17 Noise
Sera
+25 Bonus
I pushed the heavy oak door open and marched into the room. Mina was right behind me, her boots clicking on the stone like a countdown. She didn’t stop talking the second we crossed the threshold.
“What happened? Why did you leave? Was the turkey cold? I saw you stop eating. Did someone say something to you?” The questions came at me in a barrage, one after another, giving me no room to breathe.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t even look at her. I walked straight to the bed and let my body go limp, falling face-first into the pile of furs. The fabric was cool against my skin, but it didn’t help the buzzing in my head.
I stayed like that, my face buried in the dark hair of whatever animal I was lying on. I couldn’t stop thinking about the dinner. The moment I lost my appetite was still fresh. I’d been salivating over that turkey-the flavors were actually better than anything I’d had in the South. But then I’d looked at the others.
They were eating like beasts. Fenris had ripped a lamb apart with his bare hands, his fingers slick with grease as he tore meat from bone. The warriors around the table were no better, shouting and gnawing on ribs like they hadn’t eaten in a month. Seeing that primal hunger had turned the food in my stomach into lead.
Mina was still talking. Her voice was sharp and relentless, and it was starting to feel like static in my ears. I couldn’t process the words anymore. I just wanted the noise to stop.
I sat up sharply, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and glaring at her. Mina flinched, taking a quick step back toward the fireplace.
“What are you even doing here, Mina?” I asked. My voice was low, vibrating with the kind of anger that usually ended in something breaking.
Mina opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out for a second. She started again, her voice wavering. “I… I was worried. You looked like you were going to faint when you stood up.”
I stared at her. I didn’t know what to do with this girl. She acted like a friend one minute and a manipulative handler the next. I let out a long, jagged sigh and rubbed my temples.
“Why the fuck did you take the shawl off?” I demanded. “In front of everyone. What were you trying to achieve?”
Mina’s throat bubbled as she swallowed hard. She shook her head, her eyes dropping to the floor. She folded her hands in front of her, the charcoal wool of the shawl draped over her arm.
“I’m sorry,” she said. It was slow and quiet. There was a genuine note of sadness in her voice that almost made me feel bad for
her.
Almost. I wasn’t falling for the “innocent servant” act again. “No. You knew exactly what you were doing. You didn’t just ‘notice I was sweating.’ You wanted me exposed.”
Mina looked up. She looked like she was struggling with something-a thought or a secret she wasn’t allowed to share. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then just stood there, looking miserable.
I ran out of patience. The weight of the red dress and the open back felt like a physical burden on my skin. “Just leave. Go.”
Mina took a step forward. “I need to help you out of the dress, Sera. I need to get you freshened up for the night —”
“I said it’s not necessary,” I snapped, cutting her off. “I can handle myself. I’ve been handling myself for years.”
“But it’s a difficult zip, and the ties-”
“I don’t need you hovering around me!”
The word hovering hit the air like a slap. I saw the vibrancy in Mina’s eyes die instantly. She went still, her face turning pale. It
1/2
+25 Bonus
was like I’d used a slur. She looked at me, and for a second, the mask of the pushy, confident handmaid was gone, leaving something small and hurt underneath.
I shook my head, turning my eyes away. I couldn’t afford to care if I hurt her feelings. Everyone in this mountain wanted something from me, and I wasn’t going to let her be the one who got it by acting sweet.
“Just leave. Please,” I said, my voice softer but just as firm.
Mina stared at me for a long beat. She didn’t try to argue again. She gave a small, stiff bow and started walking toward the door. Her movements were slow, her shoulders hunched.
At the door, she stopped and looked back at me one last time.
“I’m really sorry for how today went,” she said. She paused, her hand gripping the doorframe. “I just… I thought I was making things easier for you. I thought if he saw you… it would make things safer.”
I rubbed a hand over my face, the exhaustion finally winning. “Just go, Mina.”
She didn’t say anything else. She stepped out and pulled the door shut, the heavy click of the latch echoing through the room. I was finally alone.
212
+25 Bonus
