[ Quest: Earn your place as a servant in the royal castle, completed! ]
[ Congratulations! You've unlocked a new ability:
[ Note: This ability only works through physical contact. Remote healing is not possible. Severe wounds or those caused by poison or enchantments may also be beyond your reach. Also, further mastery will come with leveling up. ]
[ Additionally, your healing may be quicker and more potent when you have an emotional bond with the person you're trying to help. ]
[ +20 points ]
"Thank you," Anna murmured, settling into her new chamber within the castle.
The room felt warm with a cozy fire crackling in the hearth. The fire cast flickering shadows on the nicely decorated furniture, and as she looked out at the beautiful castle garden through the large windows, she thought,
"This is the best room in the entire castle, I wonder who occupied this space before me?'
As Anna began to unpack her belongings, her thoughts drifted back to her newfound ability. The power to heal was exciting, even with the limitation. The thrill of the possibility made her consider the lengths she'd go to even injure someone for the sake of practice.
Just as her mind was wrapped in contemplation, a soft knock echoed through the room, interrupting her thoughts,
"Come in."
Expecting a fellow servant or perhaps the Princess's handmaiden 'someone she would soon work alongside' Anna gasped as the door swung open to reveal none other than the Queen herself, along with two maids.
"Your Majesty," Anna stammered, taking a bow.
The Queen's gaze was piercing, her expression steadfast, narrowing as she scanned Anna as if she were a potential threat.
"So it is you," she remarked, her tone dripping with disdain.
"The peasant dancer whom my husband has fallen in love with."
Anna's heart raced, and confusion clouded her thoughts. 'Why did she have to frame it like that?'
There have been whispered tales of the Queen's sharp tongue, however, experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different matter and it wasn't what Anna had expected on her very first night in the castle.
"I'm sorry, my Queen?" Anna mumbled, as though she hadn't heard the Queen correctly.
"I can assure you...
"Shut up!" The Queen snapped, her voice slicing through the air like a dagger, leaving Anna speechless. The maids standing behind her cast urgent glances toward Anna, their eyes silently warning her that the Queen was a tempest waiting to unleash her fury, and it was best to remain silent.
"I don't chatter on unnecessarily, and you best remain quiet until I'm finished. I trust I won't need to repeat myself?"
"Apologies, my lady."
"Now," the Queen continued, closing the distance between them with a menacing grimace,
"My husband has never once been impressed by the performances of you dancers. I don't know what kind of spell you think you've cast or what schemes you're plotting. But let me be clear: if you so much as come within six feet of the King, you will regret it."
A jolt of fear mingled with indignation coursed through Anna. The last thing she wanted was to ensnare the King's attention; her quest was to serve, nothing more, except of course, if he is the demigod that Emma Broadway was writing about.
"I assure you, Your Majesty, that I do not have such intentions," she said, forcing her voice to stay even, and carefully choosing words that felt strange on her tongue.
"I am merely a humble servant, striving to fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities."
The Queen's steely gaze bore into her, skepticism written across her face. As she turned to leave, her tone dripped with disdain,
"We'll see about that, Anna. I have a feeling you're destined to disappoint me."
With those final words, she swept out of the room like a thunderstorm looming on the horizon, leaving Anna in a swirl of apprehension and confusion. She tried to shake off the unease, reminding herself that she had done nothing wrong.
"System, I hope I won't have to... deal with her at all?" Anna faltered.
"Because now I know she'll be watching my every move, waiting to catch me near the King."
[The Queen feels very jealous because Emma made her face a lot of difficulties before she married the king. Even after the marriage, the Queen had to deal with other women to stay the only Queen. This experience makes her distrust every woman the King brings into the castle]
"She shouldn't play that game with me," Anna muttered, finishing up her unpacking.
[Congratulations, you have one new reader support!]
"That makes two," Anna chuckled to herself, the tension easing slightly.
"Whoever Emma is, her fans are clearly eager for this story to unfold. She's an icon, and it's surprising I've never crossed paths with her works before."
Just as Anna settled into her thoughts, a knock at the door jolted her back to reality. Hoping it wasn't the Queen's wrath returning, she approached the door with caution.
"Miss Anna?" A guard stood at attention, with a serious expression on his face.
"The Queen has requested your presence in her chamber immediately."
Anna's heart plummeted into her stomach. What could she possibly want this time? She forced herself to swallow her frustration.
"I've only been here an hour, give me a break!" But she kept the thought to herself, offering the guard a forced smile.
"I'm coming."