Chapter 345: A Shared Burden
Chapter 344: A Shared Burden
Lyria’s POV
I did not need to speak more.
The maids understood immediately. I could see it in the way their expressions shifted, in the way their eyes softened with recognition. They had been with me long enough now to read the words I did not say.
Kathryn, however, had a frown on her face.
She did not press further, though. Whatever questions lingered in her mind, she kept them to herself. Instead, she turned her attention to the small leather pouch she had brought with her, her fingers moving efficiently as she measured out a careful portion of dried herbs.
She mixed them together, before handing the mixture to Pippa.
"Make certain she drinks this after she has eaten," Kathryn instructed.
Pippa accepted the herbs with a nod.
I made a face immediately, already imagining how awful it would taste when placed in water and given to me to drink.
Kathryn turned to me immediately, her eyes narrowing.
"In fact, I am not leaving," she said flatly. "I will remain here until you have finished your meal and drunk the herbs. I have no intention of returning later only to discover you have found some clever way to avoid taking them because they do not suit your taste."
I pouted, the only protest I could offer in the face of her unwavering determination.
Kathryn was unmoved.
Bridget spoke up then, her voice carrying a note of thoughtful consideration.
"Your Highness," she said carefully, "if I might make a suggestion?"
I turned to look at her, grateful for the distraction.
"Of c-course."
She gestured towards the desk where the books lay scattered.
"What if you simply gave us the books you have already finished?" she asked. "We do not need much. We can all learn together, sharing the knowledge as we go. It would relieve you of the pressure to complete every single one yourself."
I opened my mouth to respond.
Before I could speak, Margery nodded in agreement.
"I think that is a rather wise suggestion," she said. "It is far better than you stressing yourself over completing them all. You do not need to do everything for us."
My expression was one of surprise.
"H-how did y-you know I w-was planning t-to make o-one for e-everyone?"
Elara smiled, a knowing expression crossing her face. She pointed towards the desk where the books lay.
"Because there are seven of them, your highness," she said simply. "It does not take much to put together. The maids and the guards make seven."
I was quiet for a moment, my gaze drifting towards the desk.
Elara’s voice softened.
"We can work with the two you have already completed," she said. "You do not need to exhaust yourself for our sake."
Pippa nodded enthusiastically.
"Besides," she added, a hint of teasing entering her voice, "no one wants Kathryn to scold us again. She is far too terrifying when she is cross."
I glanced at Kathryn.
Her expression remained unchanged, but I could have sworn I saw the faintest flicker of amusement in her eyes.
I gave a tight smile and turned back to the maids.
"But h-how will y-you learn i-it?" I asked. "I c-can’t j-just give y-you the b-books and e-expect..."
I trailed off, unable to find the right words.
"We room together, your highness," Debbie said simply. "We will find a way. We can share one book with the guards, and keep the other with us. We will learn it together."
I was quiet again, pondering their words.
They were so willing to share the burden.
So willing to work together, to find a way forward without expecting me to carry everything alone.
For some reason, that made my chest feel strangely tight.
"You truly d-do not mind?" I asked.
Bridget smiled.
"Of course not."
"It might even be easier this way," Margery added. "If one of us does not understand something, another may explain it."
"And if none of us understands it," Pippa said cheerfully, "we shall come and bother you."
I sighed deeply, then shrugged.
"Y-you should l-let me f-finish the t-third one, at l-least," I said. "I h-had planned t-to s-surprise you all. But then..."
I gestured vaguely at the scattered papers, the burned-out candle, and the obvious evidence of my exhaustion.
"The s-surprise is d-destroyed."
Kathryn opened her mouth, clearly about to argue. I could see the protest forming on her lips—the reminder that I should not push myself, that my health was more important than any book.
But Elara spoke first.
"Let her be," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "This matters to her."
Kathryn frowned, and Elara continued.
"I will make certain her highness does not spend too much time on it," she continued. "I will ensure she only works on it during her free time, when she is properly rested. You have my word."
Kathryn looked at Elara. She paused, as if she was contemplating her words.
"See that you keep it," she said at last, though there was little heat left in her voice. "I would rather scold you than her."
"You may scold me all you like," Elara said, unbothered.
Debbie laughed softly at that, and even Margery’s mouth twitched, though she pressed her lips together as if trying not to smile in front of me.
Pippa, meanwhile, had already begun gathering the two finished books from the desk, cradling them carefully against her chest as though they were something precious rather than pages filled with my cramped, uneven handwriting.
"We shall guard these with our lives," she declared solemnly.
"They are books, Pippa," Bridget said. "Not relics."
"They are her highness’s books," Pippa corrected, as if that settled the matter entirely.
I felt my face warm at that, and I looked down at my hands rather than at any of them.
It was strange, this feeling. And I could not explain it.
Kathryn’s voice broke through my thoughts.
"Your meal," she reminded me, nodding towards the tray Pippa had brought in earlier and which I had missed.
"R-right," I said.
I moved towards the small table where the tray sat, and the maids resumed their quiet movement around the room.
Kathryn remained where she was, watching me with the particular attentiveness of someone who fully intended to see her instructions carried out to the letter.
I ate slowly, aware of her eyes on me the entire time, and when at last the plate was empty, she was already reaching for the cup Pippa had prepared, the herbs stirred into the water until it had gone a faint, unappetizing brown.
I eyed it with open suspicion.