Chapter 10
As the girl walked past the slightly ajar door, she felt a strange but very pleasant smell. She could not determine what it was. Certainly not something to eat, although at first, she thought of it. Driven by curiosity, she entered that room, remembering that during her walk with Zarkin, they wanted to come in. But then the door was tightly locked.
She barely glanced at the interior of the room and immediately recognized things belonging to Galaspiael.
On the table in the central part of the chamber, piles of empty and written pages, parchments, books so old that she was afraid to touch them, fearing that they would fall apart and a few small vials, piled up. It was from them that this wonderful fragrance rose. Next to them stood a wooden structure of unknown purpose, which Kalena had already seen. Her master had to bring with him everything needed for his further work.
Finally, the girl's eyes stopped on a book so tiny that it was possible to put it in the pocket. It was lying on the floor, probably thrown off the table by accident. Kalena picked it up and fanned it out, immediately recognizing Galaspiael's slightly sloping, decorative handwriting. That a.s.sured her this room must be used by her master.
She looked carefully at the first page. The text was undoubtedly his authors.h.i.+p, although the way it was written was different from what she had seen before. He did not write as carefully and legibly as usual. It was like a letter, but without no refers to the addressee.
She finally understood. It was his diary! He made this little book for himself so that he could write in it everything important to him. Kalena looked again at the inconspicuous brown cover. Curiosity almost devoured her from the inside. The girl knew that she should not read it, but the temptation was stronger.
"I don't do it to get his secret and hurt him later. I won't tell anyone about it, and if he suddenly comes in and catches me, I will apologize to him. " She thought and opened the diary, more or less in the middle.
"The seventh day in Sekania.
I knew Darmeon was a complete moron, but today he has already gone by himself. We can't leave, because last night, together with their company, they broke our wheels in three carriages! And he will still tell me that it was by accident. Sure, I believe your Folly. I will break your legs and arms, also by accident.
If I was the father of this empty head, I would probably disown him. Today I asked him if he could read, and he replied FORTUNATELY NO. Yeah, fortunately!
He can't do anything at all. Just because he builds reasonably correct sentences and when he wants to eat, he calls the maid has to be regarded as the peak of his intellect. And he can't do anything at all. He doesn't write, he doesn't read, he has no clue how to use a sword... and he stares at me constantly. I wonder what he was thinking. Or maybe he didn't think anything?
He returned after midnight, confused his room with mine and vomited into a maid. Drama. I don't understand how to drink as much as he can and have such a weak head. And sectarian wine has as much power as sugar water.
I think he likes Lin-Si. But he said nineteen years old is far too little to think about marriage. I was supposed to laugh or cry?
There are more slave traders in this city than people throughout Kagolania, I swear.
We're back! Finally!
I gave Darmeon better Lik. He broke it. In the morning a letter from Lin came. As expected.
I decided to do it when I get home.
I should burn the diary before I die, but I don't think I care about what people think about me anymore. Even now I don't care.
I do not care.
I would like to have siblings because then I could abdicate and go hang myself peacefully.
If I'm not mistaken recently the blue sky day, or some other stupid holiday took place there. In any case, my debtor should already have money. Before Kagolania we will hit another market, because I really want to end this one more case.
A thousand sekanian Saar... I must admit that I am generous. It is a pity that Samin does not agree to make our currency in Kagolania.
I found something interesting. I do not know how to describe it. Why do I still buy some rubbish? What I'm going to do with it? Put this in my grave. Terribly
(Galaspiael, you mustn't complain, you have taxes thanks to fairs and thanks to taxes you have something to eat)
I hope they will have a long and strong cord. Throwing from the roof is not an option. It's a s.h.i.+tty and no effective way.
Same day.
A very pretty girl is sleeping in my house.
I can't even kill myself when I want!
But I couldn't tell her to go away. What would she do here alone?
She is skinny, dirty and scared, but pretty in some way. She has beautiful eyes.
I didn't think he would give me a slave. He really surprised me. I wanted to have him nailed. And I still want to be honest. If I live to the coronation, then I will use all possibilities to lead to his execution. And then declare the war on Sekania and personally cut off the empty head of Darmeon.
Kagolania... War… On Sekania...
I'm an idiot.
She can read! I think her owner, this f.u.c.king moron, didn't even know about it.
Curious of the world, but still afraid. Rikken said he's coming back to Yagn-Sho this year and asked if I would like to. They have a lot of free places like never before. I refused, but I'm thinking about it now because of her and... maybe? I teach her to write. She is fascinated by such stupid things... She is happy when she eats something tasty when we go for a walk when I buy her new clothes.
I need to get her some doc.u.ments, she can't go to Yagn-Sho without anything. I wonder if Samin would be very angry when I go?
Let it be! After all, I will be the king, not this old lout. I'm not his f.u.c.king slave I can do what I like.
I'm terrible.
Kalena gained a little weight. That's good because her skinniness scared me.
I saw Lin's sister today. Such a small squeaky dumpling in a dress. I wish I could transfer some of her fat onto Kalena.
Tessale hardly changes at all.
HE has a student! Someone will refer to HIM as a "master". I want to laugh. We stole honey from the kitchen yesterday. When did these years pa.s.s?
I can't believe we're so old."
Kalena didn't know Galaspiael this way. Malicious, bored with life, using coa.r.s.e language and considering himself an awful person. Was it really the man she fell in love with?
Words about his planned suicide had left a mark on her mind.
She did not know how to pick up that she was called "a very pretty girl". On the one hand, she liked it, and on the other, she had the impression that the prince seen her as a small child. She must have looked pathetic when they saw each other for the first time.
She looked for some mention of herself, but there was nothing there that could attract her attention.
Not wanting to read the previous entries, full of thoughts about how and when he would have had a good opportunity to kill himself, she was about to put the journal back in place when her eyes rested on the last page, about Lin-Si:
"The problem with Lin is that she hates me.
I hate her too, but I think she hated me first. I will never love her. And I don't want to love her. I just want to tolerate her. My mother didn't love her father either, but as far as I remember it was quite good. And they even made me, though it was probably more of wanting to have a child than of love.
I know that she will not be a faithful wife and I understand her completely. I am not going to be a faithful husband myself. We both devote ourselves to our countries and "we are not peasants to treat marriage paper as shackles." She said that to me.
We also deserve a bit of life and I completely support it. Sometimes I can get along with her. But only sometimes.
If she wasn't so mean to me, I would even pity her that she had to marry me. Her father, this idiot, sees no problem at all. I don't know if he is aware of the situation. But he has a lot of reservations about my private life."
Kalena had already heard that in aristocratic circles marriage is simply a transaction and the only thing that connects wife and husband are two signatures on one piece of paper. Earlier she was sure that Galaspiael just had some conflict with his fiancée, which threatens to completely break the engagement, and thus war, but they will reconcile soon and eventually end up happily married. It turned out that he genuinely hates her and, there is no chance that they will ever love each other. It would be a good excuse for Kalena to break the engagement, but apparently, Galaspiael couldn't do it.
She stepped out into the corridor and closed the door so that there was no indication that anyone could be inside. The waves of joy quickly drowned out the voice of her conscience.
The prince hated his bride so another woman still had a chance to win his heart! Kalena began to wonder how Galaspiael would react if she confessed to him her feelings. She imagined it and joy flooded her thoughts. Earlier she was sure that no matter what he would reject her anyway.
When Kalena finally entered her bedroom, she felt how tiring the extra training was. A wild euphoria, when it turned out that she had a chance to make her dreams come true, had already pa.s.sed, and in its place, a terrible weariness came.
She didn't have the strength or the desire to take a bath. Following the old ways, she only rinsed her face and hands in the water and then went to bed immediately.
*
In the middle of the night, Kalena was awakened by the sound of something heavy falling to the floor.
She rolled over with a groan, wondering if her rest would ever be disturbed by nightmares or strange noises.
"What are you doing?" the girl asked, seeing Galaspiael raise the chair and move it back into place. "Let me sleep!"
"Sorry, I didn't notice that there is something here," he explained. "I will try to be quiet."
You... You just got back?
"I'm glad I came back today!" He sighed heavily. "I was not supposed to do that anymore."
"To do what?"
"When I get to work, I would like to do everything right away without taking a break. No matter how complicated is the task I face, I want the effect immediately. But over time, your strength runs out. Man must sleep and eat. Can you imagine that sometimes I forget about this?"
Kalena yawned and sat on the bed. Galaspiael smiled apologetically.
"I need to tell you something very important," she said and gave him a serious look. She decided to tell him everything and then wait for his reaction. Unfortunately, at this crucial moment, the flaws in her plan became visible.
After all, there was a risk that Galaspiael would widen the distance between them so that no scandal would occur. Or he will simply reject her, saying that he doesn't feel this way about her. Or he will tell her to stop thinking about nonsense. You can't force someone to fall in love when they don't want to. Or he will answer nicely, and the next day she will be able to read a malicious entry about herself in his diary.
There must have been a lot of girls like her in his life. Why would he choose her? What a stupid idea that the prince and a slave... Maybe if she was pretty but…
"I..." the girl paused, feeling her cheeks burning with shame. No, it was too risky.
"Go on" He looked her straight in the eye and smiled. This smile already confirmed her belief that she would not say anything.
"I've punched Zarkin in the face today."
The corners of his mouth began to rose slightly. He had to make a great effort not to laugh.
"You did? But why?"
"Because he's stupid… gorilla!" Kalena had never seen a gorilla in her life, but at the moment it seemed the most appropriate comparison.
"Good," the prince knew that this is not the way a master should behave, but he was too tired. "Tomorrow I will talk to Rikken and find out in what condition Zarkin is... But you didn't break his jaw, did you?"
"Probably not. But I think I chipped his tooth. Something cracked... Or maybe it was the sound of my bones?"
"Oh. That's good. Tomorrow, tell everyone that as a punishment you had to stand still for six hours, and also you were forced to hear my argument about breaking the rules and the consequences. And I condemned your barbaric behavior. Now let's go to sleep. Good night."
"Yes, good night," she answered almost silently.