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“I will, Mother,” Valda said before closing her eyes as she felt her mother’s feather-like kisses again.

Way too soon, her mother pulled back, caressed her cheek, and walked away, leaving Valda with a sudden ache she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Opening her eyes, Valda faced where she thought mother was.

“Maris, was it?”

“Yes, my Queen?”

“Take care of her. If you must slam her to the ground to get her to rest, do so. I will allow it.”

Valda raised an eyebrow and huffed.

“I will hold you to that, My Queen,” Maris said, amusement in her voice.

Valda exhaled once she heard her mother leave her bedroom. After a short silence, she heard sniffling behind her and frowned. Was… was Maris crying?

“Why are you crying?”

A gasp and many sniffles later, Maris answered, “Are you sure you are blind?”

“I am blind, not deaf,” Valda said, standing from her chair and moving towards the breakfast car Maris had rolled in. The smell of brewed coffee and warm oatmeal awakened her appetite and she was terribly hungry. Before she could make a fool of herself, Maris’s gripped her shoulders, guiding her back to the chair.

“Let me serve you breakfast.”

At first Valda wasn’t too happy with the constant handling. She wanted to try to do mundane things by herself. If she burned herself pouring some coffee, then so be it. She didn’t want to rely on Maris with all the basics. For now, she allowed the other woman to set her breakfast on the small table.

Maris grabbed her hand and slipped her a spoon before guiding both hands towards the oatmeal bowl. Trying her hardest, Valda began to eat quietly yet, the question was still in the air, and she knew Maris was avoiding it.

“I asked you a question. What were you crying about?” she asked again, wiping her lower lip with the back of her hand.

Once again, silence.

“Maris…”

“It was nothing.”

“You cry over nothing?”

“Your Highness, if I am being honest, it doesn’t concern you.”

What the fuck? Who was this woman and how dare she? “I am your Princess. I am asking you a question; I expect an answer.”

An annoyed sigh came from in front of her. Maris was sitting where Rionach had sat a minute ago. “Your interactions with your mother, the Queen.”

“What about it?”

Maris inhaled sharply before answering. “It made me miss my mother.”

Valda frowned. “Where is she?”

“She is dead.”

Valda almost choked on her food, her shoulders stiffening. “I am sorry. If I had known, I wouldn’t have made you talk about it.”

“It’s fine.”

“You sound young, though. What happened to her?” Valda asked, her hand searching for the warmth of the cup of coffee, once she found it, she swept her fingertips over the edges of the cup and grasped it carefully, not wanting to stain her blouse or burn her mouth. She brought it to her lips, took one sip and closed her eyes reverently. She felt stronger already.

The shuffling of fabric and the thrumming of fingers against flesh indicated the question was out of order, but Valda couldn’t help being curious. Besides, if she wanted to trust this girl with her life, she needed to know more about her.