Chapter 14

The cold walls responded unfriendly to my presence. After I put on the clothes given to me, I entered the area of the infirmary. Immediately I did not like the terrible cold that reigned in all the rooms. I went through every room where I found dirty floors covered in dust and dried dirt. It was real unsanitary. And it was called an infirmary. There are dried mice on their walls. My nervous eye started to get irritated. The patients lay without the attention that I did not pay them. It was my mistake. Everything was like an incomprehensible mixture.

-Like an angel of death...- whispered one of the nuns.

I moved, almost floating above the sick. My lost gaze fell from one face to another. Some simply had a cold, and some suffered from dangerous magical diseases. The sun barely made its way through the small windows. Its rays made these walls look a little more alive. The audible gasps of people who knew they were in great danger of death filled the air. The nuns followed me in silence. One of the women, wearing a mask, carefully sat down next to the thin man and handed him the symbol. He began to repeat her words softly and barely audible. On his face, green growths that looked like mushrooms shone. It was an extremely dangerous disease. And the mask, fortunately, protected against it. Now everything became clear to me.

- Transfer the man with the growths separately, - I said and froze for a while in that room, - He is infected with the lightmushroomy common, if you go by the name, then the disease is not terrible, but in fact it is extremely dangerous. If someone else becomes infected, it will threaten a serious outbreak. Please take me to the abbess.

At my request, I was taken into the room where this woman was. She stood out among her sisters with her elegant clothes. Her dress was black, different from the dark brown dresses her sisters wore. A massive ring glistened on her thumb, drawing my attention. The room was dimly lit as its only window was on the north side and let in only a limited amount of light. In this regard, candles were used to illuminate the room. Faced with insufficient lighting, I sat down on a small wooden chair to make it more comfortable. The room was filled with documents - there were many of them, scattered on the table and shelves.

-Things aren't going very well for you lately, I see, - I said and smiled a little.

- So little money has been coming in lately. Lady Cortes, I'm sorry, but we've been waiting for your husband, the woman said and looked up at me.

- He doesn't have enough time for this, so according to our agreement, I will have to deal with it myself, - I said and took out my notes, - I heard corruption is blooming in the church.

- I am not capable of affirming, - she said, - But against the background of the fact that only pennies come to us...

- You would say so, - I said quietly, - I have a solution. If you join the doctors' guild, all the money will come without intermediaries and it will help you in the renovation of the west wing. You will have better access to all the goods you need.

-And what do you want to get? - she asked me.

- Absolutely nothing, - I said and bowed, - On this note, I have to leave you.

After I left that place, I got into the carriage again. After arriving at my home, I worked on the manifesto for several days, almost constantly working on it. When I finished working on the manifesto, numerous members of the medical guild gathered in the square. On the tall wooden stage, which was also used to hang criminals, I stood a little across, in my favorite winter black dress. The messenger who was dressed in bright red clothes was the center of attention, he unfurled a giant poster with my order.

-According to the new rules, every doctor is obliged to use soap before any medical procedure. Failure to do so will result in a fine of 1 piece of silver per day. Each suspicious death of a patient during treatment, which was not foreseen by the method, will be investigated and checked for negligence from now on, - said the man and the crowd began to make noise in dissatisfaction, - The hospital or hospital in which the mortality rate will fall to the lowest level will be rewarded. Every doctor who decides to use the disinfectant potion will be given a year's supply of vouchers and receive benefits, he finished, and the doctors from the front row bowed their heads in satisfaction and began to discuss something.

With each step I took forward, the crowd's security retreated from the stage, and when I finally got close to them, several guards approached me through. The crowd fell silent for a moment, and at that moment you could hear the rustling of invisible leaves. I cleared my throat, and then, with the permission of the nod, began my speech.

-Recently, the number of deaths from hot spots in the delivery area in the territory of medical institutions has increased, after conducting certain studies, we will introduce mandatory use of the invention of the collegium named after St. Ioanna, - I said, and they began to shout something displeased, - Silence, - I shouted and hit the floor hard with my right foot, - If you don't respect the rules, then please leave and don't complain about the fact that you will be punished for negligence. The innovations are mandatory and will take full effect from the 1st of the following month. Anyone who does not comply with the conditions set during three inspections will be closed with a license with the possibility of its return.

I got off stage and power in the carriage. Some people from the crowd even tried to attack my crew, but the security kept them away from me. I looked out the window, realizing that something had gone wrong. Messengers gathered in front of our house, all dressed in black. Who died again and why I still don't know about it? Black is the color of mourning, and I always wear it, although Adrian isn`t towing down his black suit.

I quickly slipped into the largest crowded room and stood in the corner, trying to understand what was going on. Hadrian spoke to several ministers, and the people then left the room. Noticing my presence in the corner, he invited me to him with a gesture and leaned a little on me. Embracing and slightly squeezing my hands, he seemed to be trying to drive away bad thoughts from me. However, they kept bumping into my head. But tell me who exactly died that caused such a fuss?

- The king was killed. Yesterday it was just a rumor, but we are ready to give confirmation, - a certain messenger said quietly. The king died. Recently, he was more alive than all the living, - There are no suspects.

-Thank you. Leave us alone, - Adrian said and waved them out of the room.

When everyone left, he was silent for a while, as if searching for the right word. But I noticed his hesitation. We just sat in silence. I was ready to leave, but he held my hand. Something was wrong and he was waiting for something. He searched among his belongings and came after. The cold metal touched my bare skin, sending goosebumps. He pinched it around my neck and looked me over with satisfaction.

- Red suits you, please wear it more often than mourning for the king, - he said and barely smiled, - At least you are considered a wonderful woman and an aristocrat who is ready to wear mourning for your king.

- Don't start, and why such a gift? - I said and looked at the gift with satisfaction.

- I have to have a reason to give my wife a present, - he said and looked at me in surprise, - You already know who the murderer is.

-Empress. Well, how will the brother deal with her. She is possessed by her own will, - I said. I don't understand at all what to do.

- He will figure it out himself, as he is the new king, so let him learn about management himself, - he said and smiled, - He will figure it out himself.

- Optimistically. At least they didn't try to kill me in the last months. Either she's fed up with failures and she's poisoning us all, or she's hiding and waiting for the right moment, - I said it in my usual, rarely indifferent voice, as if it didn't matter in this matter.

- And they tried me, - he said and smiled a sly smile.

- And you turned them into icicles, - I said, - I have to wear mourning clothes for the family dinner where our little secret was to be announced.

- What are you talking about, although I understood, - he said and straightened his hair, - And you better really put it on, he was your father after all.

- It was, and it was, I didn't even know him, - I said and raised my shoulders vaguely, - And because of his wife, I even lost the opportunity to get to know him.

The full moon shone in the dark blue sky, and the stars glittered on it, as if embroidered by a skilled seamstress. The snow glistened under the cold moonlight like diamonds. However, spring was coming, and I felt strange. It seems to have always been winter here - when I came, when I got married. And she continued to claim this territory. But in the southern capital, everything was completely different. There was a swamp, and there was not even a trace of the snow that was so familiar to me. And Adrian's voice drifted away in my thoughts as I complained about the cold and the mountains of snow.

The palace glitters as if made of crystal. But I didn't even see the ex-empress. There was no portrait of her hanging here, and as far as I could tell, no one even mentioned her. There was gold everywhere. Everything looked luxurious. However, the black clothes of those present looked strange against the background of luxury. Golden forks, gilded plates, snow-white tablecloths - everything was exquisite. There was glitter and luxury, but all this was shrouded in a tinge of mourning. Here, no one missed the king, except the people, and then out of fear. Because for the claimants to the throne, it was not just the loss of a father, but competition. And even with my brother, I noticed a slight smile on his lips. And this smile always appeared when he looked at his wife. And the new king's wife only laughed and giggled.

- She is not very good at pretending to be sad in this situation, - I said and leaned towards the countess's aunt.

-You can't be sad in her position, - she said and leaned towards me and hid a smile under her fan.

- Oh, I will be happy to become an aunt, - I said and smiled a little and stood up together with my brother and husband.

- Finally, we finished our parents' case. From now on, we know the whole truth. Costantia Cortes, the wife of Adrian Cortes, is my lost sister, my brother said, and everyone fell silent at once. And the duchess immediately understood the meaning of my words, "For my sister!" he said and raised the champagne and everyone repeated after him.

-For Countess Constantia Cortez! Found a princess! - the crowd shouted these words with satisfaction.

The tower-prison was in terrible disorder. A woman in a dirty dress restlessly beat her head against the wet stone walls. Although they offered her new clothes and a better camera, she did not even react. There was no room for her own thoughts in her mind. Only a terrible desire for revenge controlled her. This desire destroyed everything. The demons inside her only fueled her need for revenge. And it wasn't until the artifact was completely destroyed that her mind collapsed.

She knew about the end of the artifact and that the dried body of the child had already been returned to her mother. Therefore, she was sure that she would soon meet her executioner. However, she never wanted to give up. She struck blow after blow against the strong wall, the width of which was several meters. Small stones began to fall, and then the mighty wall split apart from the demonic forces. The cold spring air ruffled her hair. But no one in the palace knew about it. The fun continued.

Champagne flowed in rivers, and some of the nobility fell down drunk. No one was bothered by the death of the previous king. I sat on a chair, exchanging displeased looks with my husband. Fortunately, my brother's wife was brought out from afar. I no longer felt a desire for anything, boredom overtook me. And why do they like such entertainment so much? I was waiting for something new.

-I've had enough of all this, - I murmured under my breath, - Sweetie, you're still young, but it's my age to sit and watch this horde getting drunk year after year for 50 years, - said the old woman and displeasedly looked at some of her sons.

- I got tired of it all the first time. I'll have to ask my brother not to call me again, - I said and muttered this to myself unhappily.

- Well, hope that it will work out for you, otherwise I begged his father for twenty years, - she said and extremely dissatisfied she finished the champagne and put the glass down, - I hope your brother will be kind enough not to invite me again.

Over time, everyone calmed down and, taking their seats, began to eat dessert. We hoped that everything would be fine. But a strange picture unfolded before my eyes. The empress's face seemed to me to be at least 20 years distant. She looked normal - eyes, hair, skin. Even in her behavior there was nothing unusual. Her bright red dress stood out against the strange place that was in the dark. She went out into the snow-white winter spaces, holding a knife. She moved and approached the pedestal, leaving behind only small traces. She climbed the stairs and was a little surprised to notice the full appearance of snow.

Then she sharply took the knife and cut her palm, which began to bleed again. With the blood of her cut palm, a complex symbolic seal was drawn on the surface, and her blood-filled outlines quickly began to melt and merge, creating a spectacular effect. The woman dropped to her knees in front of the hole in the ground that opened before her.

Horrible black slime filled the perfectly white sheet of snow. It acquired four strange faces on its horned head. Their bright red and white eyes stood out against the half-dark figures. She already knew what she was going to do. She left the remnants of light in her soul, but let evil into her midst.

But she didn't want it to take over her. Only real evil in our world had its own plan. Only now the good did not want to give the world into the hands of darkness. And out of the light appeared a sword, the kind that not everyone could use. He was capable of destroying anyone who could not withstand his power. And the sword remained there, among the stones, waiting for its owner for many years.

A terrible knock broke the calm conversations in the hall, and the floor collapsed. Black tentacles, horns, and slime emerge from the hole and fog. There were four faces on one head. Demons can coexist in the same body, but the incomprehensible language of demons did not ensure that they could fully understand each other. And everyone froze. I could not have predicted this. My husband and I looked at each other. And then everything faded away.

The light dispersed my closed ones. We stood there and didn't know what to do. The demons disappeared, probably decided to play or tried to freeze us to death. But we just looked around in confusion. Everything seemed like an illusion. But unfortunately, it was a reality.

- What's the plan?!- I asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

-Unfortunately, just don't die. The main thing is to get to the sword and then we will deal with it. Then the main thing is to weaken them with your curses, and I will send them to the depths of hell, - he said and collected his hair, in his voice I heard terrible concern.

- Then forward and never back, - I said. We grabbed hands and jumped into the whirlwind of illusions.

We stood amazed and horrified as we watched the image of the Empress gradually disintegrate before our eyes. Her beautiful snow-white skin was captivated by the swollen veins running beneath it. It was impossible to imagine how this happened and what led to such a state.

My thoughts are confused, but feeling responsible for this story, I gather my strength and focus. I knew I had to find an answer. Suppressing my own fears, I knelt down next to the Empire's body to examine this terrifying transformation.

Feeling her swelling, I felt a pulsation under my fingers. It was more than just physical. It was magic that turned her life force into something vile and terrible. But what exactly caused this metamorphosis remained a mystery.

Looking around, I noticed some strange symbols and tracks in the snow. They testified to the presence of a force that was too powerful to control. It is clear that these symbols and traces had a causal connection with the unfolding events.

However, time was running out, and we could not stay here in the frozen snow. We were obliged to find a way out and reveal the secret of this terrible transformation. With strength in my soul, I got up from my knees and announced emphatically that we must look for clues and signs that would lead us to answers.

Slowly rising, we moved forward, leaving the body of the Empress behind us. The light of the sun gradually disappeared, and we were surrounded by cold, restless spaces. We were determined and did not delay. We felt our strength and understood that we are obliged to find the truth, regardless of the fear and horror that surrounded us.

So we continued on our way, in spite of the horror of the surrounding world. We knew that only the answers would lead us to change, to deliver us from this nightmare we were living in. And we went forward, with the hope that we could find a way out and bring light to where it is most needed.