I’d never considered the nightmares could return, that something could trigger them, and that scared me.It threatened everything, and I refused to let this weakness be my downfall.
Chapter Seventeen
Analleia
None of us spoke ofthe last evening’s events when we awoke the next morning.I had put it behind me after a night of sleep, and I hoped they had too.We went over the plans for the day, deciding to join a tour of the palace to get a broader view of the palace grounds, thinking it might be interesting, but talking to a stone wall would have held more entertainment than this tour guide.A historian might care about the extensive history of the royal house, but it was far from interesting to any other human in existence—especially the foreigners gathered here.The royal gallery itself was impressive.Paintings stretched upward to the sky-high ceiling where sunlight shone through the stained glass and released a vast aura of colors into the room.
“I don’t think I have ever heard someone who enjoyed listening to himself talk more than this man.”Distaste hung on Nadiyah’s whispered words.
We had joined the tour group an hour ago and had barely moved twenty feet as the guide went over each picture, discussing at length the history of the ruler painted within and everything they had accomplished both during and after their life.
“You should have met my great-aunt, Sera,” I whispered back.
Nadiyah stifled a groan.“I need to peek at the guest list for the third ball.I’ll be back.”
I reached for her hand to stop her, but Nadiyah was quick when she wanted to get away from something.
Desmond sauntered up beside me, boredom emanating from his face as well.“Please explain to me again how this is possibly of any use to us?”
I ground my teeth together.“I was hoping they would give us a more extensive view of the palace, but we’ll be lucky if we get out of the art gallery by next week.”
Desmond’s gaze slid to another tour group walking by and a strange expression came over his face.
“I have to go,” he said, slipping away to follow them.
I crossed my arms, trying to ignore the frowns of those around me at our whispering and Desmond’s and Nadiyah’s sudden departures.One of the women fanned herself as she muttered something about manners and undisciplined children.
I ignored her and closed my eyes, drowning out the guide’s annoying voice as I pictured the layout of the palace.Technically the art gallery was on the first floor, but with its high ceiling it took up the height of three.The grand ballroom waited on the doors to the right, and its dome spiraled up into seven balconies.Everything adjacent to it branched off into smaller gambling rooms, dining rooms, the massive feast hall, and unnecessary frivolous areas in general.
Through the halls to the left lay the private wing of the palace where I knew the royal family’s personal living quarters were.
And the east tower.
My eyes snapped open, taking in the crowd around me before slipping away from the group.Sentries guarded the entry to the royal living quarters, but I barely gave them a glance as I practically jogged from the inner area of the palace to the massive glass doors leading outside—to the queen’s garden.
Guards lined the outer edge as guests strolled through the magnificent gardens that were only open to the public during the events of the Paravellian Balls.I wandered through the hedges, going over the path in my mind and making sure I stayed on track.I had seen the spot once before at nighttime when I had scaled the wall to get the briefest glimpse of the royal apartments.The timing of the guards’ rounds hadn’t given me long, but it was long enough to see what I had needed to.
