Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ilet out a squeak of surprise before I fist my hand in Bastian’s shirt and drag him into my room, slamming the door quickly behind him.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, panicky. I’m sure my eyes look crazed. “Did anyone see you? Wait, how are you even here?”
He chuckles. “One question at a time, staellara. I told you I’d be in touch.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you would show up outside my room!
” I throw my arms out to gesture around me in emphasis.
“I more so figured you meant like letters. Messenger pigeons. Something that doesn’t involve you being physically present in your rival court's palace, without their permission.” My eyes go even wider if that’s possible.
“Gods, you could’ve gotten yourself killed if they caught you!
These people very much seem the type to shoot first, ask questions later.
Now you want me to go one question at a time?
First question, what are you doing here? ”
He has the audacity to look bashful. “I wanted to check on you. Make sure you are alright. Settling in well.”
I let out an exasperated breath. “It’s barely been a few hours. Did you expect them to lock me up in a tower or something? Because if so, that’s something you should’ve told me before trekking me across the realm.”
He rolls his eyes with a smirk. “So dramatic. No, I didn't expect them to lock you away. I know that it can be a bit overwhelming in the palaces. I wanted to make sure you were okay from that standpoint. Not about whether or not they were treating you well. Although, I suppose I do want to know if they’re treating you well.”
“I’m fine, Bastian.” I shake my head at him in faux annoyance. “How did you get here?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he says with a wink.
I keep my face blank. “I would, that’s why I asked,” I deadpan.
“That portrait across from your room is a hidden passage,” he explains simply.
“Excuse me?”
“Come,” he orders, holding out his hand for me.
I slip my hand into his and he drags me back to my bedroom door.
He cracks the door open enough to check if the coast is clear in the hallway.
Once he’s confirmed it’s safe, he opens the door wider and pulls me across the hall until we’re stood in front of the seaside town.
His free hand slides along the edge of the portraits frame until it hits whatever mechanism he’s looking for and the frame releases from the wall, swinging open to reveal a dark shadowed corridor.
There’s no light in the tunnel making it look as if it goes on forever.
With one last look over his shoulder, he tugs me further into the passage with him before shutting the portrait-door behind us.
“What is this place?” I ask, awestruck, waiting on my eyes to adjust to the darkness.
“It’s a hidden passageway,” Bastian teases. I can’t see his smile, but I can hear it in his voice.
“Well, no shit. Why’s it here?”
“It was built into the palace as a safety feature for the royals. There are several throughout the palace connecting critical areas to each other but also leading outside the palace. It’s so the family can make a quick escape if they need to.
But it’s also quite useful for when someone wants to sneak into the palace unseen.
” My eyes have adjusted enough that I can see the smirk on his lips.
“How did you know they were here?”
“Blackdown has similar sets of tunnels that I’ve had plenty of time to explore for myself. I don’t know all the ones here, I simply got lucky that one of the few I did know, led to your room. These tunnels have been largely forgotten in recent years as there hasn’t been a need for them to be used.”
“So why are you showing me?” I ask.
His face suddenly sobers. “I wanted to make sure you had all the tools at your disposal while you’re here on your own. That includes knowing your quick escape routes.”
“Oh,” I breathe out.
He lifts his hand, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“Yeah, oh.” He leans forward to plant a soft kiss against my forehead.
“Now, I need you to not hate me for what I’m about to do.
” I flinch back but before I can say anything, he covers my mouth, his hand silencing me. “I’m calling in my favor.”
My eyes go wide. The room tilts and spins as I struggle to breathe. Panic washes over me in a wave. He told me he wouldn’t call in the favor.
“It’s nothing bad. I swear,” he rushes out. “I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do.” My brows furrow in confusion. “Can I release you?” I nod and he drops his hand.
“What’s the favor?” I ask, cautiously.
“If anything happens, you will come find me immediately. I’m staying with a friend in town, so I’ll be nearby. If you get hurt, or anything like that. I need you to come to me. Okay?”
That’s not so bad, is it? I would probably do that anyway… “Okay.”
There’s a strange prickling over my skin the second I agree. The magic settling in, I assume.
“I should probably sneak back out before I get stuck here for the night,” Bastian says softly.
“Definitely need to go before you’re caught,” I whisper back.
His body moves in closer to mine, instead of away to leave. “Yeah,” he breathes, and it ghosts over my lips before his meet mine.
It’s a quick kiss. Just enough to convey the desire he has to stay but also to say that he needs to go.
He’s pulling away much sooner than I would want and my upper body sways towards him momentarily before I right myself.
The sounds of unhurried footsteps and hushed voices carry in from the hall outside the portrait, reinforcing the need for him to leave now.
“I’ll see you later, staellara,” he whispers before brushing a soft, quick kiss on my forehead and vanishing into the darkened corridor.
I’ve barely closed the door behind me after sneaking back across the hall before there’s another knock.
I swear to the gods, if that’s Bastian…
I open the door to a short female who looks to be around my age in a simple butter yellow dress. Her bright, fuchsia hair is tied up into a messy bun on the top of her head. She startles at how quickly I open the door, her pale gray eyes widening comically. In a blink, she drops into a curtsy.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” she says timidly.
“Um, hi?” I greet her. “Please, you don’t need to call me that.
Olivia is fine. Or Liv,” I start to ramble.
“Really anything that’s not your highness.
Sounds so stuffy.” I wrinkle my nose in disgust. “Oh my gods, don’t curtsy.
Please, get up, get up.” I flap my hands wildly at her.
This whole you’re a princess thing is really starting to sink in, and I don’t like it.
People treating me like I’m some greater power when I’m really just some random girl that happened to be born into the right family.
I swear I hear a soft chuckle come from her as she stands. It’s then that I catch sight of her rounded ears and my breath catches.
“You’re human?” I gasp out. She looks at me in horror and I immediately try to backtrack. My hand flies to my mouth. “I’m so sorry. That was probably incredibly rude to ask. Ignore me. I’m new here, as I’m sure you’re aware,” I let out a nervous laugh.
She shakes her head. “It’s fine, milady. I’m a demi-Fae.”
I tilt my head. “A what?”
She gives me a kind smile. “It means I’m half Fae. My father’s side to be exact.”
“Huh,” I muse. “It didn’t even occur to me that the two kinds would mingle.”
She cringes. “They don’t. Not truly. I’m the product of… unfortunate circumstances.”
“Oh,” I say stupidly. I can tell from her uncertain tone that this is not a conversation she’d like to have.
“Where are my manners! Please come in.” I wave her into the room and shut the door behind her.
“Was there something you needed… Apologies, I don’t know your name,” I say with a sheepish grin.
“Marina,” she says with another quick curtsy. “I’m here to help you prepare for supper. And also collect your measurements.”
I look around the room, barren of personal effects. “I’m afraid I don’t have much more than this,” I say gesturing to my dusty clothes.
A wide smile overtakes Marina’s face. “Oh don’t you worry about that.” I don’t know if I should be scared of how excited she is about that.
Turns out, I should’ve been a little scared.
I was turned into a child’s doll with the way Marina twisted and turned me around using a numbered strip of tape to measure every inch of my body.
This woman–female?–has now seen more of me than most people.
It was unnerving to be so exposed. But once she had finished with her task, she snapped her fingers and a simple, satiny peach dress poofed into existence.
She made quick work of shoving me into it and lacing up the ties in the back before pushing me out the door and herding me down the hall to the informal dining room like a sheepdog.
And yes, I’ve learned there is both a formal and informal dining room.
Since it’s just the ‘immediate family’ this evening, we’re eating in the informal one.
As if a household really needs two dining rooms. I scoffed when Marina explained it to me.
The moment I step into the room, I feel as exposed as I had while Marina measured me in my undergarments.
My parents immediately cease their discussion, and all their attention settles on where I stand frozen in the doorway.
There are guards standing at each entry point into the room–three to be exact–and while they do their best to keep their focus straight ahead, I can see the way their eyes flick to me, back to their task, back to me.
I’m the newest attraction in this carnival and it makes me uneasy.
My fingers twitch for something to occupy them and expel the nervous energy.
I take a deep, bolstering breath before I leave Marina in the door and close the distance to the table. A table which is still large enough to seat up to eight people.