Page 86 of Monster's Bride
“No, no. This is fine,” I say. I feel silly for being so upset by food that it’s apparent on my face, and I take a quick bite of vegetables to keep from answering.
While I eat, I look across the dining hall to where Lizette stands quietly, her hands folded in front of her. I know the servants always eat before or after the royal meals and normally in the servant quarters, but it’s never crossed my mind to ask if they eat the same food that we do. Lizette’s never mentioned a difference, but it’s not something she’d do even if it bothered her. She never complains about anything.
Oryx and Nor fall into an argument about hunting equipment, which I quickly tune out, and I eat in silence. The dinner conversations dance in the air around me, the words drifting in and out of focus until I become light-headed. At first I ignore it, staring down at my place to focus and fight off the feeling, but then my plate slowly starts to spin on the table.
“Irissa,” Nor says, his voice sounding much further away than it is. “Irissa, are you all right?”
I nod, my head feeling like it’s full of water, and gently lay my fork down. “I’m okay. Just feeling a little fatigued.”
Nervously, I stare around at everyone else at the table. None of them appear to be affected as they carry on with their dinner and conversation, so I refrain from panicking. Maybe the stress is finally catching up with me, or maybe I’m allergic to some of the spices in the food. There’s no way I’m pregnant—it’s only been a few hours since Nor came inside me—but the thought still crosses my mind.
“Do you need to lie down?” Nor asks, his voice heavy with concern.
“Yes.” Laying down until the dizziness wears off is probably the best option. I just hate that my room is so far away from the dining hall. “Excuse me.”
I push my chair away from the table and get to my feet, still feeling light-headed but otherwise fine. Running my fingers along Nor’s shoulder, I slide by him and head around the end of the table. Lizette meets my eyes, and I can tell she’s worried, but I wave a hand dismissively. I’m already embarrassed about having to leave dinner for feeling ill. I don’t need anyone worrying about me on top of it. I’ll be fine once I lay down.
My limbs grow heavier with every step while my head continues to spin, and I stumble over my own feet. Lizette jumps away from the wall, rushing to help me, but she doesn’t make it before my knees buckle and I fall. I hit the floor hard on all fours, pain shooting through me at the contact.
“Irissa!” Lizette cries my name and drops to the floor beside me. As I try to stand, I hear the sound of chair legs scraping on the floor, followed by the hurried footsteps. “Irissa, what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” I lie. My energy is quickly dissipating. I’m not sure what’s happening, but something is definitely wrong.
“Can you walk?” Nor is at my side, already grabbing my waist and hoisting me up. I grab onto his arm, knees shaking as I pull my legs under me, but as soon as my full weight is on them, my knees buckle again. Thankfully, Nor catches me before I hit the floor a second time. “I’ll take that as a no.”
He scoops me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest.
“I’ll carry her,” he says. The sway of his movements makes my head spin faster, and I squeeze my eyes shut as a wave of nausea turns my stomach. I’d rather not throw up all over him. “I think we should take her to the infirmary.”
“No,” I groan, swallowing down the bile racing up my throat. “I’m fine.”
“You’re clearly not, Irissa,” he snaps. “Something is wrong.”
I want to argue, but another spike of nausea makes me pinch my lips closed. It’s pointless to argue anyway. The tips of my fingers have started to go numb, and I can’t even open my eyes in fear of losing the little bit of dinner I ate.
“She was fine a few minutes ago,” Lizette says. “I don’t understand. You don’t think… you don’t think it’s poison, do you?”
Nor hesitates, and the hallway goes silent aside from their muffled footsteps. “I don’t think so. We were eating the same thing and everyone else is fine,” he explains.
“Could she have been exposed to anything earlier today?” Liz asks.
“I don’t think so.”
“I have an elixir that might help in my room,” she offers. “We can still take her to the infirmary, but I can fetch it just in case.”
“Yes,” Nor agrees. “Do that. We have skilled doctors, but just in case our medicine isn’t compatible with her for some—"
He staggers and I drop several inches suddenly. I pry my eyes open to look up at his worried expression, and despite still feeling like we’re moving, I see we’ve stopped in the middle of the hall.
“Nor,” Lizette gasps. Her voice sounds distant when she speaks, a fuzzy echo in my ears. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he says, shaking his head quickly. “Just a bit dizzy.”
My heart sinks as I realize what’s happening.
“You should sit down,” Lizette urges, and even though I can’t see her, I can imagine the stern look on her face. “Sit and wait here for me. I have an antidote.”
He stubbornly tries to argue. “I’m fine. I’ll just walk slower.”