System of the Beast Slayer [litrpg Adventure]
Copyright© 1999 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 209
Morning, Foltest Castle.
The woman lying in bed gave the faintest flutter of her lashes, then opened a pair of long, narrow eyes and looked up at the exquisite crystal chandelier above. After a while, she threw back the warm velvet quilt and sat on the edge of the bed.
Morning light streamed in through the window, illuminating skin white as snowflakes and smooth as silk, along with a figure slender yet undeniably sensual. She was entirely bare at the moment, save for the star-shaped sapphire necklace at her throat, which stood out all the more.
She went to the window, drew a deep breath, and lifted her plain, freshly washed face. Her brows curved, her diamond-shaped lips bent into a smile, and she looked serene, even quietly joyful.
Since placing her faith in the goddess, she had cast off many pointless desires. Each day now felt full, and she was happy.
Not long after, a court lady entered the bedchamber and dressed her in a splendid platinum-white gown. Before the dressing table, she braided her lovely hair into two long plaits that fell over her shoulders.
She studied the noble, ravishing reflection in the mirror, her pupils unfocused, and remained lost in thought for a long while.
“Princess ... His Majesty is waiting for you in the dining hall...”
...
Adda came to the place where the meal had been laid, an elegant long table large enough to seat dozens.
The table was covered with delicacies served in silver dishes: suckling pig with honey, cod with blueberries, charcoal-grilled veal steak, steamed squirrel fish, fresh fruit, vegetables...
Seated beside the table was a middle-aged man, Temeria’s ruler, Foltest. The king was in the prime of his life. Beneath a thick head of short brown hair, his features were hard-cut, his eyes bright, and his chin clean-shaven.
The muscles beneath his white shirt were powerful and full, his back straight, and he looked almost overflowing with vigor.
He wiped the meat juices from the corner of his mouth with a white napkin, then patted the chair to his left with the hand still holding the knife. The princess sat down.
“You busy little thing. I have waited a full two months for this breakfast.” Foltest gave a self-mocking shrug, though there was a trace of complaint on his face. “Your poor, lonely old father has been wanting to talk with his daughter. Will you grant him the chance?”
“Your Majesty, King of Temeria, you know as well as I do that the Church is newly founded, and there is more work than hands enough to do it. Once this stretch passes, things will ease.”
“Then I’ll sit with you and talk to my heart’s content.”
The princess smiled sweetly, looped an arm around Foltest’s, and kissed him on the cheek.
The king’s expression softened. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“I’ve been sleeping well these past two months...” Adda replied in a bright tone. “The nightmares and sleeplessness are completely gone.”
“Praise the gods. There is no better news than that...” Foltest smiled gently and personally placed a portion of sliced steak before the princess. It looked scarcely half-cooked, threads of blood still seeping from the meat. “Try it. Fresh veal just arrived from Maribor this morning, specially prepared for you.”
“Your Majesty...” Adda chewed her beef in small bites, her red lips moving with elegant calm. “You ought to praise the Lady of the Lake. It was her blessing that healed me, freed me from the devil of insomnia, and from my foul temper.” As she spoke, Adda pursed her lips slightly, then pushed the remaining steak to the far side of the table with visible distaste, her gaze shifting instead to the fresh fruits and vegetables, and to the tender squirrel fish.
“What is it, the steak is not good? Did the cook grow lazy again today?” Foltest also tasted a piece. The meat was tender and rich, the natural flavor blended perfectly with the blood, and his tongue almost trembled at the savor of it.
“The quality of the steak is beyond reproach, and the cooking is just right.” Adda was already helping herself eagerly to vegetables and fish, speaking a little unclearly as she ate. “It’s only that lately I no longer care for the smell of blood. I wanted a different taste.”
The smell of blood?
A flicker of astonishment passed across Foltest’s face. It was rare indeed for the stern king to lose composure so openly.
“Adda, unless I remember wrong, you once said there was nothing sweeter than the taste of fresh raw meat.” That was the gentlest possible way to put it. Adda had long been freed from the curse of the ekhidna, but regrettably she had retained one foul habit, a craving for blood. She preferred meat still bloody, and at times had even tasted the fresh blood of living animals. This barely cooked steak was one of her favorite dishes.
“That was before ... I have changed my mind. Food with blood in it is coarse and cruel.” Adda set down her fork and looked seriously into her father’s eyes. “Under my lady’s guidance, I have cast off that ugly habit ... green vegetables, red apples, baked bread, and fresh fish from Lake Vizima, those are what make me better.”
“My daughter...” Wrinkles gathered on Foltest’s broad brow. By rights, his daughter giving up that habit should have been wonderful news. Yet the unease and worry in his heart only grew worse. “Lady of the Lake Vivienne truly is as powerful and noble as the stories claim? In scarcely more than two months, she has remade you so thoroughly, it is as though you were another person entirely.”
Foltest looked his own daughter over once again, and suddenly noticed far more than he had before.
The Princess of Temeria, his daughter, Adda the White, not long ago had still been a headstrong creature in leather armor, wearing daggers and a whip, with the air of an assassin, an “independent woman.” But now, how had she suddenly become a poised and graceful royal lady?
“You do not like it?” Adda asked.
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