Chapter 17 Section 17 missed the official wedding

"Oh, Fitz." Verity's voice was filled with more sympathy than I could bear.A sudden sense of exhaustion hit me, and I was glad I could finally sit down, only to find that my hands were shaking.I put my hands under the table and clasped them to stop the shaking.I still feel the shivers, but at least no one sees my weakness now.He cleared his throat. "Go back to your room and rest!" he said kindly. "Do you need someone to accompany you to ride to Muddy Bay tomorrow?" I shook my head dully, the sudden certainty that I was about to discover the tragic truth, and the thought was unbearable.Another shiver ran through my body, and I tried to breathe slowly to calm myself, to keep myself from falling into this threatening fit again, because I couldn't bear to lose my composure in front of Verity.

"It's my fault, not you. I actually ignored your serious condition." He got up silently and put the wine glass in front of me. "It was you who suffered on my behalf. I am appalled that such a scourge should befall you." I forced myself to look into Verity's eyes.He saw through my cover-up, clearly and with a deep sense of guilt. "It's usually not this bad," I told him. He smiled at me, but his eyes remained the same. "You're such a good liar, Fitz. Don't think your training was wasted. But, I'm so used to being around you, you can't lie to someone you know so well, not just these days , including days when you're sick. If someone else says to you, 'I know how you feel.' You may think that's just a polite remark, but I'll take it as true, and I know as much as Burrich You. Instead of asking you to pick a colt for the next few months, I thought I'd extend my arm to you. Let me take you back to your room to rest, if you'd like."

"I'll do it myself." I replied stubbornly.I sensed that he respected me, but also easily saw my weaknesses.I just want to be alone, to hide myself.Nod your head, understand clearly. "If only you were proficient in the Mastery. I can give you strength, as I often draw strength from you." "I can't." I murmured, to replace my own with someone else's?I really couldn't hide my displeasure, but when I saw the shame in his eyes, I regretted it. "I used to be able to speak so proudly," he said quietly. "Go and rest, boy." He turned away from me slowly, busily rearranging the ink and parchment on the table, and I left quietly.

We've been bored here all day, and the sky outside has also darkened, and the castle is filled with the breath of winter night.The stage in the hall is cleared, and people will gather around the fireplace in the hall to watch the bard sing, or watch the puppeteer master tell wonderful stories with superb skills.Some make arrows as they watch, others sew incessantly, and children spin tops and play hopscotch or doze off on their parents' laps or shoulders.Everything is so peaceful and peaceful, and the fierce winter wind outside also protects us. I walked carefully like a drunk, avoiding crowds.I bent my arms and shrunk my shoulders, but my arms were still trembling.I walked slowly up the first flight of stairs, walking in a trance.When you reach the middle step of the stairs, stop yourself and count to ten, then force yourself to continue climbing the stairs.

When I took the first step, I saw Leixi walking down quickly.Although she was plump and old, she still walked like a child.When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she saw me and yelled, "Here you are!" as if I were the pair of scissors she had put in her sewing basket and misplaced.She squeezed my arm and turned me toward the hallway. "I kept going up and down the stairs today like I always do. My God, you've grown taller. Mrs. Patience missed you, and it's all your fault! She was expecting you to knock on her anytime. The door, she's glad to know you're back." She stopped and looked up at me with bright bird eyes. "That was this morning," she confided to me, before adding, "You're really sick! Look at your dark circles."

Before I had a chance to answer, she went on: "By this afternoon, before you came to our room, she was so humiliated and angry that she was so angry at your recklessness at dinner that she didn't eat anything at all. From then on, she decided to listen to rumors of your serious illness. She was sure that you had either passed out somewhere, or that Burrich hid you in the stables and tended you like horses and dogs. Now that you're here, Come in! Ma'am, here he comes." Then she sent me into Patience's room, and there was a strange overtone in her babbling, as if she were evading something.I entered the room hesitantly, wondering if Patience had been ill, or had suffered some misfortune.But even so, her living habits have not changed at all, the room furnishings are still the same, and the green plants are growing luxuriantly.There are also some fallen leaves on the ground. The scene in front of me tells me that Patience, who likes the new and hates the old, seems to have found something new and interesting.Two dove ornaments are new additions to her glass menagerie, while a dozen or so horse ornaments are scattered around the room.A thick bay candle was burning on the table, exuding a pleasant fragrance, while the dried flowers and herbs on the side tray were stained with dripping wax, and the bundles were strangely carved, which looked like Ziwuda The divination tablets used by people are also about to suffer.As soon as I entered the room, her strong little bitch came up to welcome me.I paused to pet it, wondering if I could still stand.Carefully picking up a small slab of stone to conceal my sluggishness in getting up from vertigo.It looks old, and doesn't seem to be used much for divination.Patience turned away from her loom to meet me.

"Oh, get up, stop making trouble!" she said loudly when she saw me bow my head. "Kneeling on one foot is so stupid! Or do you think kneeling will make me forget your recklessness? You didn't come to see me immediately after you came back! Hey, this is the gift you brought me? Oh, how thoughtful! You How did you know that I was studying these stone tablets? Do you know that I searched all the libraries in the castle, but found no records about the divination tablets!" She took the slate from my hand and smiled at me as if it was a gift for her, and Lacey winked at me behind her, and I shrugged slightly in response.I glanced back at Madam Patience, who placed the slate on top of a rickety pile of slates, then turned to look at me.She was nice to me one moment, but showed displeasure the next moment.Her brows were drawn into hazel eyes, her small mouth was drawn into a tight line, but the look of reproach was spoiled by the way she came to me with two ivy leaves in her hair. . "Forgive me," I said, boldly removing the ivy leaves from her tousled dark curls.She took the leaf from my hand and put it on the small stone slab.

"Where have you been these months? You are still needed here!" she asked. "Your aunt came a few months ago. Not only did you miss the formal wedding, but you missed the wedding reception, dance celebration, and aristocratic gathering. I'm here to do everything I can to treat you like a prince's son, but you Avoiding all social responsibilities. And you didn’t come to see me when you came home, you just went to the castle dressed in rags like a worker to talk to someone. How did you cut your hair like this?” This is my father’s wife, who used to Shocked that he had an illegitimate child before marriage, from hating me to caring deeply, which is sometimes more difficult to deal with than her hating me.She asked again, "Haven't it occurred to you that there are more important social responsibilities here than hanging out with Burrich and taking care of the horses?"