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She had stayed up until midnight while chatting with Tilla. She had stayed apart from Tilla just for a week, but she felt as though it had been a lifetime. So, talking with her brought back solace to her heart.

They talked about their life in Orsenia, and how everything took a drastic turn after they came to Sorvando. And they promised to be there for each other in this land full of monsters.

Anastasia turned to look at the side of the bed that Tilla had used. But the side was empty.

“Tilla? Where are you?” Anastasia called for her handmaid.

Now that Tilla had decided to return back to work, Anastasia expected Tilla to be by her side at all times.

“I’m preparing a bath for you.” Anastasia heard Tilla’s voice coming from the bathroom.

Anastasia got up from the bed and headed for the bathroom.

Tilla helped the Queen take her bath. While Martha and Holly took charge of dressing her and doing her hair.

.....

While the personal maids were busy preparing the Queen for the day, Tilla took the liberty to go to the kitchen so that she could tell the chef what Anastasia liked and what she disliked.

Anastasia had thought that there would be some clash between her new maids and Tilla regarding their duties. However, Tilla adapted to the new work condition very smoothly. The coordination between the three of them was impeccable.

Anastasia was glad to see Tilla getting along with Martha and Holly.

“Would you like to head to the library, Your Majesty?” Martha asked the Queen once Anastasia had had her breakfast.

Anastasia shook her head and replied, “No, I will skip visiting the library today.”

Anastasia decided not to leave her chamber today since she didn’t want to accidentally run into Caspian.

Rather than going to the library, she asked Tilla, “Tilla, I will give you a few names of the books that I have been wanting to read. Why don’t you go along with Holly and grab them for me?”

“As you wish, Your Highn- Your Majesty,” Tilla bowed to the Queen.

Anastasia laughed at how Tilla would almost always address her as the Princess.

“Don’t laugh at me, Prin- my Queen. I am trying!” Tilla emphasized as she left the room with Holly.

As Tilla had been addressing Anastasia as either ‘Princess’ or ‘Your Highness’ for most of her life, she was having a hard time adjusting to Anastasia’s new title.

After they brought the books from the library, the Queen sat down on the sofa of her antechamber and started a new book.

—

Caspian, on the other hand, was restless like never before.

Before going to the throne hall in the morning, he walked by the corridor leading to Anastasia’s chambers several times wishing that she would step out even if it was just for a second. He wasn’t yet aware that his wife was intentionally trying to avoid him.

He could barely focus while he was in the meeting with his ministers, councilmen, and advisor in the throne hall.

After the meeting was over, he went to the library to see if she was there. However, the door of the library was locked.

‘She must be in her chamber then,’ he thought to himself and went to his study.

After reaching there, he called Percy.

And he asked the head of the servants, “The Queen hasn’t asked for me yet? Is she still angry at me?”

Percy bowed and answered the distraught King, “From what I heard from Her Majesty’s maids, she has been busy reading her books in her chamber. She doesn’t wish her study session to be disturbed by anyone.”

Caspian disheveled his neatly combed hair in frustration and sternly said, “Ah! You sly old man. You didn’t answer both of my questions.”

Percy politely bowed and suggested, “I think Your Majesty should give Her Majesty some time.”

Caspian frowned but nodded.

—

That day, Anastasia spent her entire day reading the book. Caspian spent the entire day thinking about his wife.

The next day also passed in a similar fashion.

Anastasia didn’t leave her room. And Caspian didn’t come to see her either.

For the maids, however, the day was a little different. They were also assigned other tasks besides waiting on the Queen.

There were three of them now. So, Percy asked them to wait for the Queen in shifts.

One of the maids was available for Anastasia at all times. While the other two would do other chores of the castle when they weren’t attending to the Queen.

—

Another day also passed by. It went by as normally as it could in a vampire’s castle, except for the King and the Queen of course.

Anastasia had still locked herself in her chambers.

“Are you sure Her Majesty will be okay if she stays in her chambers like this?” Martha worriedly asked Tilla when they were helping the gardener.

Tilla gave a smile and nodded. And she replied reassuringly, “She will be fine. She enjoys being outside when she can but she is not much of an outdoor person.”

Tilla didn’t reveal that Anastasia wasn’t an outdoor person because her body wouldn’t allow it.

“That’s a relief then.” Martha then continued to clip the dry twigs.

Anastasia, on the other hand, was in her antechamber. She had asked the sofa to be rearranged so that she could face the window as she read the books.

She was sipping on tea and was lost in her imaginary world.

Anastasia wasn’t lying when she said that she could forget everyone and everything if she had some books with her.

Apart from Tilla, books were her only companion for almost her whole life. She would escape the bitter reality of her life by losing herself in the story. She would imagine herself as one of the characters of the novels. And she would experience love, adventure, sadness, happiness, and everything through them.

For the past three days, she was so immersed in the story of a novel called ‘The Journey to the Wild’ that she forgot all of her problems.

She forgot that she was in Sorvando, she forgot that she was married to a Vampire King, she forgot that she had a fight with him, and she forgot that her lifespan was getting shorter and shorter.