Sophie POV
I walked away from the prison. My legs felt like lead. The silver dagger sat heavy in my pocket.
I reached my quarters. The air smelled of stale dust. I stripped off my torn clothes. I washed the grime and dried blood from my skin.
The warm water stung my wounds. I dried myself. I chose a new outfit. It was the blue silk Alaric bought at the market. I touched the fabric. I remembered the way he caught me when I fell. He looked at me with soft eyes.
A sharp thought interrupted my memory. The Grand Queen Mother gave me a deadline. Three days. My time started now. I could not waste a minute.
I headed to the royal kitchen. The stone floor felt solid under my boots. I pushed the heavy doors open. The heat hit my face.
Martha saw me first. She dropped her wooden spoon. She ran to me. The other chefs followed. They hugged me. They cried.
"Sophie! You are alive!" Martha cried.
She squeezed my shoulders.
"Who released you from that hole? Did the King finally break the door down? Did they find the real culprit who hurt the boy?"
"The Grand Queen Mother released me." I said. My voice was raspy.
"The Grand Queen Mother?" Martha asked.
She stepped back. She looked frightened.
"She never interferes. What did she say to you? What is really wrong with the young prince? The servants say his skin is turning blue. They say he finds it hard to breathe."
"I will explain everything to you later Martha." I said.
I looked around the kitchen. Everything looked the same. But I felt different.
"I have a task to finish. I need to know about Alaric. Where is he?"
Elspeth stepped forward from the pantry. She looked tired. Her eyes were red. She wiped her hands on her apron. She looked at me with pity.
"The King has not eaten in days." Elspeth said.
"He rejected every tray we sent. He sent back the morning eggs. He sent back the roasted lamb. He sent back the night wine. He told us he would rather starve."
My heart tightened.
"He is starving himself for me." I whispered quietly.
"Since you are out now he might consider eating something." Elspeth said.
"He only listens to you. They said he nearly killed his Step Mother because of you."
"We must prepare a restoration meal." I said. I ignored what she had said.
"He needs to regain his strength immediately. He cannot help me if he cannot stand."
I moved to the prep table.
I gathered ingredients. I chose a deep clay pot. I poured in a quart of clean spring water. I added three large beef marrow bones. I chopped two stalks of wild celery. I added a handful of bitter herbs.
"Add the honey now." I told Martha.
I stirred in two large spoonfuls of raw honey. I added a pinch of sea salt to balance his fluids.
I let the broth simmer until it turned a rich gold color. I added two egg yolks at the very end.
We finished the food. The broth smelled of salt and sweet herbs. I placed it on a silver tray. I walked to the Alpha's chamber. Martha and Elspeth followed me.
Guards stood at the door. They looked surprised to see me. I nodded to them.
Elspeth knocked on the thick wood.
"Your Majesty your morning meal is ready." She said.
"I thought I told you I am not interested in eating any food!" Alaric growled from inside.
His voice sounded thin. It sounded cracked.
"You promised me you would not starve yourself." I said.
The silence lasted one second. Then I heard a heavy weight hitting the floor. He was running. The floor shook. The locks clicked fast. The door flew open.
Alaric stood there. He looked thin. His face was pale. His eyes were dark and sunken. He grabbed my hand. He dragged me past the door. He did not use force. He was desperate.
He pulled me into his arms. He hugged me so tight I could not breathe. He kissed me. The kiss felt like fire and relief. I heard the chefs gasp in the hall. I heard the guards shift their feet.
I realized the truth then. A tyrant is now in love with me. He is the King of Blackwood. It will be very hard for him to let me leave this place.
I looked at Alaric. My three days were ticking away. I had a king to feed and a prince to save.
