The Sorrow of Shadows (Crimson & Shadows #1)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

OPHELIA

E xhaustion fills every part of me. The white glow and tingling sensation fade from my hands as I remove them from Lyla. After Princess Breyla had dismissed her, she was reassigned to my father, Lord Seamus, as a maid. He had never been kind to his servants; this was the third time he had left her completely drained of energy this week. He was a leech, literally sucking the energy out of those he viewed as dispensable, but I feared if his Hemonia Gift were discovered we would be exiled from court. No law against such magic exists, but how he uses it would be looked down upon. It was why he let others believe he only carried the Kaminari Gift—in his case, the ability to wield lightning.

I am constantly cleaning up his messes. He would drain servants or other courtiers of their energy, unbeknownst to them, and I would find them near comatose, having to heal them with my own Hemonia Gift. When I was seventeen, I found a lady of pleasure laying naked on the floor of his room, near death from being drained while servicing my father. I barely had any grasp on my Gift at that time, but I was able to bring her back from the brink of death and send her to the court physicians for further help. A large sum was paid for her silence, but the madame refused to send more females to him after that.

I had been hiding this Gift from him for years, letting him think I was powerless so he couldn’t wield me as a weapon. Healers were heavily sought after, but a healer I was not. I was something different, something more. There was no word I knew of for my Gift, so I settled on calling it the life touch. While healers’ magic encouraged the body's natural healing at an accelerated rate, my Gift traded my life force for theirs. The energy it took me to restore others was immense. I imagine it would become easier the more I trained, but it was challenging to train with a power that you hide and required someone to be injured.

“Thank you, M’lady,” Lyla says softly.

“Don’t mention it,” I say sternly but without intimidation. “Seriously, don’t mention this to anyone.”

“Of course. I won’t say a word,” she replies. “You best be getting to the princess. I saw her the day before last wandering the halls in just her underclothes with a half-empty bottle of ale. She was muttering about snakes, causing quite a commotion. She could use a friend, if you ask me.”

I had not witnessed the event Lyla mentioned, but the imagery made me giggle. I try to hide it with a slight cough. “Ah, yes. I am headed to her now. I’ll see if I can provide companionship to our distraught princess.”

I’m not entirely sure what the princess needs, but I have to get close to her so as not to disappoint Father. I ponder how I should approach the princess as I make my way to her wing of the castle. I round the corner, deep in thought, and run directly into a massive form coming in the opposite direction.

“Umph,” I grunt, looking into the warm brown eyes of Elijah. He reaches out to steady me. He usually wore gloves, but today they are absent. I can feel the warmth of his hands on my bare shoulders. It feels...nice.

“My apologies, Lady Ophelia. I did not see you coming.” He smiles, his eyes sparkling in the mid-afternoon light.

“No apologies needed, Lord Elijah. I was not paying close enough attention. The fault is all mine,” I say, diverting my attention downward.

He grabs my chin and lifts it gently. It is a bold move, but he is a notorious flirt. “Nonsense, the blame is mine, and that is the last I’ll hear of it. Now, where were you headed? Perhaps I can escort you there?”

To spy on your best friend.

“Oh, that’s not necessary. I’m just headed to visit the princess. I won’t keep you from your duties,” I stutter, trying to keep my voice even. I can’t let on that I’m up to something more.

His smile falters slightly. Is he suspicious? Or is he disappointed I turned down his company? Surely, it must be the former. “Very well. Until next time, Lady Ophelia.” He bows and turns to leave.

I finally reach Princess Breyla’s chambers and raise my fist to knock. The door opens immediately to reveal a rather disheveled princess. A loose tunic hangs off her muscled shoulder, and stains that look suspiciously like wine cover the front. Her hair hangs loosely down her back in tangled curls. Deep green eyes sparkle in the light, emphasizing the gold streaks surrounding her pupils. I don’t smell any alcohol on her, so I don’t think she’s drunk, but she is not the princess I was expecting.

“I knew you’d be back as soon as you realized you left these—” The princess stops mid-sentence, a pair of black leather gloves in her hands. “Sorry, I thought you were Elijah,” she says before dropping her hand .

“I passed him on my way here, but he didn’t mention where he was headed,” I say, trying to be helpful.

“He’ll be back later tonight; I’ll just hold onto them for now.” She opens the door wider, gesturing to the open space. “Why don’t you come in, Lady Ophelia.” He’ll be back tonight? Was Elijah sleeping with Breyla? Odd.

I step into her room and let the door shut behind me. “Thank you, Princess,” I say politely.

“Please, call me anything other than Princess . Breyla works just fine. Now, how can I help you, Ophelia?” Her smile is kind. I feel like I could trust her, which makes the whole situation that much harder.

“I came to offer my service to you as a lady-in-waiting. Pardon my brazenness, but you seem like you could use a friend.” I decide to be direct. Breyla seems like one who would appreciate that approach.

“I have a friend—Elijah. Why would I need another?” she quips.

“Is that what he is?” I ask bluntly.

“What else would he be?” The corner of her mouth quirks. Had I read that situation wrong?

“Perhaps more than a friend?” I suggest and raise a brow. She easily has half a foot on me and stares down at me with an intrigued look on her face. Until she bursts into laughter, her whole body shaking.

“Is that what you think? Eli and I?” She can barely get her words out.

I shrug my shoulders, readily accepting my embarrassment. “It’s just how it looked. My apologies for misreading the situation.”

“No need to apologize. That’s comical. Almost as comical as you thinking I’d believe you are here on your own volition to ‘be my friend’.” She uses her fingers as air quotes for the last part. Shit.

“It is true! It was not my idea originally, but?—”

“Please spare me your sugar-coated lies. You spoke plainly moments ago; let’s not change that now. I know it was your father’s idea.” She is the bluntest royal I’ve ever met. I feel a growing spark of admiration for her.

“Very well. It was my father’s wish for me to become one of your ladies. I won’t pretend to understand his motivations, but I don’t wish to disappoint him. He is...unpleasant to those who do not meet his standards,” I say carefully.

“Now that I believe, but you aren’t telling me everything. Allow me to be blunt. Ophelia, do you trust your father’s intentions?”

“Not in the least,” I reply without hesitation.

She accepts that answer, “And do you trust mine?”

“I want to. But to be frank, I don’t know you well enough to answer that question.” It was the truth. If she’s surprised by my response, she doesn’t show it.

“I like your intuition, Ophelia. You will need to trust it to survive,” she continues. “Though I’m still not sure I trust you. So, you have two options. First, you can leave here and tell your father about this conversation. Or secondly you can tell him that you believe I intend to reach for the throne and remove my mother from power. Option two is a lie, but if you deliver that message, I will know you are loyal to me. I will have no one close to me that I cannot trust. I’ve already dismissed all my maids, and I will not hesitate to dismiss you as well. Choose your allegiances carefully, Ophelia.”

She doesn’t have to say anything further for me to know I’ve been dismissed. I have a difficult decision to make. I politely excuse myself as I contemplate what to do now. As I close her door, I glance left and see Lord Aurelius exiting the chambers directly next to Breyla’s. I find it odd that he’s not staying with Queen Genevieve, or at least next to her chambers instead. I acknowledge him with a slight nod and curtsey.

The walk across the castle is long as I contemplate the decision I must make. On the one hand, if I choose to deceive Father and he finds out, he will make my life miserable—and painful. On the other hand, he’s done nothing to earn my loyalty, and I think Breyla might protect me if I earn her trust.

“How did your meeting with the princess go?” is the first thing Father asks as soon as I have the door closed. He’s in a mood; I can practically feel the electric current of his lightning filling the room.

“Very well, Father,” I start, and he gives me a sinister smile. “There is something you need to know about the princess.”