Heart of the Wolf Prince

Chapter Five (b)

I claw at the wall beside me, gasping as I fight for air. I feel like I'm suffocating.

Black dots swim in my vision. Upon weak knees, I run to the other side of the hall and head for the stairs. I need to find the infirmary. I need to find it before I pass out, before my heart fails entirely.

Dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-tha-dunk-dunk-dunk-tha.

I claw at my chest, as though to calm my heart with sheer will, but it continues to spasm. The world tilts around me, and my vision becomes nothing more than a narrow tunnel as I try to identify where I am, as I try not to throw up from the sheer bile building in my throat.

As I stumble throughout the palace, knocking over expensive ornaments and accent tables, I scan the doors as I pass by them. Kitchen. Storage room. Laundry.

No, no, no, no...

Finally, I find it. I don't know how I find it, and part of me believes some god must be smiling down on me as I fumble for the door and push it open. The bright light of lit torches assault me, but I barrel for the cupboards lining the walls, not even bothering to check if anyone else is in the room.

I plough through the cupboards, knocking over glass vials and bandages while I'm at it. Once I find what I'm looking for – a wooden bowl full of moonstone splinters – I grab one with the last of my strength and drive it into my chest.

My vision is black, almost entirely gone. I breathe. In. Out. In. Out. The black retreats to the edges, and after a minute that feels like an eternity, my heart finally resumes its normal rhythm.

Tha-dunk. Tha-dunk. Tha-dunk.

I sigh and collapse against the wall. I am about to cry with relief when a dark voice slithers from behind me.

"Well, that was quite the performance."

My entire body goes cold. The voice is the sound of icy water over smooth rock, like the streams in our estate's woodlands during winter. It sends shivers up my spine, and when I turn to see its owner, I feel like I might go back into heart failure.

Prince Kohl leans against the doorway of the infirmary, his golden eyes piercing my body, my soul.

For a few moments, we stand in silence. I just stare at him, stare and stare and stare to the point where I must look stupid. It is only when he cocks a trimmed black eyebrow that I remember who he is, and that he is talking to me.

I scramble to curtsey. "Apologies, your highness."

Kohl ignores my formality. Instead, he takes a step forward, his eyes pinning me to the spot. I fight the overwhelming urge to step back. "All your ruckus disturbed me. I wouldn't be surprised if you woke the whole damn palace up with your scrambling."

My cheeks flame. I bow my head again. "S-sorry, your highness."

Again, he ignores my apology as his eyes dart to the moonstone splinter sticking out my chest. "Unless my eyes deceive me, am I correct in assuming you just suffered from a heart attack?"

I wince. "Yes, your highness; ventricular fibrillation."

His eyes hold mine. They inspect me like I am a specimen, like an insect under a microscope. "A palace maid with a heart condition... how interesting indeed." His eyes dart again to the moonstone splinter, the only that that probably saved me from near death tonight. He begins to pace in a circle, his eyes tracking me like a predator's. I remain stock-still. "How does it feel to lead a life so fragile, knowing it could be taken at any moment?"

It feels like he just slapped me. "I... I'm not sure, your highness—"

"How does it feel to lead a life so pointless, one with a milk's expiry?" He motions to the splinter. "It is like watching a mayfly bargain for just a few more hours of life. The lengths you go to preserve yourself are quite admirable indeed, but for what? If I were to pluck that splinter out right now, you would be dead within a few minutes."

His insult stings, but his final words stop me from spilling any tears. I recall what Macy told me, about the Gahndor's cruelty curse. Looking into Prince Kohl's golden, soulless eyes, I wouldn't put it past him to kill me right here right now. So, I remain silent instead.

Several tense moments tick by. Finally, he flicks his chin towards me. "Tell me, girl, what is your name?"

"Naomi... Naomi Agnarys, your highness."

I cringe as I get the words out, and part of me wishes I were dead as I see the realisation dawn on his face.

"You are a daughter of nobility. You should be competing with your sisters in the Queenstrials, so why aren't you?"

I swallow. Part of me wants to lie, but another part of me knows better than to lie to my own crown prince.

So, I lower my head and bite the bullet. "I wasn't deemed fit to. My heart condition would be too detrimental for a future king or queen. And my parents decided I'm not even able to bear a child for a smaller house, so they—"

I shut my mouth when I realise what I just admitted. Prince Kohl – damn him – seems to light up at my confession, like a child finding the missing piece of a puzzle.

"So, you are infertile. That all makes you... Invalid?"

There it is again, that goddamn word. Except this time, it's being used by my future king. I hang my head. I don't want to say anymore, and I would like nothing more than to head back to the comfort of my room, even if it's not really my room..

I'm not sure if it's mercy or boredom, but Prince Kohl finally steps away and heads for the door. Once he reaches it, he pauses and pins me with his gaze. His eyes look lifeless again, and a chill slivers up my spine as he says, "Do not wake me again."

I shudder. After he leaves, I wait in the infirmary for a few more minutes, worried that, the moment I step out, Prince Kohl might be waiting to ambush me.

But he never does. Quietly, I make my way back to my room, thankfully to at least find Macy fast asleep once I make it to my bed. At least one of us is content.

I strip out of my maid outfit and lie beneath the covers. This bed is nothing like my old one, and the covers I so thin I begin to shiver. Or maybe I'm shivering because of the blatant threat Kohl just made. Either way, it feels far too cold.

I don't sleep at all that night.