Castle of Glass

“What’s this marriage news that I hear of?”

I rolled my eyes and turned to Chester, who is standing at the entrance to my bedchambers. Flora shrunk in the corner behind him, shooting me a guilty look to signify for her apology. She knows she isn’t supposed to let him in without my permission. Actually, no one should be allowed inside without my saying, unless it is the king.

“It is not of your concern, I’m afraid,” I brushed off and returned to cleaning my blade on the wooden table.

He sighed, walking over to me and took a seat on the other side of my wooden table. I looked up at him and glared. Only Chester would defy my position, constantly doing things without my permission. He tends to forget that I am a princess at times and it frustrates me deeply.

“I’m afraid it is of my concern if I am in the talks to inherit this kingdom and marry your sister,” he said with a cocky smile, reaching over to take one of my unattended blades.

Chester reached for a block of wood and began sharpening the blade for me. I opened my mouth in objection but decided to let this one go. The talks of marriages are leaving a bigger impact on me than I wanted, so my concentration is on closing out this conversation with him.

“You know the psychic tells lies all the time, I do not count on her for her honesty,” I replied.

“Why would the psychic lie about marriage?”

I sighed, irritated by his ignorance.

“She is trying to get us to turn against each other,” I answered.

Chester tilted his head.

“And how did she expect this to go?”

I wanted to take my sword and give him a slash across the face for being so clueless. He is supposed to be one of the most skilled fighters in the kingdom. It seems like he is not exactly known for his wisdom.

“By claiming Sayer Jakobi’s heir, she proposes to turn me against my own sister, by marrying you, it will turn Michael, who holds affection for our favorite princess, against you, need I say more, Chester?”

Chester’s grin widened.

“So how would my supposed marriage to your sister rile you up?”

I shook my head, refusing to let him get to me. He wants me to react, give him the weakness he is looking for. Even a flicker of a moment of that will embarrass me enough to want to hide out in my chambers through the rest of Jakobi’s reign.

“I’m afraid my only concern would be you ruling beside Sayer. She deserves a more, let’s say, worthy counterpart,” I attacked.

“Well, that’s a good point and good defense to hide your dignity! But speaking of unworthy counterparts, I do not think any of Elizabeth’s incompetent sons would be strong enough to take you as their queen,” Chester said casually, gently pouring oil on the blade.

I raised an eyebrow in question.

“Oh?”

“First, you’d scare them off and second, they are weak minded, or at least known to be. They’d just let you rule for them, which could be what you wanted to begin with… oh Eurydice, I know just what you want,” he pursed his lips at me expectantly.

“And what do I want, Chester, enlighten me, please?”

He swiped my blade at the wooden block, eyes never leaving his work.

“You want Jakobi’s kingdom,” he whispered.

I looked over at Flora and it seems like she is pretending to not involve herself in my conversation.

“Careful Ser Chester, what you imply is treason,” I challenged, ignoring my sword to look at him.

He looked away from the blade in his hand as well, looking up to meet my eyes. His eyes stared through mine as if accepting my challenge. At the same time, I can sense a tint of amusement on him.

“It’s not treason if what I’m saying is true,” his look of amusement disappeared and replaced with something much serious, “and the right thing to do is get to the bottom of what you’ve planned and report to the king.”

I smacked my lips together, refusing to back down.

“And just what are you implying now?”

Chester looked over at Flora, shooting her a meaningful look. My handmaiden excused herself and left my chambers, closing the entrance shut after her.

“That would improve my position if I saved the king from, perhaps, being poisoned by his own adoptive daughter…”

My glare on him hardened.

“What are you talking about?” I hissed.

“The psychic came to see me. She warned me of what you have planned. You have a poison and you intend to poison the king with it,” Chester spoke, “I know you want the kingdom and it might not go your way, but please Eurydice, do not do this! Do not commit this treason; that is not how you want to take a kingdom!”

I am baffled. The psychic has the nerve to involve Chester in this matter. She accused me of holding affections for him and now she wants to throw him at my direction by feeding him lies. Andromeda is playing a game here that she is going to lose. She is going to regret retaliating to my threats.

“As I said, the psychic tells lies,” I replied.

“But she is right about your desire for his kingdom!” Chester fired.

“I do not intend on poisoning him, as you are accusing! Poison is a cunning woman’s weapon, and I want to fight, divide, and conquer with an army! If anyone is doing any poisoning, it might as well be Sayer!” I tried to keep my voice level down, but I am at disbelief that Chester, of all people, would believe that I would use poison.

He should know me as well as most.

“If there is ever a time you want a coup, you come to me first and we will plot it out. I do not want it done without me or my consent. No poison or irrational actions without me or Sayer, do you hear me, Eurydice?”

I rolled my eyes.

“What I decide to do is none of your concern, but to have your support is always reassuring…”

“That is what I came here to say, princess,” Chester dropped the newly sharpened blade and let his arrogant grin return.

I sighed, nodding.

“Anything else before I kindly have Flora escort you out?”

He nodded.

“Since I now know that we are playing our cards against the psychic, I want to inform you that she sent me to retrieve you and Sayer to meet her in the center of the Zratil les forest after you fast,” Chester said.

“Did she say what matter she wished to discuss?”

“Not a clue, but I would advise you to bring backup. I can bring Michael and Robert…”

“…NO! Sayer and I are capable fighters. Andromeda will sense it if she is not alone. The woman is mad, but she does have her capabilities. Thank you for playing messenger, Chester, please see yourself out!”



After our discussion and consumption at the dining table, Sayer and I snuck out of the gates. We walked into the forest with our weapons because we do not fully trust the psychic.

We know she will do no harm, knowing it would leave her in a complicated position with Jakobi. She might just want more knowledge about Brad and inviting Sayer would make things easier for her, or so she thinks. Sayer is more adamant on protecting Brad than I am, so Andromeda is definitely not going to take advantage of Sayer’s kind nature.

“Have you spoken to Mike yet?” I asked casually.

“He believed in the psychic’s prophecy too. I had to convince him to think otherwise. Why are people so quick to believe that Chester is capable of ruling alongside me?”

I scoffed.

“He fights well, but he has no wits!”

Sayer laughed.

“Are you calling him dimwitted, sister?”

It is really hard for me to do, but I managed a smile. Sayer is the sole person to bring out this nature in me, and even if I have to be menacing for the psychic anytime soon, I still am all for this amusing conversation.

“He does not follow along on anything, Sayer, he is better with his sword than with his brain. I am glad that you do not actually have to rule alongside him. It would be most unfortunate for you,” I reassured.

Sayer shook her head at me, bemused. She shot me a meaningful look that implies something else. I know what she is implying and I chose to ignore it.

“Michael and I will never be together, Jakobi will never approve, you know that, Eurydice,” she commented and then added, “there’s no point dispelling the rumors for his expense.”

I nodded and didn’t say anything else as we approached the center. But before I stepped through the pile of bushes, Sayer put an arm out to block me from advancing. She pulled me back slightly, eyes wandering around the vicinity cautiously.

“Before we speak to the psychic, I must share with you the scroll delivered to my chambers…”

I perked up in interest and alarm.

“And what does it say?”

“It warns me not to trust the abilities of my guards,” Sayer said, hesitant.

I sighed.

“The psychic sent Chester to my chambers with the knowledge that I’d poison the king, I’m sure she is trying to alarm you.”

“You don’t think Robert has something to hide, do you?” She asked.

I can tell that she feels bad for expressing just a smidge of suspicion about her longtime friend and guard.

“If what I have to say counts for anything, I would take his word over the psychic’s any day. We grew up with them, if we are to trust anyone, it would be the knights. If it does bother you, sister, we can try to see if we can uncover anything about Rob. It is always better to be safe…”

Sayer nodded, smiling at me thankfully. I gently removed her hand from my path and proceeded to step through the threshold. The scuffle of the bushes gave me the confirmation that I needed to know that Sayer followed after me. However, when we entered the center, Andromeda was nowhere to be seen.

I looked at Sayer suspiciously, immediately knowing that there is a trap coming along. Placing a hand over the hilt of my sword, I glanced around the premises. There was no sound, except for the bird chirpings overhead and the wind. We stood motionless for a few moments, and Sayer’s patience is proven to be stronger than mine. I took out my steel blade and pointed it out in front of me.

I was prepared to fight whatever was going to come out, but the psychic greeted me as she emerged from behind the trees. She held out a hand for me to lower my weapon but I pointed my sword at her with my hardened glance at her. Sayer moved beside me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“You have arrived!” She held both hands out, muttering some incantation or something of a different dialect.

“What is it that you want?” I asked coldly.

“I take it that Chester has been a good dog and delivered my message,” she noted.

We didn’t say anything.

“Well, you both know why I am here and before you laugh in my face and inform me of the fact that you’d never willingly reveal the identity of my son to me, I have made other plans,” Andromeda exclaimed a bit too wickedly for my taste.

Sayer stiffened in her spot beside me and I can see her hand slowly move towards her dagger from the corner of my eyes.

“In just about five seconds, you will feel your head pounding and you will feel all consciousness slip away from you,” she laughed, “just a little something I slipped into your foods this morning.”

I cursed loudly and proceeded to take steps toward the cruel woman with my sword out. However, my entire body chose this exact moment to shut down.

“Eurydice!” Sayer warned, eyes glancing down at my buckled knees.

“Then you will wake up and tell me everything!”

I dropped my sword and fell to the ground. As hard as I fought, my eyes forced itself close and the last thing I can recount is Sayer falling beside me in the similar state.