Made of Things

One Step - 38

Jinx was in her room, mumbling to herself as she sketched her new idea for a painting. It would be an abstract self portrait and she wanted a draft before she tried the real thing.

Someone knocked on the door. It was mid-morning, so she expected Mindy to ask her about lunch.

"Princess."

Jinx turned to look at Yeong, surprised.

"Come, we have a meeting with Nat."

Without a word, Jay dropped her drawing tool and got up. Yeong stepped outside while she put her crown on. She hadn't bothered until then because she wasn't planning on leaving her room until dinner.

Her and Yeong made their way to the west wing of the palace quietly, the silence thick, full of wary anticipation.

They were led to the smaller conference room by a few of the king's guards, where the king and Nat were waiting.

The king didn't bother with pleasantries, "We have good news."

"The cook that tried to poison you," Nat announced, "We found him."

The silence that followed was full of nervous energy, as they waited for the princess' reaction.

It was taking her a moment. She forgot there was a face, there was someone who made the choice, hands that added the poison. Someone had made a conscious effort to kill her, and they caught him.

The silence stretched on but no one pressed her to say anything.

"Did anyone else know?" Was her response. She assumed someone had to have seen him do it.

"We're still trying to answer that question," Nat explained, regretful.

That wasn't good enough, but that was all they had. She said, "Right."

"We'll be replacing every chef we have soon," the king assured her, trying to be comforting in some roundabout way.

"Right," Jinx's tone held finality, that was the end of the discussion.

Probably respecting that the whole situation was stressful for her, the king dismissed her without argument.

Yeong gave her a worried look as the left the conference room but Jinx refused to meet his eyes. She felt as sensitive as an exposed nerve, she couldn't handle any offered comfort or possible criticism.

"Princess," Yeong called for her attention as soon as they left the east wing, and out of earshot of anyone else.

Her patience was thin.

"Just." She paused, grinding her teeth. "Don't right now."

He nodded his understanding, perceptive enough to know when to let her be.