Chp.42: Difference

"Yes. Yes your majesty, his majesty instructed us to stay on stand by and wait for any sign to rush inside and help you." The maid clarified.

"Oh...oh is that so? Fine. You may leave." Regina said. The maids left the room and once again she was there in that room.

Only difference was - this time she was all alone.

"So you want me to forget everything huh?" Regina thought to herself as she managed to climb down from the bed and walk towards the balcony window.

She opened the curtains and she could clearly listen to the sound of rain. Sound of heavy rain. She could feel the rain even though it didn't touch her, the sound of the drops crashing against the balcony floor outside was enough.

"You are not in luck your majesty. You aren't at all. Since I am not Rachel D'Azure. I am Regina." She said as she looked up at the grey and dark sky.

The room dimly lit and she was there in the king's chamber. "What can be a better opportunity than this?" Regina smirked and shrugged her shoulders knowing very well who her exact enemies were now.

"Duncan and Desmond? Noted." She mumbled.

There wasn't much time she could've wasted. And thus she immediately started to surf through Duncan's desk.

The drawers, the shelves and even the wardrobe. She moved as swiftly as she could. "You wanted me to forget the most important thing, and that could never happen. I have atleast a minimum tolerance to Szarni." Regina kept thinking to herself.

The dimly lit room just served as an opportunity that she had to grab and inform the count about. But as she was looking through one of the shelves she found a picture frame.

"Hmm? What's this?" She thought. As she dusted it a bit and tried taking a closer look.

"What is this?" Regina thought as she was astonished by what she saw. "Is this person Duncan?" She thought deeply as she was trying to makes sense of what she was seeing.

"But if so, then who are all these people?" Regina thought to herself. It felt as though some big clue mistakenly fell into her hands.

She pondered for a few more moments as she looked constantly at the photograph. But then, "Something tells me, I mustn't mention this photo while reporting to the count." She thought.

It was past midnight already and she was feeling extremely hungry, she decided to go outside of the room and ask some maid for a dinner.

"My lunch was also spoiled by that damn duke." Regina clicked her tongue as she was annoyed.

She decided to keep that frame back in its place and walked outside of the room.

She walked for some distance, but something was constantly pricking inside her mind. "Why did that duke play that prank? Was it a prank or was it a full blown attack? And moreover why is the king taking this lightly?" All these questions flooded her mind.

She kept walking and couldn't even find one maid on the entire floor. "Where is everyone?" She thought as she walked back to the same room she came from. She decided as she started walking back.

"But the most important question still stands, why is the king not taking any action against this duke? Why is he protecting him, Duke Desmond?" Regina thought and she almost reached Duncan's bed chambers.

"Hey!" Regina bumped into someone standing right in front of the door.

"Oh?" The man turned around.

"Oh! It's you your majesty. My apologies." Regina said making a bow.

"No no... it's fine. I thought you were may be resting inside." He was fidgeting with a tray in his hand.

"So?" Regina asked nonchalantly.

"So, I thought I shouldn't directly barge inside and distrub you." He said averting his eyes from her.

"Huh? What is wrong with this king?" Regina thought as she couldn't quite put logic to his words.

"You know this is your room right?" She said.

"Oh! Oh yeah!" He said and went inside the room.

"Why does he always behave so differently? On the day we married he was so cold? Then he sent me a letter and started acting mysterious and now he is all fidgety... is he the same king, Count told me about." Regina thought as she silently followed him inside.

"But with his actions, one thing is definitely clear. He think I must've already forgotten what happened during lunch." She went and sat on the bed nonchalantly.

"Um... my lady?" Duncan looked at Regina with a confused expression.

"Yes? Yes your majesty?" She asked spontaneously.

"Huh? No nothing." Duncan said as he poured the hot water in the cup from the kettle.

"Why did she naturally go and sit on my bed? Should I sleep on sofa tonight?" Duncan thought as he prepared the hot infused tea and walked towards Regina.

"Here my lady." Duncan handed over the tray to Regina. Regina was confused for a moment. But then she looked at all the things on the tray.

"Oh my god. Thank you so much your majesty. I am honoured." She jolted and said making a bow.

She looked at Duncan's expression. But in that moment a sudden shiver ran down from her spine. He was looking down on her. Or more like he was skeptical whether she had forgotten everything or still remember anything from the prank that Desmond pulled during the lunch.

"He is not just serving me dinner. He is testing me." Regina thought as she looked away from Duncan's eyes.

I must respond well to this test. I have to survive in this palace, this is too early to mess up the plan.

She looked up at the king.

"I am thankful yout majesty. I don't know how but I vomitted during the evening. Thank you for bringing me porridge, I am still weak. I don't know how though." Regina pretended to stay confused and nonchalant.

Duncan was still skeptical but then he rested his doubts. "It is fine my lady. I referred to some doctors, it happend due to your allergy to mushrooms. The lunch had mushrooms, I fired all the servants who cooked the lunch so you can rest well." He said with a fine expression. He had relaxed a bit.

Regina looked at him as he sat on the chair across the bed. "Uh... I didn't even realise." Regina thought as she went ahead and adjusted herself to eat the porridge.

"Yeah. It must have been very bad for you." Duncan said once again to cross check.