Chapter 102: [102] A Goddess By Any Other Name
Calypso opened her eyes to a ceiling she didn’t recognize. Ornate wooden beams stretched above her, carved with intricate patterns of flames and stars. Her head throbbed with a pain that made her want to sink back into unconsciousness. She tried to lift her hand to massage her temples, but her limbs felt like they were made of lead.
"She’s awake!" a female voice exclaimed nearby. "Quick, tell the Chamberlain!"
Calypso turned her head slightly, wincing at the movement. Three young women in simple woolen dresses with embroidered hems hovered near her bedside. Their expressions shifted from concern to relief as they saw her eyes open.
"Lady Selene, thank the Eternal Flame you’ve returned to us," said the tallest of them, a girl with copper-colored braids wrapped around her head. "We feared the worst."
Lady Selene? Calypso tried to speak, but her throat felt like sandpaper. One of the other maids, noticing her struggle, quickly poured water from a silver pitcher into a matching cup and held it to her lips.
"Slowly, my lady," the maid cautioned. "You’ve been fevered for days."
The water tasted strange—slightly metallic with hints of herbs—but it soothed her parched throat. After several sips, Calypso found her voice.
"Where am I?" she asked, her words coming out as a croak.
The maids exchanged worried glances.
"You’re in your chambers in Hearthome, my lady," said the third maid, a plump girl with rosy cheeks. "Don’t you remember?"
Calypso tried to sit up, and this time the maids hurried to assist her, arranging pillows behind her back. The room came into fuller view—spacious and warm, with tapestries depicting flames and battles hanging on stone walls. A fire crackled in a hearth large enough for a person to stand in.