Chapter 9: The Cost of Obedience
Lyria's POV
I made it back to the palace without any other distractions or interference from someone familiar… thank the goddess.
I unlocked the door to my room and slipped inside, bolting it softly behind me.
Moonlight filtered through thin curtains, silvering the plain walls and bare floor.
I removed my cloak first, folding it carefully and pressing it into the bottom of my trunk. My boots followed, then the gown beneath, which still carried the faint grit of the streets and the chill of night air. I tucked everything away neatly, hiding the evidence of my absence as though it had never occurred.
Last came the small wrapped bundle hidden at my waist.
The medicine.
My fingers tightened around it for a moment before I wrapped it again in cloth and placed it carefully beneath a loose board beneath the bed — a place only I knew to check. Tomorrow, I would take it to my mother.
I filled the copper basin with warm water from the pitcher and stripped the last of the grime from my skin. The ache in my back flared as I bent, sharp enough to make me inhale through my teeth. I moved slowly, deliberately, as I always did when tending to myself.
A clean cloth, a thin salve, steady hands.
The marks across my back were still tender, darkened lines blooming against pale skin. I cleaned them gently and pressed fresh bandages into place, tightening them just enough to support without biting.
When I finished, exhaustion folded over me like a heavy blanket.
I extinguished the lamp, slid beneath the covers, and let sleep claim me before my thoughts could wander too far.
---
The next morning came early.
Darkness still pressed against the window when my eyes opened, the world hushed and cool. The palace slept in layers at this hour, only the earliest servants stirring like quiet ghosts through the halls.
I rose immediately.
Another bath — quick and efficient — washed away the lingering stiffness of sleep. I secured the wrappings on my back, adjusted my mask carefully over my face, and tied my hair into a neat, restrained knot.
I left my room silently and descended the stairs toward the lower kitchens.
The servants' wing smelled faintly of ash and herbs and last night's bread. Low lamps glowed along the walls, casting amber pools of light over stone floors polished smooth by centuries of footsteps. The kitchens themselves were already stirring with faint clinks of metal and the crackle of early fires.
I retrieved a kettle and filled it from the pump, the iron handle cool beneath my fingers. I set it over the hearth and waited as the water slowly began to hum and whisper. Steam lifted into the dim air, ghosting across the beams overhead.
When the water reached its proper heat, I poured it carefully into a deep ceramic basin — thick-walled to retain warmth, its rim glazed in pale blue. I wrapped a cloth around the sides so the heat would not scorch my palms.
Balanced carefully in both hands, I turned and made my way to Jacinta's chambers.
The palace above was quieter still. Thick carpets muted my footsteps as I passed tall windows curtained against the dawn. Portraits of dead kings and queens watched silently from gilded frames, their painted eyes following no one and everyone all at once.
I reached Jacinta's door and knocked once.
There was no answer. The guards spared me a look, then pretended like I didn't exist… as usual.
I waited a breath and knocked again, slightly firmer.
Still nothing.
Instead, laughter drifted from within — soft, amused, unmistakably Jacinta's.
"Well," her voice carried lazily through the thick wood, "whoever is foolish enough to disturb me this early had better prepare themselves for punishment. I have made it perfectly clear that I am not to be disturbed at this hour."
I rolled my eyes behind my mask.
She was the very person who had summoned me at this hour, threatening consequences if I dared arrive late. It was always like this with her — rules twisted to suit her mood, memory bending conveniently when it pleased her.
I shifted the basin slightly in my hands and waited.
Who was with her? The thought flickered through my mind, more curiosity than concern. Jacinta rarely entertained company so early unless it served her vanity.
There was a pause, then Jacinta spoke again, sharper this time.
"Open the door."
The guards stationed outside obeyed immediately, pulling the heavy door inward.
Warm lamplight spilled into the corridor.
I stepped forward and entered, careful not to slosh the water.
The chamber was richly appointed — velvet drapes, polished furniture, silk covers rumpled on the bed. The faint scent of perfume lingered in the air, heavy and sweet.
Jacinta stood near the center of the room, hair loose over her shoulders, expression already sharpening as her gaze landed on me.
Her eyes narrowed.
She crossed the distance between us in two quick strides and struck me across the face.
I had not been expecting that… at all.
The sound cracked sharply through the room.
My head turned with the force of it, the sting blooming hot along my cheek. The basin wobbled, but I kept my grip steady, refusing to spill a drop.
"Why are you here?" Jacinta snapped. "At this hour, no less. Have you lost what little sense you possess?"
I faced her calmly, pulse steady despite the sting. "You instructed me to be here at this hour every day."
Her lips curled in disgust. "Do not lie to me."
"I am not."
She scoffed. "When did I give such an order?"
I lifted my chin slightly. "The very day you turned eighteen. Just after dusk. In the eastern gallery."
Her eyes flickered, irritation sharpening into something closer to uncertainty.
"You said, and I quote," I continued evenly, "'If you are not in my chambers before the sixth bell each morning, I will ensure you regret it. And don't expect some mild punishment from me for your failure to follow the rules.'"
I told her calmly. I watched as her eyes twitched in anger and her fist clenched and unclenched.
"I do not remember telling you such a thing. You were always a liar after all. I'm very certain you are lying right now," she said to me.
"But you did," I told her. "You struck me afterward for hesitating and reported me to the queen, who made sure the servants struck my back while you watched."
I told her calmly.
I knew I should keep my head down, but I just couldn't do it — not when she was treating me like I was the liar here.
Just then, I heard a cough, and slowly, my eyes turned away from Jacinta. I noticed she was not the only one in the room, and judging by the smirk on her face, she was going to enjoy this.