Chapter 9 Auria
Itapped my fingers against the windowsill, watching the sun rise and contemplating the fifty-foot drop. The tower was made from stones that would have been easy to grip if I wanted to climb out the window, but…
Climbing for fifty feet? That was outside my comfort level.
I turned back to face Bylur’s rooms. My rooms. They were also outside my comfort level.
I felt like I’d snuck into someone else’s palace.
This space could not possibly be mine. The luxurious bed with softer blankets than I’d ever touched in my life?
Too rich for a thief. The gorgeous dressers made from white wood with black accents?
Too fancy for a maid. The closet with running water to clean the chamber pot and fill the bath basin any time I wanted? Clearly magic. Not even human.
And an entire sitting room adjacent to the bedroom? And another office next to that? Lord Bylur should have told me he was basically a prince.
Of course, he had tried to tell me there was more I needed to know, but we hadn’t had a chance. Once Parcival had brought me up here, I was exhausted. He’d promised to send up food, but if he’d remembered, it had arrived after I fell asleep. I didn’t even notice Bylur come in.
Bylur.
Had he slept in the bed last night? Had we started his one-year timer? I stared at the door that led out of the sitting room and into the hallway where Amatavi had been standing last time I’d peeked out. I wanted to go find that bear and ask him some of my questions.
But he’d be hiding somewhere. He told me himself that most of his people didn’t know about the curse.
My stomach rumbled. I’d eaten the apple I stole yesterday while I watched the sun come up. Yesterday, I’d only had some bread. Now, I was hungry enough to eat Rat’s sunflower seeds.
As if summoned the bird flew in the open window, landed on a chair back facing the door out of the sitting room, and chirped one of his encouraging sounds.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I want to go out too. But I don’t want to talk to Amatavi again.” That particular soldier did not scare me anymore, but talking to him was awkward.
The bird chirped and flew in front of the door a few times.
“Fine.” I dusted my hands on my skirts—the same skirts I’d worn for weeks. They felt terribly out of place in a palace like this, but I didn’t have anything else. “Let’s see what’s out there.”
I opened the door and, to my relief, the hall was empty. Amatavi must have finally finished his shift. At the end of the hall, a strong scent cut through everything else on my mind: Bread.
Fresh bread. My stomach rumbled again, and Rat landed on my shoulder. “Do you smell that, buddy? We’re going to go find it. Right now.”
Nothing else mattered. I lost track of which halls and stairwells I took, but I knew I was on the right path because that fresh yeast smell grew stronger every time I turned a corner. I had to stop and wait a few times for other fae to walk past—I didn’t want to talk to anyone before I ate.
Finally, I stopped behind a wall on the ground floor and peeked around the corner. Just ahead, the source of all happiness glowed with heat and sweet aromas: the kitchen.
I stayed behind the corner for a few minutes, tracking the patterns of who came and went, how often, and if they were taking food out or bringing dirty trays back.
When I was sure I’d have half a minute, I darted out of my hiding spot, snuck into the kitchen, and ducked behind a cupboard near the back of the room.
On the far side of the kitchen, a door was propped open to let the heat from baking drift outside. But only two counters away from me, rows and rows of beautiful, long baguettes lined up, as if displaying themselves for me to choose the most perfect one to eat.
The woman in charge—fae, probably—carried a long baking sheet to another woman at a sink.
Two younger fae—an adolescent girl and an even younger boy—collected dishes from another man at the entrance to the kitchen.
“Another pile for you, Monspen,” the adolescent girl called out as she plopped the dirty dishes next to the sink.
Monspen settled a stack of bowls into the sink. “It’ll start slowing down soon.”
“I hope so,” the younger boy whined. “They’re taking longer than normal.”
The other adult carried a bowl full of dough she was kneading closer to the boy and started lecturing him on how some days are like that, especially with so many visitors. I took her lecture as an opportunity to grab a baguette and slip outside.
The kitchen door opened to a patch of frozen grass with a nice cobbled walking path that I followed around the building until I came to a fountain with benches on one side and a hedge maze on the other. I settled down on the bench, glad it wasn’t wet or frozen. Rat landed next to me.
“You’re not supposed to eat bread,” I said while I sprinkled some of the crust’s crumbs in front of him. “It’s not nearly as good for you as your other favorite foods.”
He quickly gobbled up the crumbs and then squawked, “Seeds!”
Laughing, I pulled a handful of seeds out of my pocket and sprinkled them on the bench. “It’s just as well you eat something that will take a few minutes to crack open so that I can enjoy my breakfast.”
I tore the rest of the crust off and set it on my lap.
I’d come back to it later, but first, I wanted to enjoy that fluffy, warm part on the inside of the roll.
Perfection in my mouth. I closed my eyes and let the soft bread melt on my tongue.
Every stress and worry I’d had about this arrangement faded as I enjoyed the pure goodness of the fae’s kitchen.
I relaxed so much that I groaned in happiness—
And then jumped in my seat when a soft chuckle erupted to my left.
My eyes flew open and took in a handsome fae with red hair and bright eyes leaning against a tree with white, peeling bark ten feet away.
A sword hung from his waist as if it were part of his body.
He looked to be my age. If he’d been an elf, that would make him somewhere between sixty and two hundred, but I didn’t know if fae aged like humans or elves.
I added that to my mental list of things to ask Bylur.
“I never would have guessed,” Red Hair said.
I stayed sitting. “Never would have guessed what?”
He smiled, not in a creepy, fake way like the soldiers last night had, but in a genuine friendly way. “That the great Prince Bylur’s beautiful human wife loved bread so much.” He bowed his head. “I’m Dearan, Bylur’s best friend. He told me about you last night.”
I broke off another bite of bread and chewed it before responding. “Oh? And what did he tell you?”
He grinned. “That you are brave and beautiful, and he’s lucky to have you.”
I rolled my eyes and took a bite of bread. This Dearan was a big flirt—not to be trusted, but not very dangerous. I waved my bread at him. “I’m married, you know.”
Dearan’s grin turned more sincere. “I know. He told me how you met, what you agreed to, and what happened after you arrived last night.”
I swallowed and did not take another bite. “That is a lot to tell someone.”
Dearan nodded. “He asked me to watch out for you today.” His eyes skirted across my clothes.
“I’m going to send my sister to you. She does not know about Bylur’s condition, but she’ll help you adjust to living here while I find a proper companion and maid for you.
It…will be a little tricky since the only people who know about the curse are me and Parcival.
But you will need someone. And Brielle won’t hate you for being human. ”
My eyebrows popped up. “Will others?”
He shrugged. “Not many, but a few. We’re not as bad as the Spring Realm, but it’s probably because there are so few humans up here. It’s hard to judge someone you don’t see.” An easy smile filled his face. “Probably because the cold is too much for them.”
He was sweet, but I didn’t understand his comments. “So, is it dangerous to be human here or not?”
“Not dangerous,” he said, “so much as there will be some fae who think they’re so much better than you that you don’t deserve any basic dignity.
Lots of fae think they’re better than humans because we’re stronger, faster, have magic, and have better hearing and vision.
It’s hard to draw the line on where that arrogance becomes dangerous.
Regardless, you’ll like Brielle. She’s a fan of the castle’s bread too. ”
I resumed eating, replaying his words over in my mind.
“My lady.” He stepped closer, a sincere look filling his face.
“Don’t worry about it. You can’t change people’s minds overnight, and Bylur is taking a lot of precautions to keep you safe.
He’s already spoken to all his soldiers and given them instructions to protect you.
Parcival and I are always around the palace, as well as Brielle.
If you need anything, you can grab any of us or any soldier. ”
I wasn’t surprised that Bylur spoke to the soldiers last night, not after what happened when I came in, but hearing Dearan say it made something in my chest warm. It had been so long since anyone had bothered to go to extra efforts to keep me safe that I’d forgotten what it felt like.
Dearan finished saying something else and bowed. “I’ll send Brielle to meet you in your rooms at high sun.” His lips twitched into a grin. “Enjoy your spoils.”
* * *
Returning to Bylur’s rooms proved to be more difficult than I’d planned.
While I’d been outside, the castle had come alive, and people buzzed up and down every hall I entered.
Fortunately, they all seemed to have their own agendas and, while a few gave me sideways glances, nobody said a word directly to me.