3 Time To Leave

Aideen folded her legs into a tight embrace, wrapping her arms around them, and nestled her chin against her knees. The swift, resounding pitter-patter of raindrops created an ominous melody within the walls of her sparsely furnished, chilly room. Situated in the farthest reaches of the manor, shielded from the sun's gentle touch, she marveled at how her bedroom always retained a cold ambiance, even during the abnormal heatwaves that summers bestowed upon the Capital.

The young woman remained absorbed in the rhythmic ticking emanating from the hanging wooden clock, nervously marking the moments leading to her imminent departure. Abruptly, her body flinched as the clock chimed the hour with a resonant "ding-dong" that echoed through the room like a gigantic bell tolling the passage of time. 

'Vira said it was eight in the evening three hours ago. It means that it is eleven o'clock now. Only one hour left.'

Aideen turned her head toward the rhythmic sound of the falling rain and gently closed her eyelids.

Autumn rains possessed a distinct quality. They were weightier, resonating with a heightened volume and a more pronounced melody. Although she had never witnessed the rain, Aideen derived solace from its sound. Amidst the cacophony of noises she had endured throughout her life, the natural cadence of rain was the only melody she found tolerable.

"Lady Aideen, I have come to bring your dinner!"

A low, raspy voice from the kitchen maid permeated through the door. Before Aideen could respond, the aged, ponderous door swung open, ushering in the brisk and heavy footsteps of the kitchen maid.

Mary, a young woman in her early twenties, placed the metal tray onto the bedside table with a resounding thud and declared,

"Eat now before the food gets cold. I cannot believe we were instructed to wait until this late to cook your dinner! What a waste of both time and food!"

She handed a silver spoon to Aideen, roughly placing it in her thin hand and added,

"Lamb stew. Your favorite, isn't it?"

Mary's observation was accurate—lamb stew was indeed Aideen's preferred dish. However, due to Count Crueder's frugality, she only indulged in it on significant occasions. Now, savoring lamb stew felt more like partaking in a last meal. The last meal before execution.

While the kitchen maid lingered beside the bed, the princess delicately grasped the metal tray and positioned it on the blanket enveloping her thighs. With measured precision, she plunged the silver spoon into the dense stew. After a moment of unwarranted hesitation, she inserted the spoon into her mouth and started chewing.

Shortly thereafter, the woman began choking, expelling the stew's contents onto the pristine white fabric of her blanket, struggling with whatever remained trapped in her mouth.

'Again. They did it again. Despicable creatures.'

The reason for such a strong reaction from the princess was rather straightforward – the dish she had put into her mouth was not lamb stew at all. Or rather, it probably was initially, but before serving it to Lady Ruan, it had been sprinkled with a dash of dirt and a generous addition of chopped worms and bugs.

This taste was all too familiar to her, and it pained her immensely that she could recognize it right away.

Still struggling to maintain her composure while suppressing the urge to vomit, Aideen placed the silver spoon near the metal bowl and wiped her mouth. Mary, barely concealing her emotions, asked in a tone marked with feigned politeness,

"What seems to be the matter, My Lady? Is the food not to your liking? Goodness, and the cook spent hours perfecting the recipe!"

The maid marched up to Aideen's bed, took the metal tray from her, and clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Tsk! Another meal wasted on you! If you do not wish to eat, then simply say so instead of wasting the food! It is certainly fortunate that you are being sent away to the Temple; it will teach you to cherish the things you have! Even a lowlife like myself knows better than this!"

The woman let out a suppressed giggle and continued,

"Well, I will inform Lord Crueder that you refused your last meal here. Good luck, Lady Ruan."

And this, Mary left the room, closing the door with a resounding bang behind her back.

Aideen started frantically looking for the silver jug of water that was always placed on the bedside table beside her bed. Once her trembling fingers were finally able to find it, she hugged it with both hands, pulled it rapidly to her mouth, and started drinking with such greed as if she had never tasted water before.

At last, the disgusting taste of minced insects seemed to have dissipated inside her mouth. Aideen wiped her lips with the soft sleeve of her dress and let out a long sigh.

'I've been dreading leaving this place, but I guess nothing can be worse than this. At least inside the Temple, people still have something... or rather someone to fear.'

The princess slowly got off the bed, her bare feet touching the cold surface of the creaking wooden tiles. She wrapped a knitted shawl around her slender shoulders, walked carefully toward the sole tall window in the middle of the wall, and leaned against the glass. The loud tapping of the raindrops against the window deafened the rapid beating of her anxious heart.

'A little more... Wait just a little longer. It will all be over soon.'

Just as that thought crossed her heavy mind, Aideen's contemplations were interrupted by the loud knocking on her door, followed by a stern male voice that commanded,

"Lady Aideen, the knights are ready. It is time to depart."

The moment the harsh male voice issued the command, the old wooden clock struck again, indicating the ending of her last moments in the Crueder manor. 

At last, it was time for her to leave.