9

And as Zaret sits down, I realize what Zet just said. Begin? By which? I immediately push myself up with my hands, ignoring the pounding in my head. At least I'm trying.

"What do you mean?" I turn to Zet and he just raises an eyebrow in annoyance. I really thought Zaret had little empathy, but Zet doesn't even glance at my wounds. Almost as if he doesn't notice them.

"Zaret said you have information." He shrugs, as if that's a logical explanation. But it doesn't from the woods? With someone who really doesn't know what to do with the information. So I just shake my head in disbelief. "I..."

Zaret takes a deep breath and that alone is enough to interrupt me. "Now, tell me about the last few days." He sounds annoyed. As if it were my fault. But they are the ones who are speaking in riddles here. So I part my lips and want to tell them exactly that, but I falter again.

"From the last few days?" That's actually a fact that throws me quite a bit. I have no idea how long I've been in the castle. The torture is stored more like a dream. Doesn't seem real. As if it didn't actually happen and how long I slept I can't say with the best will in the world.

Zaret looks at me blankly, and I'm starting to think that if we put all our cards on the table, we'd make faster progress. "Kalota, you were gone for four days." His voice sounds velvety soft. Flatters my thoughts. Nevertheless, what he says pulls the rug out from under my feet. Makes my environment blur. Four days. That's long. And above all, it shows that I must have been really bad. Was I almost dead without realizing it? Or did Xerxes give me some means to rest longer? It's possible. He knows the Marks of Zaret. Maybe he wanted me shelter from the abuse in the gutter. Give me at least a few days of rest to recover from the worst. Interesting that I'm still trying to see some good in Xerxe's actions, while I only question Zaret. But I can't go into that now. Zaret's gaze is too engaging for that.

"But shouldn't I tell you that alone?" I glance at Zet, who just lets his head fall forward in resignation. Yes, it's probably logical for him to find out. But not for me. After all, it's action It's not a fairy tale It's not a funny story to entertain the two of them This is my damn life.

"No. Now." And with that the decision is made. Zaret doesn't tolerate any arguments. So I just take another deep breath and start to unfold the events. Slowly and carefully. Platura is still sharp in my head, but everything after that sinks under one Veil. It's hard for me to put the events in the dungeon together. And when I do, they're not in the right order. As if my head wants to protect me from grasping the full scope of what I've experienced. A kind of self-protection of the brain. Just do it Zaret and Zet don't stop there. They poke around and ask questions. They don't care that I keep rubbing my face. That my shoulders sag a little more every second. It's not important. Only the information counts. Doesn't matter I. And so I give it all back what else I know. All.

And when I'm done, I close my eyes. I feel infinitely tired. Like just talking about Xerxes sent me back to the dungeons. Even the fire no longer seems to give off the warmth it used to radiate. I'm cold. I shiver as Zaret's thoughtful gaze rests on me. "And he really said beast?" I just nod. Can't find the strength to put my answer into words. Actually, I'd really like to go home. Just lie down on my straw mattress and sleep. As long as humanly possible.

"My goodness, the man is more damaged than I thought." I don't even have to look up to know that Zaret is smiling. It's clear from what he's saying.

"It was clear from the beginning," Zet murmurs and leans back a little. "Whoever treats your own people like that doesn't have to have everyone together."

Zaret lets out an affirmative tone, but I can only furrow my eyebrows. How does Xerxes treat his people? I would think it's normal. But before I can formulate my question into words, Zaret speaks: "But that's good." He looks at me and Zaret does give me an encouraging smile. One that shows that he recognizes my exhaustion. That he sees how much I was swept up in events. "You did really well, Kalota."

I just nod and would like to ask what exactly. That I let myself be tortured or is it the sex afterwards? But since I'm sure that Zaret would only answer derisively, I'll leave it at that.

"How many were there this week?" Zet looks at Zaret and I could almost think that the question makes him uncomfortable. That he actually doesn't want an answer. Zaret takes a deep breath and grabs his neck. It seems as if he wants to massage himself some. "Three." The word leaves my mouth hard and I furrow my eyebrows. Something is happening here. The mood has changed, seems almost oppressive.

"One of them was Emil," Zaret adds, circling his head as he continues to grab his neck, running his fingers over his skin in a massaging motion. And again, I realize that Zaret is only human, too. He seems tense. It's funny that he too has to deal with such simple things. Somehow I keep forgetting that he too is just a man who has to deal with everyday problems.

"It'll get better soon," Zet replies, but doesn't sound convinced. It's probably meant to be encouraging. But I'm starting to have more and more question marks, so I turn to Zet slightly. "What's getting better?" To be honest, I don't even know if I want to hear the truth.

"Hey girl, you should know what we mean." Zet looks at me as if I should understand. But I don't. Not at all. So I just shake my head slightly and look to Zaret for help. He takes a deep breath and looks at me resignedly. "She can't know." His gaze rests on me for a moment before Zaret leans against the stone behind him and closes his eyes. "Do you know where I am every night?" Zaret is still leaning against the stone and doesn't look at me. Nevertheless, his tiredness is clearly visible. His shoulders aren't as taut as usual Zaret would be as drained as I am.

"No," I whisper, squinting at Zet. But he ignores me. Instead, he pokes around in the fire with a stick. This makes the embers dance wildly in the air and I have a hard time tearing myself away from the sight. Zaret rubs himself across his face and grumbles softly, it seems like he doesn't want to talk at all.

"I dispose of corpses. Every week." He laughs hard, but that tone doesn't sound real. More pressed. As if to cover up how much this fact is bothering him. But I can't deal with that. Dead bodies? What dead bodies? But before me When he can say something, Zaret continues: "Me and a few others bury them near the creek. One of the reasons I didn't go there to clean." He says it as if that fact matters. But he's not. Not at all. "Zaret, what kind of corpses?" And now Zaret looks at me blankly. Zet also seems shocked at my blindness. He exhales in disbelief, but I ignore him. Just look at Zaret. "Kalota, the people are dying. One starved after the other." He furrows his brows and seems to be searching for the right words. And me? I can only shake my head. That cant be true. I know it's looking bad for us right now, but isn't it?

"Our king lets his people perish at the outstretched arm." He shrugs, and I can only continue to shake my head. I'd like to think that's not true. But why would Zaret lie about that? It would do him no good.

"Our noble king," interjects Zet and Zaret snorts, turning to face him.

"Naturally. Our Highly Respected Majesty." The disgust in the words is immense. I never realized that Zaret hated Xerxes. In fact, I never even suspected it.

"The man who is so untouchable." Now Zet throws the stick into the fire and there is a loud crack. I jump immediately and look at the flames. A glowing stick rolls out. Approaches me, but I don't give way come back, the conversation is too important for that.

"But..." Yes, what? I have so many questions. But none of them can be put right. Instead, they flutter around in my head and make it difficult for me to think. Zaret takes a deep breath and looks at me almost pityingly. as if he were sorry for my naivety. "But nothing. Kalota, the drought has robbed us of our crops and the baron has closed the trade routes." Zaret is serious. This is no joke from him. The lips, which are otherwise too full, are pressed together a little too much for that. And the wrinkles around the eyes seem deeper than usual. “We have no more food. And no one can afford what little we have anymore." That's also true. I have to experience that firsthand. Even an apple is now a valuable commodity.

"Except for the rich, of course." Again, I can only look at Zet and I wish I could tell him to put his pointless comments somewhere else. But my lips remain sealed. Slowly, through the morass of my thoughts, what is seeping through they both want to tell me. But I don't get the point yet. What I do know, however, is that there is a deeper message behind this conversation.

"Yes, how could the rich do without something." Zaret grimaces contemptuously and leans forward slightly. Approaches me and seems to want to make sure that I understand. "Most will not survive the winter because the king is too cowardly to start the war. His reputation is more important to him than his people." Zaret looks at me intently. Seems waiting for a reaction from me, but I can't give it to him.

"Long live the king," shouts Zet, but I hardly notice it. I think of Xerxes. Of what happened. Of the green eyes. Is it true? It could be. He's hiding something. His beast It could be that he is so busy with himself that he forgets his other duties? "May God always have mercy on him," Zaret whispers, and I get goosebumps. The words are nothing special. That's what they say, and yet Zaret manages to infuse it with a sense of threat that scares me. Pure hatred resonates in what is said and only makes it seem more dangerous.

"Since when are you interested in the well-being of others?" I whisper and can only look at Zaret. That would really interest me. After all, Zaret is known for everything, but certainly not for my humanity. He laughs hard and streaks through the hair It seems like my question really amuses him.

"I've always taken care of the people in our neighborhood." Zaret snorts through his nose and manages to mix amusement and disgust into the sound. A strange mixture. If this arises because he despises himself for it or because he can't do that anymore, he eludes me, though. "Do you really think someone can behave like me if the majority doesn't stand behind you?"

A good question. Actually, I would have said that fear is enough. That Zaret has earned this position through all the cruelty. But now that Zaret is voicing it so openly, I'm not so sure anymore. So I just shrug. Zaret smiles slightly, but the gesture doesn't seem friendly. Rather condescending. "No wonder you're moving from one disaster to the next when you know so little about life."

And that just makes me shake my head in disbelief. I don't move from one catastrophe to the next. This follows me. Respectively is a man sitting right across from me. But since I can't say the zaret badly, I keep quiet for a moment. want to sort my thoughts

"Do you want to overthrow Xerxes?" The question leaves my mouth without my intending to. Yes, I didn't even know I was thinking along those lines. But now it seems the only logical conclusion. What else could Zaret want? Money ? Hardly likely.

Zaret smiles slightly and I shiver. God he looks cruel. The hate is reflected in his eyes. It almost seems as if death dwells in it. "I'd walk the fuck out of him if it was of any value to us." The coldness in his voice makes it hard for me to swallow. I've never seen so much aggressiveness in anyone. And I've seen a lot of men get angry. But still No one has ever managed to combine calm and brutality like this. "But that wouldn't do us any good." And now Zaret smiles to himself. Squints at Zet. I immediately follow the gaze and something like satisfaction can be seen in him too. Something is clearly happening here that eludes me. Important information is being withheld from me.