Fate's Woven Thread

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

        Myra spent most of her time, after her unfortunate encounter with Zayn, scooping around for information and carrying out her chores dutifully. Anything to distract her mind and reduce the aching of her sore heart.

        She was currently adding coal to the baking oven as different maidens scurried about her to prepare a meal in the main kitchen. The surrounding was quite noisy but she paid it no mind as she added more coal and wiped off her sweat.

        She'd been exchanging letters with Bart, keeping track of her army development and also weighing the fighting force of the enemy.

        Most of Xavier's troops were stationed in a barrack built right outside the capital. For what reason, she had no idea but she planned to find out. There'd been certain suspicious movements in the castle and she'd been feeling quite uneasy, even the air felt noticeably stuffier behind these walls.

        She looked around when she heard the clanking of boots. Just a bunch of knights strolling past. The defense of the castle had gotten much more tighter but it seemed more like they were trying to keep something in than otherwise.

        She was especially keen to the situation in the castle as this was the decided point of her confrontation with Xavier. Speaking of which, she hadn't had the displeasure of coming in contact with the usurper, just mere quick glimpses that were filled with enough hate to significantly dismember the vermin if channelled into sorcery.

        She grabbed a long rod to shove at the glowing embers as she covered half her face with her sleeves to reduce contact with the awful smoke.

         Someone called out for more water and she took up the task eagerly, anything was better than dealing with the awful smoke. Her eyes were beginning to water and her throat felt dry. She grabbed two wooden buckets and headed out.

        She walked calmly as she saw no need to hurriedly return to that suffocating environment. They were probably making food for the usurper and his bunch of wild dogs anyways. Some of it might even go to Zayn, the usurper's wonderful creation. Xavier must be proud to have been able to duplicate himself just nicely.

        She ignored the way her heart clenched at the thought as she arrived at the pump. She placed the buckets and then pulled on the lever with enough resentment to choke a grown man.

        She pulled some more and when the buckets were almost filled, she felt a slight chill at the nape of her neck. Someone was watching her. She paid it no mind as she'd come to get used to the feeling of Zayn's little errand boy constantly following her.

        The gaze seriously irked her but she refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her bothered. She looked to her right, at a sad looking tree that felt pitifully out of place in Xavier's overly grandiose castle.

        The manservant quickly hid himself and she just stared speechlessly. Did he really think she was a complete moron? The ends of his tunic were sticking out and he couldn't even steady himself properly.

        How did someone this moronic end up being the personal servant of a supposed prince? She grit her teeth and grabbed the buckets and then turned to walk away.

        She heard shuffling and then turned to find that he'd hidden himself behind a rose bush. He probably felt really uncomfortable because he kept twisting around. The bush did have a lot of thorns. She couldn't even bring herself to keep staring. He was too much of a clueless idiot.

        She resolved to completely ignore him and headed back to the kitchen. She came across another group of knights and her brows furrowed. Something unnatural was going on and it made her feel chilly.