Survive the throne

Chapter Three 11-1

Chapter Three

Where did I get the virus? My head cracked, my bones ached and, on the whole, I felt full, as if I had been lying in bed for more than one week, and even with a high temperature. Otherwise, why did you have an idiotic dream about another world?

I opened my eyes, dreaming of getting to a bottle of mineral water, a tap, or just a puddle. The throat was dry, it seemed that even cracks had formed there.

Slightly rolled over and coughed. And how do you get to the kitchen now?

— Woke up? Excellent! Yet Eisa has a strong body.

The eyes popped open on their own.

- f**k!

Above your head is the already familiar ceiling with idiotic drawings of white and pink tones, with gilding. And the bed is the same, endless, full of pillows, light blankets and the finest linen.

- Calm down and lie down. said the same voice. One more day and you'll be fine.

“Hey… huh!” I coughed again.

A narrow, long glass of water appeared in front of his face. I looked at him stupidly, looked up. The glass was held by a man's hand, swarthy, with long fingers and a strong wrist. Then began the sleeve of the black robe. And a little higher I saw a face. Male. Very dissatisfied.

- Drink. demanded the stranger. “They tried to poison you. Again.

The glass was not water, but a drink with a sour taste. After that, I was completely reborn. She leaned back on the pillows and asked again.

- Again? Who are you?

— Aril Baldorf, a sorcerer of the highest category, the owner of magic forbidden in these lands. What else... oh yes, your father's debtor, who sadly passed away. By the laws of this kingdom, now I am in your debt, ace.

He had a very tanned and predatory face, with sharp features and a straight nose. And black hair tied in a ponytail and squinted eyes of a strange golden color.

— Sorcerer? I giggled, realizing that I was losing my mind.

Aril rubbed his forehead with a look as if he was already tired of talking to me.

“I already wished Ervina to burn in the flames of Herios, I wish it again. So, I say, you are silent. Questions later. Why are you shaking your head?

I'm looking for cameras. I confessed. - Well, like a reality show and all that. True, I did not give permission to shoot and ...

“I don’t understand what you mean, ace. For starters, what's your name. Real name.

— Alice. Alisa Kirova, twenty-five years old, working as an architect, recently broke up with her boyfriend. And I don't understand what the hell is going on here.

- Well, Ervina approached the matter, even picked up with a similar name. This will make it easier to get used to.

- For what?!

- Shut up!

Aryl did not seem to raise his voice, but I suddenly became obediently silent.

- Excellent. - said this ... sorcerer. When a woman is silent, she is perfect. So, girl, you're in serious trouble. And you owe Erwin thanks for them. She is our ace Alicia as a nanny, friend, second mother. She will kill for her child without hesitation. But she is not a powerful witch, she does not even have the blood of other races. So, a little conjures, can impose protection, but that's all. Six months ago, Aesa Alicia's parents died: our ruling aces. And Alicia became the direct heir to the throne. In a month she will be twenty-one years old, by our standards this is the age when they take the throne. So far, it is occupied by the brother of the late Ace. And three months ago, assassination attempts began on Alicia. You just experienced one of them. Questions?

- This is not a performance?

“Your words are not always clear to me, Alice. This is all really happening. Ervina took advantage of Alicia's right to claim my debt instead of her father. She decided to find a strong girl in another world, whose consciousness I should transfer to Alicia's body.

- Why?! I'm not strong! I can't even kill a cockroach!

“You talk a lot of strange nonsense. If Ervina chose you, then there was a reason. Now you have to hold out for a month, not let yourself be killed, sit on the throne and before that find yourself a husband.

With these words Aryl snapped his fingers. The armchair by the window was right next to the bed. And the sorcerer settled down in it, stretching out his long legs. I noticed that in addition to black, silver tones flashed in his clothes.

- Good set. I mumbled. - In that order?

The faint hope that all this was a hoax was rapidly melting away. Take the same chair...

Here I could not stand it. Under Arila's slightly bewildered gaze, she stood up and, despite the fact that I was swaying slightly, walked around the chair. And the sorcerer who sat in it. She sat down, ran her hands under the seat, on the sides.

- What are you doing? sounded overhead.

— Looking for an invisible wire. she puffed in response. Somehow the chair was moving.

Aryl snorted, and then... then I suddenly realized that I was sitting on my butt and staring dumbfounded at the ceiling. And the chair is already flying over me, along with the sorcerer.

- Mother…

More like magic. Ariel replied.

The chair slowly and somehow majestically sank to the floor. I continued to sit and understood that I would have to digest all this for a very long time.

There is no magic in your world. Ariel sighed.

And I felt like an uneducated peasant woman. It remains to sniff his nose and wipe it with his sleeve.

— And now what?

Ariel shrugged. It felt like the last thing he wanted to do was help me.

— Survive, girl, I will help you. And then I'll send it back.

I continued to sit on the floor. And she began to bend her fingers, listing the problems.

“So, I am the princess who is about to receive the crown. They are attempting on me, I need to find a husband and try to find out who I am bothering. There is magic here, and I have a higher education and training in post-nuclear survival.

Then she caught the sorcerer's eye and waved her hand.

- My dad is in the military. He has his chills. So I can stuff the face of a not too strong opponent, light a fire in the rain and without a lighter, survive in the forest and her bunch of things. Hmmm ... my chances tend to zero.

- Yes. I doubt you'll need those skills here.

“I still know how to survive a zombie apocalypse. She said in a hopeless tone.

- Did you check?

- Not. Do you have zombies?

“No,” Ariel shook his head. “The Necros are keeping a close eye on this. So I don't think you'll need that talent either.

Let's just say he has a sense of humor. Dark, like his attire.

“Then we’ll deal with problems as they come up.”

I then glanced at Aryl and asked:

“If I am a princess, and even sick, then why aren’t healers and anxious close ones crowding around my bed?” Where are the candidates for grooms with lace handkerchiefs?

- I kicked everyone out.

- So there were handkerchiefs ?!

There were doctors. Ariel explained patiently. “But I used the right of the chief sorcerer of the kingdom. And put everyone out. So now there are fifteen people outside your door. They would also eavesdrop, but the canopy of silence works well.

I rubbed my chin and looked at the door with a different look. Perhaps among those crowding behind her was the one who tried to kill me. Or that one. By the way, yes, it is believed that women are most often poisoners.

Should I go to them?

- I'll go to them. Aryl sighed. - I will say that the princess will sleep and by the evening she will get up completely healthy. And then I'll come back and take care of your chambers.

- Why? I got worried.

“I want to make sure that no one gets through to you at night. I can't just be here all day. And you can ask me any questions.

- I have one question. I muttered. When will this madhouse end?

- It hasn't started yet.

I managed to see a smirk on his face and almost hissed. Well, yes, he is not in danger of being poisoned, or stabbed, or whatever else they can come up with.

Still want to eat. My stomach growled, as if in response to my thoughts. Ariel immediately reacted. Apparently, he was asked to keep me healthy. All for the sake of some princess, her mother, and her kingdom. She is now in my apartment, with her nanny, and I am here.

- Get into bed. Ariel commanded. - They'll bring you everything. And pretend to be sick, you're too ruddy.

I silently jumped under the covers, wrapped them up to my ears and closed my eyes. So, to watch everything through the eyelashes. I watched, and thoughts jumped in my head so that my temples already hurt. Or is it from a failed poisoning?

While diligently pretending to be asleep, I watched as Aril returned with two maids. They rolled in a carved table on wheels, quickly arranged everything, and left almost at a run. It seems that the sorcerer is afraid here.

The doors closed again.

- There is filed. Ariel's voice sounded slightly mocking. “It seems like now someone wants you to burst.

You mean a lot of food?

“I mean, they put one potion in the sauce. From him, a person begins to swell, then he swells up and ... plop!

I hiccupped. Despite the hunger, she now looked at food without her former enthusiasm. Unlike Aril, who dipped his finger in the same sauce and licked it quite so with appetite.

- What are you doing?!

- What? the sorcerer was surprised. “Ah, that’s… you won’t eat it anyway.” Phew, screwed up.

“But you… he’s poisoned!”

- Yeah. For people, this potion is deadly if the antidote is not taken in time.

- Well!

Aril wiped his hands with a napkin and somehow calmly said:

Who said I'm human?

So, the first note in the mental notebook: there are not only people here. And the question immediately arises: who else is there?

- And who are you?

The answer came immediately:

- Not a human.

- Logic is also inhuman? I asked. - It is clear that you are not a person, but who then?

- The one who will help you survive. Aryl yawned and continued. You still need to find a husband. By the way, the candidates will start arriving the day after tomorrow.

It looks like my hiccups will become chronic here.

- Are there many of them? she asked plaintively.

“Not really, the kingdom is considered to be in decline, so your dowry is not too rich. By royal standards. So I think about a hundred applicants, no more.

- Sta? - My voice broke into a squeak. For some reason, just a terrible picture arose in my head: a hundred muscular men and for some reason lined up in a long line. And they... they're naked!

- Maybe a little more. Ariel shrugged. - I think this should be clarified with the royal matchmaker. Tell her to come in the evening.

“Will there be… only humans?”

Aril clearly decided to take on the temporary role of nurse. So he put a thick wooden tray on my bed, on which were plates of fruit, something that looked like yellow porridge, toast, thinly sliced cheese and meat, and a glass of something that looked like milk. I took it and sniffed it. There was a slight smell of vanilla and something else unfamiliar.

- I think so, but it's better to check everything with the royal matchmaker. Aryl repeated.

I still had muscular suitors before my eyes. True, now trolls and giants could be seen among them. Who else could be there? So, the second note: among the candidates there may be non-humans. Although, if Aryl is not a person, then maybe not everything is so bad.

There was no more poison in the food. So I ate heartily, after which I felt much better. A person is still surprisingly arranged: good food and now thoughts are already becoming more positive. Well, grooms, well, think about it. It's not for me to live with the chosen one. I'll choose as best I can, let the princess puff later.