REPERCUSSIONS

Astrid

Magnus refused to leave the room, his sultry eyes fixed on my disheveled appearance, flustering me.

"Where have you been all day?" he queried in a deceptively soft voice.

"Who says I was anywhere else other than my room today?" I asked but he went on like I hadn't even spoken.

"And why do you smell like horse dung?"

I tried to speak again, but he raised a hand, effectively halting me. Then stepped forward and ran a hand through my sweaty hair.

"Fascinating…" He murmured then dropped his hand and turned towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I blurted out before he reached it, my voice slightly shaky with fear.

"Well since you've refused to answer my questions, I shall have to extract my answers from somewhere else."

"No!" I snapped, rushing forward to latch onto his hand. "Listen…"

"No," he replied, trying to shake my grip off.

"I just had a really fun day," I sputtered, gripping his fingers tighter and reaching up to pull his face down so his eyes could meet mine.

"Astrid? Go take your bath," he said, then reached out and rubbed my chin with his thumb as if he was trying to scrub off something. "You are stinking up the whole room, darling" he added gently.

I didn't take an offense and just as he made to storm out again, I tugged on his hand, desperation driving me to my knees. "Please, Magnus, don't punish the servants," I pleaded anxiously. "It was all my fault, not theirs."

I heard Samantha shift uncomfortably behind us, probably wishing she were somewhere else.

I couldn't help the heavy cloud of guilt that hung over me because I knew if any of the workers ended up getting punished, it'd be on me.

Magnus snatched his hand away suddenly, leaving me uncertain on whether he'd listened or ignored my plea.

"Samantha," he called out coldly without looking at either of us.

"Y…yes alpha," she answered, hurrying forward.

 "Go back to your quarters." He ordered and she immediately bolted towards the door without hesitation.

Was he trying to punish me by taking her away for the night? I didn't mind though, if that was the only thing he'd do.

He left the room moments after and I proceeded to take a very sad bath, feeling more alone than I had in years. If not for the fact that I was truly filthy, I'd have just climbed the bed and curled up into myself, as that was what I really wanted to do.

But yet, even after I'd laid down I still couldn't sleep.

And so for hours, the worry consumed me, robbing me off the sweet escape of peaceful oblivion.

Further on into the night, I did manage to fall asleep briefly, only to be awoken by the tortures of my nightmares. And after that, I remained awake until I heard a rooster crow the first time before slipping into a distressed sleep.

****

I woke up with a start, my heart immediately starting to race from the lingering fear of the previous night. It was almost as if I hadn't slept a wink, the soft rays of the morning sun pouring through the window, burned my eyes. I felt lethargic and my head was pounding.

I groggily threw off the covers and stretched my legs, my mind consumed by the thought of Magnus' coldness last night.

As I sat up in bed, my gaze instinctively went to the door, expecting to see or hear Samantha approaching. But there was nothing.

I'd left the door unlocked so she could easily walk in incase I was fast asleep, but the room looked untouched and the curtains, half drawn, just as they were the night before.

"Samantha?" I called out, but there was only silence.

I jumped up and rushed to the bathroom, already aware that she wasn't there but still wanting to look.

She hadn't come in at all that morning. I ran to the window and peered up the sky even though it says slightly uncomfortable to do so. "It's almost midday." I thought dreadfully to myself as I began to slowly make my conclusion.

I was in a state of pure panic. Asking myself questions like, what if she'd been thrown in jail or dismissed?"

"I'd end up losing her like I lost Anel." I whispered to myself, dread creeping up my throat like a chill.

I swallowed and blinked back my tears and rushed towards the door before remembering how disheveled I must look.

I turned back and headed into the bathroom to splash a small remnant of water from the bucket on my face before, the coldness helping perk me up a little. I ran a hand through my hair, and immediately threw out the thought of changing into a day dress, just as the thought popped into my head. I was much too on edge for that.

I rushed towards the door, and flung it open to reveal an eerily silent corridor. Not one single servant was walking those halls and the only sounds eyes those of my bare feet pattering against the floor as I dashed down the corridor with an increasing sense of desperation.

My night dress fluttered behind me as I rushed down the stairs, with no sign or sight of anyone still.

I burst into the servant's quarters, and pushed open the door to the room where Samantha and two other girls slept but it was deserted and the beds were all neatly made as if they hadn't even been slept in.

No!

I rushed out again, this time towards the male servants' quarters and that too looked like no one had slept in it.

The whole place looked like it should on a normal day where everyone had woken up and gone ahead with their usual duties. My heart skipped two beats when I slowly approached the kitchen, without hearing a single sound of anything going on.

"Well that's where he's going to have it rough," I choked out then took a deep, shaky breath before pushing the grand door open.

The usually congested and hot room was as cold as ice, like no one had lit a fire all morning.

"Damn you Magnus!" I cried out. He was really going to suffer if it turned out that he got rid of all the workers and kitchen staff because I could not cook and it wasn't something I was ready to suddenly learn and master.

I felt the tears coming then, hot frustrated tears as I crumpled down on the cold, concrete floor.

Things had just gotten worse, and it was almost a poetic punishment that he'd demote me to the roles I'd pretended to be, like he was granting me a wish.

"Damn you, Magnus." I sobbed again then wiped off my tears as I slowly pushed myself off the floor thinking, I might as well go get ready for my role as the mistress of my own home.

If only I knew where they all were, I'd go and apologize personally to every single one of them for being so selfish and costing them their lives.