Chapter Four: Enid

Enid and Edwyn have a few more interactions.

“I hate him.” Was the first thing she said when she got back to the physician’s chambers. The old woman, Brenha, was working at her desk when she came in.

“And who exactly is this him that you’re talking about?” She didn’t look up from her work.

“The Prince.” Enid replied as she headed to the back of the chambers, “He’s an a*s.”

“All princes are asses,” Brenha said. “Nothing new. I know it’s probably hard for you being a country girl but you’re going to have to get used to it.” Enid didn’t say anything as she opened the room to her door. “Just try and avoid him in the future.”

“I will.”  She muttered. Brenha could probably sense the fact that she was still fuming, because she stopped working what she was working on and moved across the room.

“You need to listen to what I say child,” She said.

“I am.” Enid tensed a little, wishing she would just let her into her bedroom.

“Someone who’s in your position can’t afford to be around him.” Someone in her position. Right. Enid bit her lip and considered everything that could’ve happened to the prince if she didn’t control her temper. Brenha didn’t know that she had magic, obviously, but something about the way she said that made shivers go down Enid’s spine. She had to remind herself that she was talking about the fact that if she did the wrong thing and got herself banished, she had no place to go. “So avoid him at all costs,”

“I will.”

“Even if he seeks you out.”

“Yes, miss.” Enid got up and headed towards her door again. “I think that I just need to get some sleep. I’ve had a long day.” Enid went back to her room and closed the door, sighing heavily as she looked around her room. The bed was barren but Brenha had laid out a pair of linen sheets for her. After Enid made her bed and laid down, she drifted off pretty well.

As a kid, Enid had never had dreams that she would consider to be potent enough that she would confuse them with reality, but as the destruction of her village became more eminent, something in her woke, and reality became indistinguishable with dreams about being surrounded by burning wreckage, hearing people scream over and over again.

When she got to the Kingdom, she hoped that those dreams would stop. They didn’t stop though, they just changed. Enid was in a long room, thrones at the very end of the room and large windows on the right wall. A girl with dark brown hair and ghost like skin was standing near one of the windows, moonlight covering her like a smothering blanket. For a second, Enid thought that she saw someone behind her, a hand placed on her shoulder for just a few seconds.  Then the hand was gone. “Hello?” Enid called out.

The girl turned to her. “Who are you?” She asked.

“I could ask the same of you.” Enid replied.

The girl looked around hesitantly. “I’m not sure anymore. Where am I?” The girl was looking increasingly more nervous by the moment, and then she looked behind her, “There’s someone else there.” She didn’t move, but her voice seemed haunted with a hint of anxiety. Enid tried to step forward, to get closer to the girl, but she couldn’t.

Enid woke up the next morning, disoriented and sweating.

That next morning, she tried to forget about what happened. She just went about with whatever mundane tasks that Brenha asked her to do for the hours to come, doing her best to keep her head down low. “I need you to visit the Lady Delia,” She said. “Ask her if her sleeping potion is working well, and if not give her this.” The older woman gave Enid a vial of something and continued her instruction, “Tell her to use two drops with her tea. It should help if the sleeping potion doesn’t.” Enid nodded and left without a word.

She forgot about the fact that she didn’t know where this girl’s chambers were, and just started walking down the castle. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going, just going. She had always had a habit of doing that. That’s what caused her to bump into the prince. “Do you have a habit of looking at the ground when you’re walking?”

“Sorry,” Was all she said as she stepped to the side. Other servants in the hallway were walking around freely, not being harassed. She didn’t know why she couldn’t just be one of those servants, passing by unnoticed. “I didn’t mean to run into you, sire. Forgive me.”

“Are you sick?”

“I’ve been ordered to deliver medicine to the Lady Delia,” Enid said. “I only want to get it to her as soon as possible.” Enid looked up at the prince, to see something in his face soften a little.

“Sorry,” He said. “Do you know where her chambers are?” Enid shook her head no. “Three corridors down, turn left, third door.”

“Thank you.” She said.

“No problem.” Edwyn turned awkwardly, letting her go in that moment. Enid shook off the experience in her head, just wanting to get the job that Brenha had asked of her done. Enid didn’t know what to expect when she knocked on the door to Alwyn’s ward’s room. Maybe a girl with a stronger, more arrogant presence. Someone similar to Edwyn. That wasn’t what she got. What she got was the girl who she’d seen yesterday, only quieter, more delicate. She looked tired but her eyes were kind and curious.

“Yes?” The girl asked after a minute. It just occured to Enid that she’d been staring at her.

“Oh �" uh �" I’m the physician’s assistant.” She managed to stutter out, trying to remember what  Brenha had sent her for in the first place. “And she wanted me to check up on you and see if you’re sleeping potion was working alright?”

Delia’s lips turned up in a slight smile as she opened the door a little. “Thank you for asking,” Brenha had given her. “This is something stronger if you need it. Two drops from the vial is what Brenha said would put you to sleep if the other stuff isn’t working.”

“That’s kind of her.” Delia took the vial from Enid, and Enid took a deep breath in, turning to leave when Delia asked her a question. “You’re new around here, aren’t you?”

Enid turned back around and nodded vigorously, “Yes, m’lady.”

“You don’t have to address me,” Delia replied. “Just Delia will do.”

“Right.”

“What’s your name?”

“Enid,”

“Just Enid?”

“Just Enid.” The girl answered, and Delia nodded.

“Are you from an outlying town?”

“Yes,” Enid replied. “Out on the border.” Delia nodded.

“That explains it. No one around here has such pretty eyes.” She gave the girl a wink before saying, “Thank you for the sleeping potion.” And closed the door. Enid felt her heart skip a beat as she processed what just happened. Her head was beginning to reel.

“I’m going to go insane here.” She muttered to herself. There was no doubting it at this point. This would be the place where Enid would descend into madness.