Chapter nine
Raven’s Pov;
The moment I stepped out of Princess Ellie’s chambers, the halls were buzzing with hushed whispers.
A group of maids stood clustered near the grand staircase, their voices low but urgent. The moment they saw me, they kept quiet, their eyes darting away.
But I had already caught snippets of their conversation.
“…Can you believe it? The female council examination is tomorrow.”
“They changed the criteria again. It’s going to be nearly impossible this year.”
“They don’t want us to pass.”
“I heard it’s because the king of grok is coming…”
My steps faltered.
Tomorrow?
A sudden chill crept down my spine. The female official examination, my only chance at freedom..had now been brought forward and with such short notice!
A year of preparation, now stolen in an instant. What if I hadn’t overheard these maids?
I swallowed hard, quickening my pace down the dimly lit corridor. My mind raced, my hands curling into fists at my sides.
I had planned for this. Studied in the quiet hours of the night, memorized herbs, poisons, and remedies in between Princess Ellie’s relentless demands.
But it wasn’t enough.
Not with the new criteria, whatever it was and Not with so little time left.
By the time I reached my chambers, my breathing was uneven. I pressed my back against the door, forcing myself to stay calm. Panicking won’t help you now, Raven.
My fingers instinctively reached into the folds of my dress, closing around the small, cool glass vial hidden in my pocket.
The strange medicine bottle.
The one I had received from him.
I pulled it out, rolling it between my fingers. The thick, dark liquid inside caught the candlelight, gleaming like liquid gold.
My throat tightened.
The man in the woods, his deep, unreadable gaze, the rough warmth of his voice flashed through my mind.
I shouldn’t be thinking about him now. Not when everything was at stake.
But I did.
I wondered if I’d see him again.
I wondered if he’d remember me.
And for a fleeting moment, despite the crushing weight of my reality, I longed for him.
But I had to study and so I sprinted back to the servant’s quarters. It was dark and my mirher was still asleep.
I lit a candle, flipping through the worn pages of my herbal manuscript, my fingers tracing the carefully drawn sketches of medicinal plants. Every leaf, every root, every petal, I forced myself to commit them all to memory.
The new criteria would be difficult. The murmurs in the halls spoke of additional tests, ones designed to make passing nearly impossible for someone like me.
But I refused to fail.
Not when this was my only way out.
The hours slipped by in silence, broken only by the scratching of my quill and the soft rustle of pages. My eyes burned with exhaustion, but I ignored it, repeating every formula, every antidote, every dangerous combination in my mind until they were etched into my very bones.
For my mother. She was the reason I endured. The reason I hadn’t given up long ago.
By dawn, my hands trembled from fatigue, but I didn’t give up.
I went to the kitchen to get a meal for my mother. I carried it to her bedside.
She lay there, frail and pale, her once-bright eyes dulled by illness. The sight of her, so weak, made my chest tighten.
“Mother,” I whispered, setting the bowl down and gently helping her sit up. “You have to eat.”
She gave me a tired smile. “You were up all night again, weren’t you?”
I didn’t answer, I only lifted the spoon to her lips. She accepted the food slowly, although I could tell it was an effort.
“I’ll be taking the exam today,” I murmured, watching her carefully.
Her gaze softened. “Today? I thought…”
“They moved it up.”
She smiled. “I know you’ll do well.”
I wished I shared her confidence.
After ensuring she had eaten enough, I tucked the blankets around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Then, with resolve tightening in my chest, I turned and left.
The exam was to take place at the large community hall, a few kilometers from the palace. I had to run tyat morning and it was already crowded by the time I arrived.
Nervous murmurs filled the air as young women in simple robes stood in groups, discussing the new criteria.
“Did you hear? They’re adding a written test about poisons.”
“And a hands-on examination. We have to identify real herbs.”
I tightened my grip on my satchel, my heart slamming hard against my chest..
I had studied, but would it be enough?
Straightening my back, I took a steadying breath.
I had to try.
The moment I stepped into the servant quarters, something felt wrong.
The usual quiet murmur of exhausted workers was replaced by uneasy silence. People avoided my gaze, their faces pale, their eyes filled with something I couldn’t place, almost like pity or Fear?
I set my bag down slowly and glanced around the room. “Where is my mother?”
No one answered.
A sickening chill crawled up my spine.
“Where is my mother?” I demanded, my voice louder this time.
One of the older maids hesitated before stepping forward. Her hands twisted nervously in her apron. “The Second Princess…” She swallowed, looking away. “She was looking for you earlier. When she couldn’t find you…”
The world around me blurred. No!.
“…she ordered your mother to be flogged.”
My world stopped. For a moment, all I could hear was the ringing in my ears, the pounding of my heartbeat.
Then, the weight of those words slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.
Before I knew it, my feet were moving. I pushed past the other servants, running, not caring about the whispers behind me, not caring about the burning in my legs or the panic clawing at my throat.
Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.
The servant hall. That’s where they punished disobedient servants.
Please, please, please…
I burst through the doors, gasping for breath, and my heart nearly shattered at the sight before me.