Kitanna
Chapter 21: THE MESSAGE IS PASSED

Chapter 21: THE MESSAGE IS PASSED

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: I’M LEAVING ~ JUNGHEUM BAND]

Almaria picked up the chamomile tea that still had steam rising from it, brought it close to her lips, and blew on it. After taking a sip, she scrunched up her face in disgust.

"Who served this tea?" She turned to ask the maid standing to the side with her head bowed.

"It was the head eunuch himself, Queen Dowager," the maid replied, her head still bowed.

"Get him here," Almaria ordered, pushing the tea cup away and picking up a piece of cloth to dab her lips gently.

When Felipe arrived, he knew very well why the queen dowager had sent for him. He walked straight into the room and bowed.

"Felipe, did you get my message wrong the last time? I told you to make sure it is Kitanna’s servant who brews my tea."

"What in the name of the gods is this? Did you dip your hands in horse dung and mix it with honey? Are you looking for me to perish?" Almaria asked bluntly.

Felipe got down on his knees immediately with his face bowed down. "I deserve to be punished. Do not spare me, Queen Dowager."

Almaria scoffed at the man who was trying to act modest. "Who said I was going to spare you?" This caused the head eunuch to raise his head with shock on his face.

Not that he wanted to be punished, but he felt that asking for it sincerely might make the queen dowager calm down in her anger a little. He bowed his head down again on the ground. "I am sorry, Queen Dowager."

"What was the reason? Why did he not serve my tea? Is he dead?" The queen dowager asked, moving her hands in the air while admiring her beautifully polished nails.

Felipe was shocked by the words he just heard but did not let it show on his face. "Queen Dowager, when I got to the kitchen, the man had already had an accident."

"And then?" Almaria asked, looking at the man who still knelt down.

"I sent him to the physician to get treated," he answered politely.

"Is he blind?" Felipe shook his head, looking at the queen dowager, wondering where she was going with this.

"Is his hands off?" Almaria asked again to receive a negative shake of the head from the head eunuch. She sighed, resting her back in her seat.

"I see I have been too lenient. You took him to the physician? When he still has his eyes and hands? Oh, what day has come that the palace servants get treated like royals?" The queen dowager waved to one of the maids to carry the tray of tea out. When the girl came closer, Almaria grabbed the girl’s hand and held it out for Felipe to see. The sudden act sent a low gasp from the maid.

"Look at this one; she had her fingers cut off when she was getting fresh millet milk for me, but she is still working." Almaria let go of the maid’s hand and cleaned her own hands with a towel. The maid used as an example carried the tray and left the room.

Felipe was shocked to his bones but tried his best to school his expression. "I am sorry, Queen Dowager," was all he could say.

"Of course you are, Felipe. Even if he is crawling, make sure he gets me my tea. This is not an inn where you rest and get treated at leisure. I will let this pass because I am in no mood to watch you get your bones crushed."

"Your grace is sufficient, Queen Dowager. I will never forget the mercy you have shown me," Felipe said, bowing and repeatedly hitting his head on the ground.

"Leave," Almaria tsked as he watched the man scurry away in fear. She stood up and went to water her flowers.

Almaria wanted to make sure the very person Kitanna was fond of suffered a lot so that even in the afterlife, she would grit her teeth in agony. A smile passed Almaria’s lips as she thought of Kitanna.

"Ah!" A harsh gasp escaped her lips when a thorn from the flowers cut her slightly. She looked at the vase worriedly before picking up a spray bottle and sprayed it on the flower. Slowly, the flower started to wither.

"I will still haunt you, even if you reincarnate as a flower." Almaria’s smile broadened as the flower withered to death. Then she pushed the vase down, sending a loud noisy crash echoing in the room.

A maid walked in immediately and started cleaning as if it was something that happened often.

...

When the physician was done treating Clephas, he gave him some herbs to apply and drink for his recovery.

Clephas stepped out of the room and walked to where Axilla was waiting for him. For some strange reason, he found himself a little fond of the girl. She reminded him of the princess when she was younger.

"Axilla?" The girl was lost in thought, looking at the royal pond. Clephas walked to stand beside her without saying anything.

"Do you like the fishes?" Clephas asked after a few minutes of silence.

"They are sad," Axilla spoke calmly, her eyes still on the pond.

"Why do you say so? Do you know much about fishes?" Clephas asked, intrigued by the girl’s response.

"Are you happy here?" The young girl finally raised her face to look at him.

Clephas was caught off guard with the question. It was true that he was not happy staying in the palace, but he was no fish. Or was the girl comparing him to be one? He looked at the girl with his lips thinned as if he picked offense.

"Are you calling me a fish then?" Clephas asked in annoyance.

Axilla moved her face to look back at the fish, she ignored the question that was asked "Look, they were separated from their home and forced to stay here " she pointed at the fishes.

Clephas was shocked on how the girl was able to dodge her questions and he was not so annoyed. She reminded him so much of Kitanna. He moved closer to watch the fishes with the girl.

The young girl asked yet another question that left Clephas gobsmacked.

"What do you consider as home?"

Clephas was too shocked to speak, he stood still for a moment trying to recollect his thoughts. The question pricked something deep in his heart. "My home was the princess. Now that she is no more, I feel...I feel lost" his voice sounded breathy as he tried to hold back his tears.

Axilla walked closer to Clephas and held his hands, patting it gently. She then smiled. "What you cannot see controls what you see."

The words resounded in his head. It was something he heard before. No, it was something someone told him. Those were the last words of Kitanna.

"Clephas, please stay healthy and always remember I shade the moon; let not the color of the petals fool you. What you cannot see controls what you see." The last words of Kitanna resounded in his head.

He turned to look at the new maid, but she was already walking back to the main palace.

Clephas was sure of what he heard but he was scared to think too much of it. The words only made sense to him and Kitanna. It’s a word that describes safety. What if he was just overthinking it and then he gets disappointed in the end?

Clephas stood still for a moment before he followed Axilla back inside the palace.

The person who had been standing behind the pillar all along smiled before walking away.