NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”What do you think?” Sthena asked still rubbing his neck which made Perdita wonder if his neck was itching him. For a moment, she almost asked him that, but then her mind went back to the question of Sthena.

What did she think? Does that mean she did other things aside from wanting to drink Mrs. Perkin’s blood? If yes, then what was it?

”I don’t know. I can’t remember what else I did and also what happened later.” Perdita honestly replied and gazed into the red eyes of Sthena that looked back at her.

She carefully questioned, ”Did I do anything other...uhm.... stupid things?”

Sthena sighed and turned away from Perdita and watched the vast land of the castle. He slipped his hand into his pants pocket and replied,

”Well, you can put it that way if you want, though it isn’t that way on my side if you ask me.”

”Then what is it? What did I do?” Perdita asked almost impatiently that had Sthena cast her a side glance. She then added the magic word, ”Please,”

Sthena shook his head disapprovingly and said, ”It is not something I should tell you. You are to remember it yourself.

”Why? Why shouldn’t you tell me what it is but you asked me about it?” Perdita responded, slowly getting annoyed with Sthena.

She didn’t like the ’You did something but I won’t tell you’ game Sthena was playing. If he knew he was not going to tell her, he should have kept quiet and the matter would be forgotten. But he didn’t, and now she was getting frustrated thinking about what she could have done.

”You look agitated,” Sthena pointed out with a chuckle. As if to add to Perdita’s worry he continued to say, ”I should be the aggrieved one here. Because what you did affected me too.”

Hearing the he way spoke about being the one who should be aggrieved and the look on his face, Perdita concluded with panic that she had truly messed up, but Sthena had refused to tell her what it was which added to her distress.

Perdita pursed her lips in displeasure. She fiddled with her dress and a frown now replaced the worried look on her face. She said, ”If you are truly feeling aggrieved, then tell me what I did so I can rectify my actions.”

”It is not something you can rectify so easily. When you recall what you did, then you can think of how to rectify it.” Sthena calmly replied now staring at Perdita.

Perdita didn’t know what to do so she walked away from the window an obvious anger on her face. She sat on the edge of the bed and watched Sthena approach her.

She glared at him and blurted out, ”Is this how you take care of someone who is sick?!”

”Hmm?” Sthena tilted his head in question. He said, ”If you feel you are not being taken care of in the right way—” He paused and his lips pulled up into a smirk before he went on, ”—I have other ways to do that if you allow me.”

Perdita stilled. Even her breathing stopped and the next second she breathed, her heart skipped a beat along with her eyes widening that darted everywhere but Sthena.

When she looked at the smiling man, she unconsciously wiped her sweaty hands on her dress.

”That is not what I mean you pervert!”

”Pervert?” Sthena narrowed his eyes at Perdita. ”I feel insulted. In what ways did you think I was going to take care of you?” He asked, his eyes watching her every move like a hawk.

”Don’t act innocent. I only asked you if that is how to take care of someone because you are making my head ache with worry since you don’t want to tell me what I did. And then, y...you said what you said just now.” Perdita said with an accusing voice.

”You didn’t answer my question. I asked, in what ways did you think I’m going to take care of you?” Sthena repeated his question.

Perdita stayed quiet. She didn’t dare voice out what was in her mind. She immediately switched the topic, ”Where’s my brother? I want to see him.”

Sthena being Sthena didn’t like how she was trying to dodge his question and also miss his chance of having fun. He asked, ”Were you thinking I would feed and bathe you? Was that the reason why you called me a pervert?”

Sthena chuckled darkly seeing the bewildered look on Perdita’s face, he said ”Okay, I agree I’m a pervert. So let’s start that with the first thing first. You need to take a bath right now.”

”What the. Take my b....” A wave of Sthena’s hand shut Perdita from completing her sentence. She was more than dumbstruck to even construct any intelligent sentence.

Did he mean what he said?! Bath? As in bath h...her?! She exclaimed in her mind and watched Sthena walk around the bed and came to the other side she was sitting.

”W... what are doing?” Perdita asked with wide eyes while making sure she held tightly unto her dress.

Sthena didn’t respond to her question. He ignored her and bent towards her while raising his hand too. Just before his face would reach hers, Perdita heard something jingle at her back before Sthena strengthened himself and left her side.

Perdita deeply exhaled wondering what that was all about. Almost immediately, three maids walked into the room with their heads bowed, and the last one was the head maid, Theresa. That was when she realized Sthena what did. He had rung the bed to call the maids.

”Your Ma...”

”Help this lovely Lady wash her body and get her dressed.” Sthena quickly interjected before the maid could complete their greetings. This was what he feared. They almost finished calling him, Your Majesty.

The maids again bowed their heads and chorused, ”Yes, Your...”

”Start moving already,” Sthena bellowed and interrupted the maids again and they were quick to walk towards where Perdita sat on the bed with a confused look.

”I can bathe myself. I don’t need their help.”

”Weren’t we talking about taking care of you just now? And the first thing was to bathe you? Go on, don’t be shy. After that, we will move to the next step.” Sthena replied and gestured the maids to go ahead.

”My Lady, please follow us,” One of the maids gently said and made to touch Perdita’s arm only for her to move it away from her grasp.

”I said I can take my bath. Alone.” Perdita asserted and glared at Sthena.

The eyes of the two maids widened in disbelief before they quickly averted their gaze. They had never seen anyone roll their eyes at the King talk more of glaring directly into his eyes. And the King did not do anything?! And not to add, she must have probably slept in his room too.

Who was this Lady?!

Sthena ignored Perdita and turned to the maids, ”What are you still doing standing there?”

”I...We are sorry. My Lady, please,” The first maid said in a pleading tone as if her life depended on it while the other maid looked as if she will kill Perdita with her eyes that glared at the floor beneath where she stood.

She knew this kind of woman. Because she was fortunate to be favored by the king, this was why she was behaving as if she was the queen. She knowingly wants to get them in trouble.

Theresa was the most vexed among the maids. Since she walked in and finally saw the face of the woman earlier that had her lips sealed from uttering any word. She couldn’t help the envy that brewed in her heart because of how beautiful the lady was. It must have been the reason why the king noticed her and took her. But still! She was not fit to stay near him. Does she not know her rude attitude towards the king can get her killed? Well, it will be better that way. She will be gone before anyone knew it.

Despite the pleading look of the first maid and the annoyed look of the second maid, Perdita didn’t shift from her sitting position.

Sthena had an amused look at first before it faltered and was replaced by a narrowed look.

Perdita ignoring his order in front of these maids will look bad for his image as the King. But this green-eyed woman who was clueless about his real position in the kingdom will keep defiling him unless he did something.

”Fine. Let’s do this way since you want to be stubborn. You follow my order and I’ll tell you about what you did. The memory you forgot.”

Perdita immediately stood up from the bed and questioned with a suspicious look, ”Are you serious and you wouldn’t go back on your word?”

”I wouldn’t say it if I’m not serious.”

”Fine,” Perdita agreed. ”Don’t you dare play with me, else I’ll kill you.”

Sthena smirked, ”We’ll see about that. Go on.”

The maids whose ears and eyes felt like they would fall because of the exchange of words between the king and the unknown Lady bowed their heads and began to lead Perdita out of the room.

”Where are you going? Is the bathroom in this room not functioning?” Sthena’s question stopped them in their tracks.

Theresa bowed and answered, ”We cannot use the...”

”Use it.” Sthena interjected and began to walk out of the room, ”I don’t want to wait for more than an hour before you are done.” He instructed and finally left the room where the shocked maids and annoyed Perdita were.

The King asked them to use his bathroom?! Who exactly was this Lady? Were the questions in the heads of the three maids.

Never had anyone slept in the king’s room nor had anyone dared to enter or use his bathroom. Did this mean that this Lady could be the king’s woman? They needed to be careful around her and also try to gain her favor. The maids thought and led the unwillingly Perdita inside the bathroom.

Perdita unaware of the things going through the maid’s head that would soon be the talk of the castle still had an annoyed look at the thought of being bathed by someone else. And they were three?!. Was that how they treated guests here in the castle?

What strange and lazy people. Perdita scoffed.