Chapter 12
Belle
I followed the high magister down the spiraling stairs of my tower prison.
He hadn’t bothered to slap me in manacles, which either suggested that I’d be allowed a sliver of freedom, or more likely, that neither he nor the king considered me any kind of threat.
And why would they? The only weapon I possessed was my will, and that wasn’t worth much these days.
He led me toward the central hall of the castle and gestured to a pair of sentries as we approached the door. “One of you, send for the locksmith and have him bring his tools to the high suite in the north tower. The other comes with me.”
The sentries looked at each other, and then one opened the door and fell in step behind us.
The castle was cold and dark, and built of ancient stone.
The light filtering through the windows dimmed too quickly, barely reaching the walls and leaving everything in deep shadow.
Members of the castle staff scurried by, not daring to look at us as we approached.
It was day, so thankfully, most of the immortals would be asleep.
A deep sadness hung over the place, a heavy sense of loss as if the stones themselves were grieving. It reminded me of the gloom of the woods, and I wondered if it was tied to the curse. To the king.
We rounded a corner, and I recoiled, backing into the magister, then the guard, whose hand clamped around my shoulder, rooting me in place.
A statue of a servant stood in the middle of the hall, his hands raised in front of him. He looked back at us with wide, sightless stone eyes, his expression a mask of dread.
“My gods,” I exhaled.
“It’s incredibly lifelike, don’t you think?” Locke said, almost in admiration. “Can you imagine the skill and mastery it took to create just one of these, let alone fill the castle?”
My mind flicked back to the statues of the sentries I’d seen the night I arrived. “It’s horrific. Why is it here?”
“Consider them a poetic reminder that life is short, but suffering can be eternal.”
My stomach curdled. “You mean, to make sure that no one forgets this is the castle of a heartless king? A reminder that if anyone steps out of line, they’ll pay a price?”
The magister looked over at me, something dark in his eyes. “Something like that. I wouldn’t test his patience if I were you. Or mine.”
I pitied all the servants employed here. The king was probably holding them hostage with threats of violence and retribution.
My gaze followed a handmaid carrying fresh linens as she hurried past on the opposite side of the hall, her eyes cast down.
The high magister seemed to notice my attention. “Girl!”
She stopped short, not looking up, her shoulders hunched as if she were expecting a lash.
He walked over to her. “Who are you?”
She quickly curtsied, her gaze still averted. “Loreli, Lady Darkoath’s handmaid, my lord.” There was a tremor of fear in her voice.
“From this point forward, you serve Lady Marquette. She’s just arrived at the castle and needs to be situated in her new quarters.”
The handmaid glanced up, hints of panic in her eyes. “Of course, my lord, but I’m afraid Lady Darkoath will object—”
“Then you better inform her diplomatically,” the high magister said. He motioned her to follow and then headed down the hall.
Glancing between us, the poor girl curtsied again, the fresh linens clutched to her chest like a shield. “Yes, my lord.”
I peeked over, guilty that I’d drawn attention to her.
With light brown hair, my new handmaid was a full head shorter than I was.
I suspected she wasn’t much older than I, though she’d probably seen far more than her share of misery.
She carried herself as if braced for impact, or preparing to bolt.
Loreli caught me looking, and I quickly glanced away.
She had to be wondering what kind of lady I was.
My appearance was appalling. My stained and rumpled riding clothes stank of long days tramping through the forest and languishing on the mucky floor of the king’s prison.
I probably looked and smelled more like a stable hand than a high lady.
We wound through the halls of the royal wing and ascended the spiral stairs of the north tower, climbing its heights. I’d lost count of the floors by the time the magister stopped and unlocked a large oaken door. “Welcome to your new rooms, Lady Marquette.”
I drifted through, Loreli following in my shadow.
Floor-to-ceiling windows lit the sitting room, which had a large hearth, a sweeping couch covered with a white sheet, and opulent rugs.
It appeared to have been abandoned for a long time, and dust lay thick over the furniture and sills.
I craned my head back, taking in the ornate ceiling.
There was even a separate bedchamber with a four-poster bed and attached private bath.
And to think I’d spent last night lying on freezing stones, open to the air. I could barely believe it.
“This is where you’re keeping me?” I asked in awe.
“You’re the sister of a queen, are you not?” the magister asked as he strolled into the room, then looked at me with a taunting smile. “Or perhaps you preferred the dungeon? I’m sure the king would be happy to reconsider your accommodations.”
“No. This is quite acceptable.”
My handmaid’s jaw was hanging open. “A queen? A human queen?”
She slapped her hands over her mouth as the high magister cast her a sharp look.
“Lady Marquette may be close to royalty, but you take your orders from me. When you attend Her Ladyship, you will come with armed guards. Under no circumstances is she allowed to leave her chambers without the king’s permission, and anyone caught assisting her doing so will be imprisoned or executed.
” He cocked his head to the side. “Understood, little mouse?”
Loreli shrank before him, color draining from her cheeks. “Of course, my lord.”
“Make sure the rest of the servants know it, too.”
“Yes, my lord,” she said, voice trembling.
Whatever momentary relief I’d felt evaporated. No matter how beautiful, this place was still a prison, and if I tried to escape, Gregoire and anyone who helped me would pay the price. The weight of it pressed in on me, as if misery had settled over the room as thick as dust.
The high magister circled the room, scrutinizing every nook and cranny, seemingly inspecting it for anything I might use to free myself or to enact some sort of treachery. “I’m having a new lock added to the door. The key will remain with the king.”
With his inspection finished, he headed toward the door.
I stumbled after him. “So, I’m just locked in here? What am I supposed to do?”
He looked back and inspected me. “If you want to avoid being fed to the dragon, then avoid making trouble. The rest is up to you.” He motioned to my stunned handmaid. “Get her cleaned up and fetch her some new clothes. She’s filthy.”
“Of course, my lord,” Loreli said with a quick curtsy.
Anger flushed my cheeks. I’d earned that filth keeping myself alive.
The door clicked shut behind the high magister, and his muffled voice resonated from the other side. “Stay here until the locksmith finishes his work. Then take the key straight to the king.”
I pressed my eyes shut, grasping for something hopeful to cling to. I wasn’t chained to a pillar or charred to a crisp. I’d be sleeping in a bed tonight, and not on cold stones.
“Do you know if your things will be arriving shortly, my lady?” Loreli asked, her voice bringing me back to the moment.
I opened my eyes.
“Things?” The way the laugh broke from my throat, it was almost a sob. “I don’t have things. Not anymore.”
“Oh,” she said, her face draining of color. “I’m sorry, my lady.”
“Call me Belle.”
“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be appropriate.” She set aside her stack of linens and started opening the casements in the tall, leaded windows to let out the stale air.
“Do it anyway. Please,” I said. Then noting her continued discomfort, I smiled. “It will make me feel more at home.”
“Of course, Lady Belle.” She paused her work, taking the whole of me in now that the magister had left. “If it’s not too forward, might I ask what happened to you?”
“My companions were abducted by the king’s dragon, and for some reason, I decided it would be a grand idea to join them in the dungeons for a couple of nights.”
Her mouth hung open for a moment, then she snapped it shut. “Have you eaten?”
I sighed, wishing there was somewhere I could sit without tainting the furniture. “I had a whole crust just this morning. It was quite scrumptious.”
“Ah,” she said, her voice distant. She turned to take in the room, and I followed her gaze. Sheets covered most of the furniture and tables, and dust was over everything else. It would take an army to put it right. She was clearly overwhelmed, and—
Loreli clapped her hands together. “Right. These rooms are as frigid as the winter hills, and if you’ve spent the night in the dungeons, then you’re probably close to catching your death by cold. Fire first.”
My eyes widened. The shrinking mouse had completely vanished.
She leapt into action, deftly assembling a small pile of tinder in the barren hearth and chattering as she worked.
“As soon as I’ve got this going, I’ll fetch a dinner and send for hot stones and water for a bath, as well as help to clean this place up.
Clothes, I’m not sure of, but by the time you’re out of the bath, we’ll have this place set right and a warmed bed for you to crawl into. ”
“That sounds marvelous,” I whispered, not wanting to cry from the joy of it.
Flint and steel sparked, and a bright glow came to life in the hearth. She sat back, face flushed and smiling. “Don’t worry, Mistress. It will take a little time, but we’ll have you back to normal.”
I smiled weakly, but with genuine warmth and gratitude. “I doubt things will ever be normal again.”
Two hours later, my condition had improved immeasurably. My chambers were toasty, my belly full, and my body submerged in piping hot water.
I sighed as my aching muscles began to melt. “Gods, this is glorious.”
“You needed it,” Loreli said, her fingers massaging soap into my scalp.
After eating, I’d insisted on helping clean my chambers, but the full force of the household staff had ushered me into the bathing chamber.
Loreli hadn’t even let me wash alone, insisting that it was her duty, and if word got out that she’d shirked it, she might lose her job.
I acquiesced, and it proved to be a marvelous concession.
After everything that had happened, it felt like she’d been able to scrub away the worst of it.
“Are you really the sister of a queen?” Loreli asked idly, her tone bright.
It was nice being in the company of a woman for a change, and I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to her. I told her the story of my sister, of how she met Cassius, and of how she became queen.
“Fates, that’s romantic…” she whispered.
Was it? Cassius was noble, for an immortal, but the last thing I wanted was the attention of a bloodsucker. My skin grew warm as I recalled the way the king had studied me, his gaze predatory and devouring.
“Do you have magic, Lady Belle?”
I laughed. “No. I’m just as ordinary as the next woman.”
She smiled and gave a nod, suddenly seeming a little more at ease. “Then you and I are just alike.”
The echoes of servants dusting, scrubbing, and otherwise preparing my chambers drifted in. Something clattered, and a woman cursed.
I twisted around to look through the cracked door. “I gather these rooms aren’t often used?”
“No one has ever stayed here in my lifetime,” Loreli said as she began to rinse the suds out of my hair. “The king doesn’t often entertain royal guests, nor welcome many to this wing.”
“That doesn’t surprise me in the least.” I couldn’t imagine anyone wishing to stay in the same castle, let alone the same wing as the beast of a man.
“Apart from the king’s own rooms and those of the magister, I think these might be the finest in the castle.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I think that’s why so many of the staff came to help. No one attended to them in decades, and everyone was curious.”
Guilt pulled at the corners of my mouth, stealing my smile. I was luxuriating in a tub while Gregoire was lying in the dank dungeons of the castle, and Marcel was gods knew where—hopefully on his way home, though I doubted the king would act so swiftly to keep his word.
It was my fault they were in this mess, and that three immortals were dead. And here I was, enjoying myself.
I sat up. “I think I’m done.”
“Of course.” Loreli fetched a towel.
I couldn’t rest here. I had to make sure their sacrifices and suffering hadn’t been in vain. That meant finding a solution to stop the beasts. Lucky for me, I was sharing a wing with their master. If there were going to be answers, they would be here.
Back in the Bloodvale, the resistance had many informants in the castle.
Servants heard and saw many things their masters didn’t suspect, and my own role had been to eavesdrop on the idle conversations of lords out on the hunt.
I wouldn’t endanger Loreli, but as far as questions were concerned, she was the perfect person to start with.
I took the towel she offered as I stepped out of the tub. “What can you tell me about the king?”