Silence.
Looking around, she spotted a folded piece of paper with her name scrawled on the outside in familiar penmanship. The tinkling persisted in the background, but she ignored it and reached for the note.
Princess,
A pressing matter has come up. I’ll be with the council most of the morning, but War will stay with you until I return. When he arrives, the guards will ring the bells to let you know he needs inside. Your keys to the gate and front door are on the bedside table. If you decide to leave, have War tell me where you’re going.
The staff arrives just after sunrise and will need to be let in. Do not let them in without War at your side. I’ll find you as soon as I’m done.
I love you.
Obsessively Yours,
Roman
P.S. If you’re sore, there are bath salts on the edge of the bathtub to soak in. They should ease your muscles.
A pressing matter? A cold sweat beaded Violet’s forehead. What if rebels were in the capital?
The tinkling still invaded the otherwise silent walls. Climbing out of bed, she adorned slippers and a robe and grabbed the keys from the nightstand, just in case. She ventured into the hall and spotted clusters of tiny bells she’d not noticed last night hanging along the walls, jingling incessantly. They reminded her of the staff call bells and alarm bells in the main palace.
If she must let the staff in, that meant the bells were being triggered from somewhere outside. Curious, she wandered through the house and onto the porch. War, along with four women and a man, waited patiently on the other side of the gate.
Violet hurried down the long path, grateful Roman had used smooth cobblestones and not gravel because the bottom of her house slippers were not sturdy enough to keep sharp rocks from stabbing her feet.
“War!”
The tigon dipped his head slightly, and Violet tried one of the keys. With a soft clink, the gate opened, and she stepped back to allow the beast in. War positioned himself in front of Violet.
A guard with shoulder-length, curly, dark brown hair, pale beige skin, and dark brown eyes moved into view and stepped inside. She tipped her head respectfully. “Do we have your permission to allow the staff in, Your Grace?”
Violet blanched. “I’m not the queen,” she sputtered. The royal title didn’t belong to her yet.
The young guard smirked, showcasing a dimple. “To us, you are. I’m Dani.” The woman held out her hand for Violet to take. Releasing her, she gestured toward the gate. “Kaylan is right outside. We’re the day guards.”
A woman with a light rosy skin, mahogany hair with blunt bangs, and a wide smile poked her head around the corner. “You can call me Kaylie.”
Violet waved awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you both. I apologize for taking so long. I was asleep and didn’t understand what the ringing meant.”
Dani hiked a thumb over her shoulder. “There’s a pulley we use to ring the bells. A light ringing means there’s a guest or someone who wants entry. There’s another for emergencies. It’s exactly like the palace alarms.”
Violet’s mind drifted to the day she’d heard the dreaded alarms, but she shook herself. “Thank you for letting me know.” Eyeing the other four women in maids’ attire and the man in work clothes, Violet lowered her voice for only Dani to hear. “I’ve never met the staff. How do I know it’s really them?”
“Any guard protecting the bunker knows who the staff is,” the guard whispered back.
“The bunker?” Violet looked back at her beautiful home.
Dani snorted. “This is the most secure place in all of Eden. Accurately nicknamed the palace bunker, or just the bunker.”
Affection consumed her. Roman did this for her.
“Until you’re familiar with the staff, you can ask War to confirm since you don’t know Kaylie or myself, either,” Dani suggested. “He’s met them all.” Violet decided she liked Dani, and if she had it her way, they’d be friends.
War nudged Violet’s leg and nodded, then turned to the staff and nodded again.
“Thank you, Dani. You can let them in.”
Dani stood aside and the staff filed in one by one, each introducing themselves to Violet as they passed. One of the maids looked alarmed when they took in Violet’s attire, and Violet flushed scarlet. She’d forgotten she wore only a robe and nightgown.
