As Izrina fled from the king, all she could think of was how to leave the palace. Even if she didn't escape the kingdom now. The priority was to avoid the young man. How he was king was another reason of concern for Izrina.
His kingdom must be in utter horror, hoping for when he'd die!
"Iz-Rina!" Spinola, who had been frantically searching for the girl after she had sent the guard on his way almost blew their cover when she saw the princess descending the stairs in a haste as though she had left behind a glass slipper that would be used to trace her later.
"Where did you-" The woman paused. She reached forward to touch Izrina's hair. "Did you fall inside water?"
Izrina touched Spinola's shoulder before she pulled the woman into a hug. She'd thought she was going to die there earlier. And it sounded really stupid considering she had gone there for that same reason.
"I found the fountain..." Izrina reported herself, breathing heavily. "I should have waited for you."
Spinola agreed with a nod, feeling the girl's body shaking. The woman took a step back. Using her dress to wipe her hair dry.
"As long as you're safe, darling." And Spinola meant every word she said. The princess has been the most unproblematic person right from her child days. She followed written down rules. Even when she got into trouble, she tried to make up for it by punishing herself for it.
If virtue were a person, then Izrina would be what it was called. The girl was upright, and whatever reason she had gone to the fountain for, Spinola would understand. Since the girl hasn't had enough time to heal from everything that happened these past few days.
"It's okay.... I'm only worried about you meeting with that King of theirs"
Izrina pressed her lips. If Spinola finds out where she has been and who had not just spoken to her but also touched her hand.
"I have heard a lot of other things about him." Spinola continued, drying the girl's curls with care. "He started ruling the kingdom at the age of twelve....and his first war was when he was fifteen."
Izrina hummed. It explains why the king was the way he was. He experienced corrupt politics and war from a young age. It was something the princess couldn't relate to. She didn't know how to empathize with him either.
"That is not all....at that age, he should be a child, afraid of killing, but he returned victoriously after killing more enemies than...."
Spinola's voice faded. Not because Izrina couldn't hear her anymore, but her eyes noticed something. The woman had a cut on her lips, and her sleeves looked torn.
"What happened to you?" Izrina asked, touching the woman's face.
Spinola backed away from the hug, trying to turn her face to the side. "Let me see if I can sneak you back inside the room." She murmured, "I found the kitchen...I might be able to get you something for dinner. Let's see..." she hummed, doing all she could to avoid Izrina's eyes.
Izrina didn't need to be told about what happened, but she wished it wasn't what she was thinking. Of course, the world wasn't fluffy clouds and pristine snowballs where people don't apply the give or take method.
"Spinola..." Izrina said, "Let me take care of myself...I am not a- your princess anymore. My family committed treason. You should be trying to survive and not hurt yourself to protect a fallen princess."
Spinola chuckled, shaking her head. "Is this how it feels to be scolded by your child? Karissa was right." She rubbed the curls in Izrina's hair. "You will make a great queen."
"Spinola, don't change the-"
"You two!!"
Izrina tried to shield her eyes with her palm. The fire torches cast light on their faces, as if they had been caught doing something wrong. Which they were.
"It's Lady Feyrne!" Spinola gasped. She had wanted to hide Izrina away from whatever party they planned on holding for their king and his officials.
The stern-looking woman walked up to them, making a gesture so the guards doesn't follow her. "Do you two not hear the bell?" she asked with a frown. "Run over to your room and get properly dressed to serve the officials."
"Yes, Lady Feyrne," Spinola said with a bow. She was beginning to feel disgusted being controlled by the head of the courtesans. It was almost laughable considering that while in Ziadne, those were the lowest class and didn't have a say in the palace.
Lady Feyrne leaned in. "Do you have something to say to me?"
Izrina glanced at Spinola then at the woman who was supposedly a fox among doves. It wasn't good. Both women were having a stare-down. Spinola used to be the head governess, she always spoke against prostitutes. Being ordered by one, it won't be long before she loses her temper.
"Thank you for caring for us, Lady Feyrne." Izrina broke the silence with a nervous smile. She nudged her former governess. "We are still learning our twos, working as doves."
Lady Feyrne took a step back, something flashed in her eyes, and her lips curled. She repeated the last words under her breath, her eyes sizing up the girl. "How long did you say you have been working as a night woman?"
Izrina rubbed her palm on dress. "Night- oh... It hasn't been long, but I have the skills."
Even Spinola raised her eyebrows. The first man outside the king and Cora, the princess, has ever seen was the duke's son. And even that didn't last for long.
"I see." Lady Feyrne nodded slowly as if trying to believe the girl. "Get dressed then. You will serve the officials along with me."
The two women backed away with their eyes staring at the ground. Spinola couldn't wait to leave the head courtesan's's presence so she could come up with a plan to hide Izrina away from the lecherous old perverted officials.
"You over there..."
They hadn't gone far when the woman stopped them again.
"Rina?"
Izrina gulped as she turned to look at the woman. How did the woman remember her name when they had met only once?
"My lady?" She replied, keeping her eyes down. She'd learnt that from watching her servants back in her kingdom. She never got a glimpse of their appearance or faces.
Lady Feyrne closed the distance between them. Fishing out something from her pocket then took Izrina's hand. "You are forgetting this." She placed the small yellow bell on the girl's palm.
Izrina closed her palm. She waited for the woman to ask where she had kept the one given to her. Izrina searched her mind for a quick lie.
"Never lose this."
To Izrina's greatest surprise was all the woman said to her.
"You can leave now."
Spinola, who had held her breath, found her legs closing enormous distances just to get away from the woman while Izrina trotted like a tiny piglet behind her until they were out of sight.
As the duo disappeared into the approaching night, Lady Feyrne rubbed her fingers together. Same one that had touched the girl twice.
"That girl has never been a fallen woman..." she whispered to herself. "Pure and untouched wings barely hide in the crowd." Her eyes got darker as she watched the empty space ahead.
"What is a virgin doing among prostitutes? Why is she pretending to be like us?"
One guard took a step closer to the woman. "What do I need to do?"
"I want to know about the girls the king brought earlier...I want to know everything about this sheep in a wolves' den called Rina....I want to know where she came from."