Dafina , the so called "Eastern Witch", turned her small head towards her lady in waiting. Her rich and numerous hair decorations tingled as she moved.

 " Zahira, wait outside."

Reluctant, the woman behind her did as ordered, being careful to bring the maids with her as well.

"I guess you are wondering why I have come to visit and how they allowed me to come since I am the primary suspect of the princess' illness." said the queen.

"Oh, my queen, that would be disrespectful to say."

"You don't need to say it when I already know that you thought it"

The young doctor rised her head briefly, long enough to make eye contact with the older woman.

"Maybe other people in this place think like that. But I cannot bring myself of thinking harshly of you, since I would be criticizing myself."

The queen feebly smiled and came nearer to Milena's face.

"You are good with your words lady Menelam. Still, you also are afraid of me."

The young girl frowned a bit. The queen was right. Even if she didn't believe it when people described the queen as an evil witch that had bewitched the king with her potions and spells, something about that mysterious woman that never showed at social activities, but only during unfortunate events such as funerals and mournings, made her inevitably restless.

She couldn't tell exactly what it was.It could have been that the queen's eyes looked like two black voids that shined of a strange energy, or the luxury that her dresses and hairstyles full of jewels and pearls revealed, or even her imponent posture despite the fact that she was not too big of a woman.

It was fear indeed, but that fear was also mixed with some kind of fascination that almost reached admiration for the Eastern Witch. There was a part of Milena that wanted to be like the queen. She wanted her knowledge, her secrets, the solution to the rare diseases that only the queen had resolved so far.

Dafina the Eastern Witch was a prodigy in medicine like no other person in that kingdom. Milena had realized it when she had seen her the first time during a desperate case of a dying servant. She was only fourteen at the time and had just begun her training under her fathers protective guide. Even him, the royal doctor, had renounced to cure the man, when the queen had showed up. In five minutes of inspection she had found a solution to the man's problem and within a few days she had healed him completely.

Therefore, she knew that there was some reverence too in her fear.

"They told me the princess can't speak?"

"Not exactly, your highness."

Dafina did not take the eyes off her. 

Milena , on the other hand, was unsure about giving the queen all the information. 

Even if it was unlikely there was a tiny, minuscule chance that the accusations against the queen being the culprit of trying to harm the princess were true.

"Oh, come on!" the queen rolled her eyes " Do I have to beg you to make you explain yourself?" 

"She seems to be speaking a total different language from ours, your highness."

Dafina didn't show any different expression on her face but her body had stiffened up.

All that Milena could feel as a result was a very heavy, tense atmosphere.

"Nothing that you recognise... I suppose" 

"No, your highness."

The queens eyes concentrated on the clueless princess. 

Amantine was looking at the two women a bit worried. Her new "friend"'s facial expressions weren't pleasant so she was getting more anxious by the minute.

"Get out, I need to visit the princess alone. You can wait outside untill I call you. "

"But , your highness, I can't possibly...." panicked Milena.

The queen almost fulminated her with her lucid gaze.

Are you refusing to obey me? was what her eyes were saying.

Milena clenched her jaw.

While bowing, she managed to give a desperate look at her patient and unwillingly surrendered, leaving the room.

As soon as she was out she knew she had to call for her father. However Zahira, the queen's maid, was outside as well, diligently following her mistress' orders: watching over the young doctor's behaviour.

Desperate,she tried thinking of a way out. It was then when she noticed Serìn, the young guard that had helped her when the princess hurt her hand.

They locked eyes and it was enough for him to get the message.

"Lady Zahira, long time no see." 

"Indeed doctor. How is your father doing?" 

"Fairly good, thank you." answered Milena. "Have you heard the lastest news?" 

"Hm?"

Meanwhile Milena started updating Zahira on trivial things, Serìn took action to help the young doctor as well as he could.

"Hey John."

"What."

"I need to take a piss"

"K"

With his usual , casual walk, he reached outside the corridor, straight towards Sir Menelam's chambers.

Meanwhile, in the room, Amantine had furrowed her eyebrows.

As the door had closed silently, the queen sat on the chair where Milena stood before.

"tu parles français,n'est-ce pas..."

Amantine opened her big eyes in surprise as a shiver ran down her spine from the familiar words that reached her ears.

  There was someone that spoke her language!