Alina woke later than usual the next day. The light streaming through the curtains was too bright. It was afternoon already.
Alina lay still, staring at the canopy, trying to understand what felt wrong. Then her body answered.
Her head was throbbing. Her ankle was still swollen, and her throat was dry and her skin too warm.
I have a fever.
She blamed it on the exhaustion from Audrey's drilling and Emeric's lessons. And even before that, there was constant sewing in the garden in the cold weather. Her body had finally had enough.
She didn't have the energy to move, get ready, attend breakfast, or attend another protocol session with Audrey.
She stayed where she was, until someone knocked at the door, and the door opened. A maid entered quietly carrying a tray with a bowl of soup in the centre. The fragrance reached Alina before she could see it.
It was her favourite soup with fresh bread. The maid set the tray on the bedside table.
