Kingdom

55. Truce (13)

Nori grabs her underpants from the floor and stumbles towards the room, her whole body feeling odd. Still dazed by the wave of euphoria, yet shaken by the powerful magic that washed over her.

The voice of her fiance echoes in her mind again and again, as if he is outside in the garden, calling for her. It hurts to think of him. It hurts to walk away from him. To turn her back on him.

By the time she reaches her bedroom his voice is gone. Only the feeling of nothingness remains.

Nori washes her face a few times, trying to refresh her senses. Yet she still feels dirty, so she hurries to change her underwear, yet she doesn't put on the extra pair of underpants on top of it. It feels too big and stuffy. Her body needs to breathe.

Her nightgown has turned sticky from the sweat that has broken on her back. She throws it in the angle and puts on a new, greyish one. It is very light and thin, but the soft fabric feels nice.

Her skin is still overly sensitive; her legs remember the feeling of him locked between them.The moment she pictures that scene shame and embarrassment wash over her. But also need. Her body wants more.

She unties her messy braid, brushes her hair and ties it in a long tail. For some reason, Nori dares not to look at herself in the mirror. She opens the first vile she finds and puts aroma cream on her hands and neck. It smells like roses. It's one of her favorite scents. Her fiance liked it, too. He often complimented her for being like a rose - gentle and beautiful but a little bit dangerous, with thrones ready to pierce those who approached her.

Why does she remember such silly things, yet she cannot remember their last conversation. At the time she didn't know it would be the last. She wishes she knew, there was so much she wanted to say. So many words left unspoken.

How can one close a book, when the last pages are left blank and unfinished? Such a story would haunt the reader forever. What might the ending have been? She would never know.

Life pulled that book away and pushed another into Nori's hands. The new book tells a story that is dark, scary and hard to read. Yet, it has captivated her attention to a point she forgot about all else. She forgot she needs to be careful with her actions and words.

Now, even if she wants to throw that book away, she can't. It's glued to her hands, it sucks her in and she cannot look away. She must return to the other room and face the King. Him and his endless demands.

Nori sits on the edge of the bed, trying to find her gravity in a world that seems to have collapsed into chaos.

But the chaos is only in her mind. Everything else is quiet. Motionless.

Soft raindrops are falling outside, sliding from the roof lazily. Yet each of them sound loud, as thunder in the silence.

"What the hell was I thinking?" Nori mumbles. "What am I doing?"

She buries her face in her hands and remains still for a minute. Then inhales deeply and stands up. Whatever will be, will be. Nori cannot hide forever.

"I did what was necessary. He must be tired by now. We will just sleep."

She takes her red robe and puts it on, closing it around herself tightly. Then she grabs the King's robe and returns to the room.

He is still where she left him, sitting on the ground, his back leaning on the trunks. There is an open book left on the ground by his side. His eyes are closed, his posture relaxed. Is he sleeping?

Nori looks at him for a long moment. He appears small and harmless, his arms closed around him as if he is cold. He must be cold, the evening is rather chilly. She approaches him slowly, careful not to wake him up. She reaches out to cover him with his robe.