Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 64

Ildri remained, not hiding, in her room for the rest of the night. Several times someone banged on her door but she did not answer. Eventually she found the peace of sleep and escaped until the morning.

Her first thought upon waking was that Ty was probably gone. And it was better that way. It really was. It must be.

Her stomach growled loudly. She could not stay in her room forever. She washed her face and changed into a clean dress before making her way to the kitchen.

Chef was moving around the kitchen like she always did. With a raised eyebrow and a kind smile she spoke, "I suspect you're rather hungry."

"I am," Ildri agreed.

Chef quickly procured a plate for Ildri. "Are you feeling alright, dear?"

"Of course," Ildri said in a high, false tone. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"If you want to keep an argument private it's better not to scream in corridors," chef said gently.

Ildri felt absolute mortification at the thought. Everyone from the king down to the lowliest farmhand probably had heard about it by now. She had been so angry she had not been thinking. She supposed that thinking had never really been her strong suit at the best of times.

"He called Lord Wildwood insipid! And I don't even know what that means, but it was obviously not good. I lost my temper," she tried to explain her actions.

Chef rolled her eyes slightly. "A case could be made for the insipidness of Lord Wildwood," the woman allowed gently. "It means boring."

"Lord Wildwood isn't boring! He's steady and reliable and a wonderful leader!"

Chef smiled. "If you keep going on like that you'll find that Lord Tyson will find Lord Wildwood more and more insipid."

Ildri scowled. "If you're not going to speak clearly, then I'll leave." She grabbed the bowl of food, she was hungry and swept from the kitchen. The door swung shut behind her, but not before chef's resigned chuckles followed behind her.

Ildri finished eating in her room. After she was done there was a loud knock.

"Ildri, open up! We've work to do!" It was Maxine so Ildri opened the door and let her inside. Maxine smiled at Ildri sympathetically. "How are you doing?"

"I'm not dying," Ildri muttered. "I am perfectly fine. And now that the war is over I could not be happier. Everything is going to be perfect," she announced woodenly.

"If you say so," Maxine agreed.

They began to work and Anya joined them after a while and told them she had given the twins the day off. She seemed to be in an annoyingly good mood. Maxine too. Ildri gritted her teeth. It was a wonder she had any teeth left after how frustrating her life had been lately!

Anya accidentally tripped over one of Maxine's rabbits, spilling the nearly completed potion she had been carrying.

"Bloody mess!" shrieked Keziah.

Ildri glared at the rabbit as if it had been its fault and tried not to cry.

She looked up to see the other women exchange glances and then look at her with annoying sympathetic expressions. Ildri felt her pique rise.

Maxine frowned. "I've had enough of this, Ildri."

"What?" Ildri asked defensively.

Anya explained. "This mood of yours. We can barely move without you being angry at us. I know you fought with—"