Page 74 of Blood of the Fairest

"I'd love that," I grin. "So long as you don't mind the princess tagging along. She'll be here any moment."

Surprise flickers over his features before it turns into warm approval. He takes a few steps closer and lowers his voice so only I will hear him, and not the guards.

"Am I to understand that your bout of amnesia has improved your relationship with His late Majesty's daughter?"

As if on cue, Snow White hurries through the double doors. She's out of breath, clearly having run all the way here.

Her gaze widens on Merrick. She clearly recognizes him—which makes sense because now that I think about it, he would have left the castle when she was about seven years old.

Her face lights up with joy. "It is you! Ver—Her Majesty didn't say! Oh, Merrick, how dearly I've missed you."

She throws her arms around him. Even though Merrick seems to have a proclivity for appearances and decorum, he hugs her back tightly for a moment.

Aww.

When one of the guards scowls and reaches toward Snow White like he's about to reprimand her for behaving like this, all I have to do is look sharply at him, my veil swishing.

"Back off, slick. You never touch the princess. Got it?"

There is an extra bite in my voice, but I can't help being protective. These guards have clearly treated Snow White almost as badly as the queen did.

If I find out they ever laid a hand on this girl or made her feel unsafe in other ways, I'll send Wulf to fucking annihilate them. As long as I don't see the violence, I have no problem with assholes getting what they deserve.

The guard shrinks back. "Y-yes, Your Majesty."

"That goes for everyone else, too," I warn the other guards, glowering at them through the veil as they bow in agreement.

Merrick sniffs and straightens, prompting the princess to do the same. I'm surprised his eyes look a little misty, but he brushes off his surcoat to resume his professional tone.

"My dear princess, I see Ayna has blessed you just as she blessed your father. You have his exact countenance. Were you a boy, I suspect you would be the spitting image of the king when he was your age."

Snow White beams. "I will gladly take your word for it, since Father told me you two grew up together as the closest of friends."

Now that these two have reunited, Merrick gets back to kicking ass and taking names, announcing that this will just be a brief survey as he leaves the throne room.

I follow him, as does Snow White. The guards seem too frightened of me to tag along. Eris walks among nearby reflective surfaces, observing curiously.

For the next twenty minutes, as Merrick sweeps through the castle, it's crystal clear that he's the right man for this job. Even though this place looks like a grandiose maze of ornate stone, stairs, bridges, and arched stained glass windows to me, Idris Elba's lookalike obviously knows this castle like I know the back of my bruised hand.

"Not enough candelabras in here," he tells a manservant we pass in one of the halls. "Get four more at once and space them out, just so. Isenmere Castle is far too beautiful to not be illuminated when night falls, do you not think?"

"Yes, sir." The servant hurries away.

In each room we pass through, Merrick stops to make mental notes, eyeing things with the astuteness of an unleashed perfectionist in his element. Though he's kind about it, he expertly gets the castle staff to snap into action. They obviously respect the reinstated chamberlain as they rush to obey every task he gives out, running to dust the great hall or get mud out of a courtyard or polish stained glass.

As we walk through an empty corridor where no one will see her looking unafraid of me, Snow White leans over to whisper conspiratorially.

"He moves with the ferocity of a storm, but instead of wreckage and chaos, pure order follows."

"He's the Monica Geller of chamberlains," I agree.

"Who?"

"Someone from my world, kind of. She's obsessed with being tidy."

Snow White's eyes sparkle with humor. "Does she make a speck of dust or wrinkled tapestry tremble with fear, as Merrick does?"

"Let's just say I want to lock them in a messy room together and see who comes out alive."