Chapter 8
It was time to end the ruse.
Robin could not deny that Prince Ian was far more kind and personable than she’d expected any of the members of the royal family to be, and the proximity of the forest behind the castle made her feel less trapped.
Not wanting to be caught as a lowly servant in the royal family’s wing, she waited until well after dark to sneak into the private courtyard.
Lind would be the happiest lady’s maid with all the fine clothes and delicious food she could ever want. Robin had felt thoroughly cared for by the palace staff even as the lowliest goose girl, and she knew that Lind would immediately find many friends. Both of them could thrive here.
Even though the courtyard was quite empty, Robin stayed in the shadows as she dashed across it. While the perimeter of the castle was well guarded, the inner courtyards were thankfully clear. If someone breached the outer wall successfully, it would be too easy to get to the private wing of the family. She made a mental note to share that with Prince Ian—once her proper identity was known. She did not want the prince to know she was sneaking around his family’s private rooms. She could casually mention the lack of guards sometime in the future, maybe as she and Ian were walking through this very courtyard for an evening sparring session...
After crossing the courtyard, she opened an unassuming door to a well-worn wooden staircase. She had only been this way twice before, but her tracking instincts had remembered every turn. This staircase opened directly into the hall that housed the royal bedrooms, including Lind’s room. Gliding up the stairs, she was thankful the solid wood did not make a sound.
Fortunately for her, there were once again no guards at the upper door.
She slipped inside. Lind’s room was on the far end. The hall was well lit with thick wax candles on the wall at regular intervals, leaving very few pools of shadow. Robin clung to one side of the wall, darting her way through the splashes of light to reach the small pockets of darkness. Her leather-bound feet noiselessly padded across the stone floor.
“We have to try,” a boy’s voice said from close by.
Robin froze.
The sound was coming through the wooden door directly across the hall.
“We could always leave a spider in her bed. Or a snake,” another boy’s voice said.
“Mum would murder you.”
That last voice had been Ian’s. Robin smiled. She was proud of herself for recognizing his voice even though she had only spoken to him twice. Her mother had often stressed the importance of being observant while in the forest and how it helped one to decipher their surroundings. Her father had said it was how one got the upper hand against an enemy.
“Spoil sport,” another voice came from the door across the hall. “You don’t like her any more than we do. You just act all high and mighty about it.”
“I’m not high and mighty,” Ian responded. “I just don’t want you to get caught. You heard Mum the other day.”
“So did you. She’s going to ruin Silverfest.”
“No spiders. Or snakes.” That was Ian again.
Footsteps sounded, and the door creaked as though someone had grasped the handle from inside the room.
Robin wished she could melt into the wall behind her. She was in the center of the hall. If she moved, she would surely be seen. Her best hope was to blend into the shadows well enough that whoever exited the door would not notice her. She froze.
The door creaked again but did not open.
“On second thought,” Ian said, his voice closer this time, “no animals or insects of any kind in the bed. Or bedroom. Got it?”
Robin heard an annoyed groan.
“In fact, if I so much as catch a whiff of any jest being played against her on Silverfest Eve or before the gifting, I’ll go directly to Mother myself and rat you both out.”
The door creaked again.
“Spoil sport!” yelled one of the other boys, sounding eager to have the last word.
Ian stepped out.
Robin wanted to kick herself. She should have waited a little longer. She’d assumed everyone would be in their own rooms, if not already asleep. But it appeared as though young boys never slept. Not that she could have planned for that, since she didn’t have brothers.
She held her breath.
