened. "Duchess?" at first it was a whisper. She began to turn the knob again and again. "Duchess." Her voice became louder and louder. "Duchess!" she banged on the door. "Duchess, please!" she walked towards the corner of the room and ran---shoulder first---towards the door, but it did not budge at all.
Finally, she learned to give up.
The duchess meant what she said, she wants Tina to tend for the dead dog until the sunrise comes.
All Tina could do was to cry silently as she sat at the door, her voice was of no use --- it will not be heard no matter how loud she screams.
Tina was whimpering, together with Cici and Ciel.
As a royal's attendant, she had only one choice, and that was to do what her master had commanded her too.
Tina wrapped her hands on her knees, staring at the dead dog as a stench began to drift in the air.
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