CH 21
SNOW
The sign language instructor flashed a reassuring smile, as he packed up his study notes and stood up.
“That’s it for today, Miss Snow. You are doing a really good job already,” he said, his shining eyes letting me know that he was proud of me.
I blushed and bowed my head, feeling proud of myself too.
In just two weeks, I was already mastering sign language, although it was something that I had never done before. It seemed like I was not just a dumb runt like I had been told my whole life.
Being told by Dylan that I was very smart and could pick things up easily, boosted my self esteem a lot. I lifted my hands and signed out a few words to the instructor, and he burst out laughing, shaking his head.
“Yes Snow, I do think that I am a really good teacher, however the fact that you’re smart and you pick up on things easily has also made it easier on both of us. We wouldn’t have come this far in just two weeks if you weren’t smart,” he praised me again.
We walked towards the door, and out of the large room where we studied.
Rontan had made sure that everything inside the room was comfortable for me. He really went all out to make sure that I was having a good time studying.
As I walked him out of the palace, the maids who saw me all bowed their heads and greeted me respectfully, and some of them even signed out a few words to me.
It made me feel warm inside, people here were going out of their way to make me feel welcomed and accepted, and this was something that I had never experienced in my life before. Sometimes it felt like I was in a dream and I’d wake up in my tiny
room under the stairs in the moonlight pack..
“You know, His Majesty really went all out for you. He’s not only making sure you have the top lessons on sign language, he’s also making sure that everyone else learns. So you can see…” My instructor, Dylan, was still talking when a kid came running out of nowhere and bumped into me.
I almost fell, however, Dylan’s strong arms wrapped around me swiftly and kept me from falling.
An older maid came running after the child, a pale frightened look on her face.
“Oh my God! I am sorry….I am so so sorry….his father…his father asked me to watch him but he ran away before I could blink! 1 am sorry!” The maid said.
She looked scared, and I could understand why. The laws here were strict, and a maid like her could lose her life over something
like this
Dylan frowned, “Just whose child is this?” He snapped at the maid.
The maid looked at me pleadingly for a second, before she lowered her head.
“He….he’s the son of one of the guards in the pack. His father asked me to watch him because he was here for something and he ran off.” the maid explained herself.
I really wanted to comfort her, to tell her there was nothing for her to be worried about since it was just a naughty child, but no matter how badly I wanted to say those words, I knew I could not.
Roman was doing everything to make sure that my life here was comfortable but the fact that I was a mute was a shadow that would forever stick with me.
Suddenly, the kid tugged on my hand. I looked at him, and his eyes were filled with apology and guilt.
1/3
CH–1
+25 Bonus
My expectation was for him to apologise to me, however, not out of nowhere, the kid started to sign.
“I am really sorry, ma’am…I was just playing. I will not do this again,” the kid signed, fingers moving slowly in the air.
My heart raced fast against my chest, as I looked towards Dylan for an explanation.
I knew that Roman was making everyone in the palace learn sign language, but how could the kid know?! He clearly didn’t live in the palace if his father was just a guard and I knew that no one else in the pack had any knowledge of sign language before I arrived!
My eyes shone with excitement as I looked at Dylan, and it conveyed the question that I wanted to ask.
“His Highness has gone to considerable lengths to ensure your comfort, Miss Snow.” Dylan spoke the words out loud, clearly testing my lip reading skills. “Not only has he mandated that every member of the palace staff learn sign language, but he’s also extended this decree to the entire pack – including the children. In fact, Sign Language has been incorporated into their educational curriculum.”
The maid nodded her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “That’s true. All of us have been learning sign language!”
Tears gathered in my eyes, as my smile widened. My eyes darted down at the little kid who still looked a bit guilty and I shook my head at him. “Don’t worry about it,” I signed
A smile lit up his face just then, and it almost made my heart melt.
The boy’s childlike innocence reminded me of the baby I was carrying.
I touched my stomach subconsciously, as my thoughts took a depressing turn. Roman was doing all of this for me, and making sure everyone in his pack learned sign language so my disability was no longer abnormal here.
And yet, I was keeping the news of my pregnancy from him.
Guilt consumed me, and I lowered my eyes to hide what I was feeling. Letting out a quiet sigh, I made a decision. Even if I didn’t fully trust Roman enough to tell him about my pregnancy, I wanted to do something for Roman, something to thank him for all
that he’s done for me ever since we met.
“What are you doing here, Miss Snow?” The head steward, Martha signed when she saw me walk into the small resting station that was designed for her and other maids.
I lifted my hands and started to sign too.
“I wanted to give the King a present, I wanted to know if you’d know anything he’d like”
Martha’s eyes scanned me, and it made me feel uncomfortable.
I had a feeling and could see through me, and it wasn’t a nice thought.
“Well, if you really want to gift him, you can get him a bracelet or something like that. However, I do know that the gift a King would value more than anything else would be an heir,” her eyes landed on my stomach as soon as she said this, and my heart
rate increased.
Did Martha know something?
