Emma nodded sharply in reply, obviously knowing that Ashley was right.
“This way,” Emma said with a tone of decisiveness as she decided to follow Ashley’s demands. As she found one of these tiny doorways leading into the servants’ hallways, her fingers tightened around Ashley’s as she led her into them, having the common sense to open the door and peek either way before vanishing behind it and Ashley with her.
“We’re going a bit out of the way, so we’re going to have to walk a bit,” Emma said with a shrug, “but it won’t be too long of a walk. Rumor has it that you got to the ceremonial room yesterday, which is a fairly good distance from the ball room.”
Before Ashley could open her mouth to ask what the fucking ceremonial room was, Emma shook her head, signaling to the other girl that she couldn’t answer.
This wasn’t the time for questions. Today, they had a mission.
Chapter
Seventeen
It shouldn’t have surprised Ashley that there was yet another corner of the castle that she had yet to explore, and but, it did.
She was supposed to be the princess, and that should have meant she was tutored on knowing everything a princess should know.While everyone else seemed to know all of the small alcoves and passageways around the castle, Ashley still remained mostly clueless. Still, Emma did seem to need some reassurance from Ashley as they continued. All in all, it was fine.
Especially when it led to them arriving outside in time to see row after row of vehicles lined up around the block. They likely carried dragon royalty and were heavily guarded. Men walked around the cars, opening doors as they went along.
Ashley’s eyes lingered on the iron rings that sat around so many of the men’s necks, knowing exactly what they were and exactly the deals that were made using them—all because of her father.
Ashley knew that those men were likely all enslavedby the various dragonfamilies.Unlike Ned, each of them had a distinct edge to them, a glint that made one thing clear: if the time came,they would put their lives on the line for those families.An idea that chilled Ashley to the bone.
Particularly since she seemed to be hanging out with people who weren’t huge fans of her brother. That was the least of Ashley’s worries and she knew it.
The most of her worries?
The fact that Emma’s guiding hand had led her to the edge of the property, where a large, crumbling stone fence sat.
One that looked foreboding.
Ashley’s eyes took in the crumbling structure, a small part of her realizing that this was a definite barrier from the property and the outside world—and that the moment that she stepped off the property, she would no longer be enjoying all of the safety that her brother had offered her. There was a real chance that someone could see her, realize exactly who she was, and decide to take care of things themselves. It was beginning to seem like Val had no shortage of enemies, and as his sister, whose very existence lent itself to his political power, it wasn’t exactly a stretch to assume that.
But staying on the property likely meant forfeiting any chances of learning exactly what was going on in the world, and Ashley didn’t know if she could do that either. Not when her brother seemed dead set on keeping so many secrets from her.
With a single glance backwards she made her choice, swallowing her nerves and following Emma through the gap in the stone, all the while well aware that sometimes walls existed for a reason.
The only question was whether those walls were to keep her in or to keep others out.
The woods were,as they were the first time, confusing.
Probably more so because these woods stretched behind the property a long way until they hit a creek, then kept going as far as the eye could see until Ashley wondered how Emma could bear to walk in those heels through it all without complaint. It was evident from Emma’s confidence and determination that the women of this place were made from bricks and nails.
Meanwhile, Ashley?
Well, she was supposed to be a good old country girl, and she had prided herself on that label for years, always viewing herself as someone who was tougher than nails. She was someone who managed to do all the things that her classmates complained about growing up. But the moment that she encountered the thick-ass mud that sat just around the creek, she was pretty sure that a few days in a palace had changed her, morphing her into some sort of pansy who didn’t like getting her hair wet or having to deal with real problems.
It didn’t help that she was forced to wear heels as they traversed the woods. It was starting to get to her. She tried not to worry about it all as she pulled at the legs of her still fucking impossible pants and tried to have a stiff upper lip. She promised herself that the second she was done with all of this bullshit, she would get to know an endless array of secrets that would undoubtedly give her some sort of idea as to what the hell was going on.
Also, she would get to see Jack, who she was very slowly beginning to consider a friend and who was fucking amazing. Even if she suspected he might be using her for his own gains.
To be fair, out of all the people she had met so far, Jack was probably the one she trusted the most, which was ironic because he definitely should have been the one she trusted the least. But despite all of that, she couldn’t deny that her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jack standing amongst the trees. She had grown to associate the man with adventure.
After a life that was far too boring, she thought that Jack was a little bit of a gift.
Largely because he had been the one to take her from that life, to begin with, if she were being honest with herself.
For once, the memory made her smile.
