A World Apart

14. Rumours

In the end, Elena waited a few minutes until she was sure Sedric and his uncle were gone and then she followed after them towards the kitchens and in through the main door. Once back in the halls, she tried to remember which direction led where and walk as if she knew where she was going. The palace servants must have all been busy elsewhere. She saw none as she went through one hallway then another, hoping to find herself near the courtyard again that she might see if it was too late to peruse the library.

At long last, she came round a corner and spotted the back of a young servant girl. Elena called out to her, and when the girl turned saw that it was Bree herself, carrying a tray with a plate of food atop it.

"Milady?" she looked worried, "Where have you been? I asked Sarai but she said you've been gone for hours."

Elena closed the gap between them, "I'm sorry. Sedric was showing me the rest of the palace and I guess time got away from us. Now I can't find my way back to my room. Can you show me please, if you have the time?"

"Of course milady," she help up her tray, "I was just coming to bring you your supper in case you had returned, follow me."

The trip back was shorter than Elena had thought. She hadn't been far at all from her room during her wandering but with Bree, it took less than 10 minutes. Along the way, she asked after Mamerya.

"She is much the same, milady, though she's up and moving more. We finished the baking early tonight and my sisters bunked down immediately after for an early start in the morning so I slipped away to come here. I should be able to tend to you in the evenings at least, which will give Sarai more of a break to see Twm," she smiled at Elena, holding open the door for her as they ascended the tower steps.

Up at the top of her tower, Elena lightly picked at the supper Bree had provided, still full from her meal with Sedric, and urged the girl to eat most of it for her. The soup was colder than when she had eaten it earlier, and she knew from watching her often that Bree did not eat enough. Elena nibbled on the grapes and cheese, watching Bree take a spoonful of the soup and then, at Elena's encouragement, finished the rest of it, wiping the bowl clean with the bread.

The poor girl looked satisfied when she finished, then suddenly worried.

"I'm sorry, milady, I don't know what came over me. I must have been hungrier than I thought."

Elena laughed, "Don't be silly. I told you to eat it for me. I already had some earlier with Sedric. It would have been wasteful for you to let it go uneaten."

Bree gave a nervous smile, and Elena gestured for her to help herself to the remaining fruit and cheese. It took less persuasion than getting her to eat the soup, but Elena felt relieved to see Bree relax and eat until she was full.

"Did your mother say anything else about me after I left?" she asked when Bree was finished.

"She was very interested to meet you. She told me to remind you to come and visit her in a week once she's recovered."

Elena nodded, "I will come sooner if she's better by then. I could also help with baking the bread if needed."

Bree looked surprised, then grateful, "Thank you, but don't trouble yourself, milady, and thank you again for dinner. I hope to see you again tomorrow evening as long as my mother continues to improve." Elena wanted to ask again if she could visit sooner than a week out, but then she remembered her afternoon with Sedric and felt warm inside at the thought that she would hopefully see him again tomorrow.

Before she crawled into bed Bree skittered down the stairs, returning with a metal warming pan that she tucked under the sheets for Elena's cold feet, lighting a candle on the bedside table. It wasn't cold enough to see her breath in the air yet, but it was close. Grateful for the added warmth, she squeezed Bree's hand as the girl tucked Elena in and gave her a sleepy thank you on her way out the door.