I grunted my acceptance. I did stink.
“If you need me, my room is next to the kitchens or you can ask for Matron, but there should be no questions, no trifling concerns, and no accidents. Your one job is to guard Lady Lilyanna.”
“I’m her babysitter, not her bodyguard.”
She ignored me. “Do not leave her side. Do not leave her alone for a moment and for Goddess’s sake,”—she bent to whisper in my ear, her voice almost inaudible—“never leave her alone with the prince.”
She snapped erect again, brushing invisible dirt, or perhaps my odor, from the front of her apron. “Go and bathe. Your posting begins now.”
CHAPTER FOUR
WHISPERS IN THE WALLS
The bath hurt as much as I anticipated. Hot, soapy water scalded all the sore areas as if wielded by Siobhan herself. The uniform, I quite liked. It was the same dark sapphire that the guards wore, but in a close-fitting sweater that rose to my neck and dropped to mid-thigh with snug, velvety leggings.
The only things out of place were my scuffed boots, but they hadn’t gifted me with new shoes. These hid a small knife in the seam of each one anyway, so I kicked the grass and mud off as best I could and ventured up the spiral staircase toward Lady Lilyanna’s room.
There was no lock on my side of the door, nor hers when I cracked it open. The walls here seemed thinner than below, not deep enough to hide a person, but I still felt something watching me. Everywhere I looked, the shadows would shift as if harboring a soul of their own, obscuring their occupants.
I stepped into the large lounge. It was at least three times the size of my dungeon below with two separate doors leading to adjoining rooms. A huge fire blazed in the hearth, diamonds sparkling in the ornate moldings. Large stained-glass windows distorted the town beyond, the houses contorted into colorful mounds of melted wax. Plump purple chaises and thick rugs were artfully scattered throughout the space. Hopefully my job didn’t include maintenance of this place but only of its occupant.
The clouded marble floor echoed my footfalls, amplifying my tread, no matter how quietly I tried to walk the perimeter. There were no tapestries on the walls, nor paintings. Not a drop of warmth or personality bled into the decor. No flowers hung limply in vases, though the lingering odor of roses threatened to gag me.
I sniffed at the window. Perhaps they were outside? Concrete was smeared in the window lining, barring all scents, breezes, and sounds from the descended fog of evening. I scratched at it with my nail and moldy flecks sprinkled to the floor.
A door opened, and a young woman of about nineteen peeked her head out. Her hair was disheveled, blonde mats caked to her skull and a lingering floral odor surrounded her that choked to the back of my throat. She clutched a robe to her breast, the cream silk drooping down over her shoulders. I wasn’t sure if she was in trouble or if I’d interrupted something.
I coughed. “Are you Lady Lilyanna?”
She nodded, glancing quickly around the room and up at the ceiling before scurrying over to me. Extending a hand, she tugged the robe tighter with the other as it slipped. “You must be my appointed maid. Welcome.”
I shook her damp hand which smelled strongly of flowers like she had jumped in a vat of rose water. “Are you in trouble, miss?”
“Trouble?” Her face paled, and she glanced at the ceiling again. I followed her gaze, seeing nothing except the diamond-encrusted ceiling sparkling like the night sky. “I suppose I have found myself in quite a precarious situation.” She hoisted the robe higher and tossed a clump of hair over her shoulder. “You’re a bit old, aren’t you?”
I bit back my retort and smiled. “Consider me your big sister.” Who has been forced to wait on you hand and foot like an infant.
She smiled back, a hint of color returning to her cheeks. She really was beautiful and innocent. Innocent enough for me to immediately like her. Maybe having a kind-of-sister for a few days would be entertaining. Different, anyway. Siobhan had been my only constant for so many years, I sometimes forgot not all relationships involved being dragged into other people’s games.
“I wish to take a bath,” she said.
“Alright.” I stood there waiting for her to leave so I could snoop around the room and inspect the ceiling thoroughly.
“I will need you to run it for me.”
I blinked. “Would you also care for me to wash your hair and coordinate your outfit afterward?”
Relief broke onto her face. “Oh, yes. I’m so pleased you arrived when you did.” She took my arm and led me toward the door she’d emerged from and into a very large marble bathroom. “As you can see, I began the process myself, but the water wouldn’t run hot and then the oils were too pungent. I didn’t know what I would do if the prince suddenly summoned me like this.”
Water had sloshed down the sides of the bath and pooled on the floor in oil-slicked puddles. Towels were randomly flung about to cover the spillages, all now sodden with a faint pink sheen like diluted blood. An almost extinguished fire crackled and popped in the hearth as water dripped into it from the mantle above.
What had she done in here? It looked like she’d been fighting a bear. With rosewater.
I sighed. I wasn’t a real maid, but I could at least properly draw a bath.
Once the sunken tub filled and a mild lavender steam wound its way into the air, I placed a new towel upon a small stool and backed toward the doorway with a gesture for her to start.
“Where are you going?” Lilyanna dropped the robe into a puddle of water and cautiously stepped down into the bubbles.
