7. Sophie
The courtyard was full of dismounting soldiers and guards; the sharp noise of hooves on stone echoed, making it hard to hear anything else. Stable hands and squires flooded out from doorways to help with the horses and lead them through a wide archway.
A guard I didn’t recognize opened the carriage door with a bow, and I stepped out into the evening heat, searching for my husband or anyone else I recognized. Sir Cley had dismounted and was talking to a servant boy who appeared only a few years younger than me.
Lucy and Beatrice were helped down from the back of the carriage; another servant passed down baggage from the top. Everyone seemed busy.
I stood with folded hands and waited to be directed inside. Miss Claris positioned herself beside me, studying our surroundings with sharp eyes as she unfolded a parasol to protect us both from the dying sun.
“Remember the sunlight is much harsher here than in Adenburg, my lady. We must take extra care to protect your skin. I’ve heard it can even cause your hair to fade.”
I studied the strange-colored grasses in pots near some of the doors, the only plant life in the courtyard, and wondered if the gardens would be as sparse. If the ground was too sandy or had no irrigation, it would take a lot of work to grow anything I wanted.
“Don’t fidget. Be serene among the chaos.” Miss Claris’s voice was low so only I would hear. Where had General Batton gone? And why hadn’t he greeted me? The more I lingered on the question, the more it troubled me. Had I displeased him?
A new guard strode up to me and bowed. She was so tall, it took me a moment to realize she was a woman. She had long black hair in a thick braid down her back, and her skin was russet brown. She wore no makeup on her bold yet feminine features. Her shoulders were broad. A slender sword hilt poked over each shoulder with nothing but sweat-stained leather on the hilts, clearly not for show.
“Good heavens,” Miss Claris muttered under her breath as she gazed upward. I hoped the guard hadn’t heard.
“Lady Batton, I am Dame Meena. Though please call me Meena. General Batton has assigned me as your personal guard.” She wore a serious expression.
A personal guard? Surely the war would never come this far west from the border.
I nodded to her and smiled. “Thank you, Meena. Please call me Lady Sophie. I must admit, this place seems very different from the capital. I have never needed a personal guard before.”
“I hope you settle in quickly. Please let me know if I can be of service in any way.” She bowed her head again, and I was taken aback by her subservience. I supposed I had a much higher rank now I had married a royal.
I licked my lips, longing to ease the worry burrowing in my stomach. “Do you know where my husband is?”
She frowned and scratched the back of her neck as she looked around. Her height gave her a definite advantage in this situation. She could probably look the general in the eyes, or maybe stare evenly at his forehead. “I’m afraid not. He does that a lot, the general. Sneaks off when you’re not looking. We always say he should come with a colored beacon attached.”
I had no idea what that was but smiled at the intended joke, hiding my surprise at her informal reference to her lord. “In his absence, could you possibly take me to my rooms?”
She straightened. “Of course, my lady. Follow me.”
She strode forward at a pace I struggled to emulate with my heels and much shorter legs.
The castle was built of pale gold sandstone in contrast to the limestone and marble I was used to back in the capital. It was tall and sturdy with round defensive towers yet had large decorative windows as well as arrow slits. Blue and silver banners hung from some of the windows and the flags of Batton, Kasomere, and Fenland snapped in the wind.
The sprawling size of the building made me wonder how many staff I would be expected to manage. It also raised my hopes for a large garden. A quiver of excitement ran down my neck. Frederick’s garden had been nothing but heavily manicured hedges that I had only been allowed to walk between. A true garden would be a luxurious dream, especially one large enough for me to make little corners my own. And the warmer weather here would mean plants I’d never come across before. Maybe being closer to the border would mean I could get hold of rare specimens from Tyrazastan or Nibawae.
Meena led us toward the wide dusty staircase that ascended to the main castle doors when a barked order made her stop and turn.
Sir Cley hurried up to us and bowed his head apologetically at Miss Claris. “I’m afraid, Miss, that I can’t let you enter the castle.” His hand rested on his sword hilt.
I blinked in surprise.
Miss Claris gaped and drew herself up to her rather unimpressive full height. “Whyever not? I am her ladyship’s maid and have been since she was a child.”
He gave another embarrassed nod. “It’s General Batton’s orders. He says Lady Sophie’s personal care will be managed by his own household, and he has no need of you.”
Miss Claris’s face had turned white. She folded her arms and pursed her lips. “I refuse to leave.”
Sir Cley looked awkward and lowered his voice. “You really don’t have a choice, Miss.”
Miss Claris looked to me for support. My mouth dried with indecision. It seemed odd to remove my maid and to be so rude to Miss Claris, yet Lucy and Beatrice were indeed more than adequate and far more relaxed in their manner. I didn’t want to appear dissatisfied with General Batton’s household, and I didn’t need extra attention or fuss.But I also didn’t want anything bad to happen to the maid who had served me faithfully for so long. She’d been my only companion in Frederick’s house. She knew me better than anyone.
A new voice came from behind Sir Cley, lighter and less formal. “Actually, I think his words were closer to, ‘Get that hag out of my lands before I string her up by her ankles.’” The blond newcomer grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Miss Claris with staggering cheek. My heart rate picked up with fear and uncertainty. Would the general really say such a thing?
I turned to my maid and laid a hand on her arm. “I think you should go, Miss Claris. Return to my father. I’m sure he will find you a new position. I will be quite well here and don’t wish to upset my husband or cause you difficulty on my behalf. I’ll write to you.”
Miss Claris pursed her lips in an angry expression I knew well. She squinted at me. “I will expect regular letters. I will also make sure you receive your tonic promptly. And you should address this misunderstanding as soon as possible.” She lowered her voice. “You won’t survive well without me.”
The blunt newcomer hooked his thumbs through his trouser pockets. “Glad that’s cleared up. Luckily for you, there’s a group returning to the capital shortly, so you needn’t stay long at all. Don’t bother to sit down.” He turned to Sir Cley. “Best not to let your men get too comfortable either. The general wants twenty more men sent back to Adenburg at once.”
I saw the resignation on Sir Cley’s face, but he saluted sharply and turned on his heel. I frowned. Why would my husband be sending members of our guard to the capital while we were absent? And so soon after they’d arrived.
I turned back to the blond man. I struggled to place his rank and purpose, especially after Sir Cley’s sharp salute. His clothes were finely made but scruffy, and his accent wasn’t the most refined, yet he strode around like he was the lord of this place instead of the general. His shoulder-length hair was oiled until the curls gleamed gold, but his tanned skin showed he was used to working outside. His fingers displayed no signet ring to indicate his house, nor were there emblems on his coat buttons.
An enigma.
I stepped toward him. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”
The young man smacked his forehead. “Forgive my rudeness. I am rarely in polite company, I’m afraid. I’m Callum, the general’s official pain-in-the-backside. I’ve spent half my life being dragged behind him from one near-death experience to the next.” He gave a wide grin, and there was a challenge in his eyes.
I opened and closed my mouth, struggling for the correct response to somebody so outrageous. Finally, I smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet any friend of my husband.”
Callum gave me a strange look. “Hmm. Well, we’d better get you inside before the civilians kill themselves trying to climb the wall to catch a glimpse of you. Didn’t Cley tell you to keep your face hidden?”
I lowered my face to hide my blush. “Yes, but…”
Callum had already strode through the castle door, Meena a step behind him, and I realized he was expecting me to keep up.
I took one last look at a furious Miss Claris, abandoned on the stairs, before I was concealed within the castle. Without her to scrutinize me, I let my curiosity rise to the surface and stared more openly at my surroundings.
Callum was already walking up a grand wooden staircase far enough away to make his behavior utterly rude. He seemed to be deliberately not checking to see if I was keeping up. The wood was dark red, and the banister was formed from elaborate carved statues that extended in pillars to the ceiling, giving the impression I was looking at his retreating figure through a forest.
I turned to Meena who was lingering close to me. “Do you know the way to my rooms?”
She bowed her head. “Of course, Lady Sophie.”
“Is there a different way than the one Callum is taking?”
“Eh… yes, I suppose there is. We could go up the west wing staircase.”
I lifted my skirts higher. “Take me that way, please. I don’t know how long it will take Callum to realize I’m not following, but I won’t play along with his antics.”
The corner of Meena’s lips flicked up. “Of course, Lady Sophie. This way.”
We walked through a pair of high doors, made of the same dark red wood, into a corridor that tunneled beneath the staircase. The architecture was both familiar and strange. In Adenburg, interior walls were normally white with an occasional simple painting or tapestry, and the furnishings were made of pale silk. I assumed Kasomere was more influenced by our proximity to the countries on our eastern border and blended cultures together. Fenland tapestries met Tyrazastan silk curtains and drapes. Marble statues met unplastered sandstone walls and Cerith lattices across the windows. Curling scrollwork met symmetrical angular patterns. I had to admit, I liked the effect. It gave the place an air of mystery, since one could never guess what they might see just around the corner. There was so much…otherness.
We walked down a corridor with blue glass kryalcomy lanterns in intricate bronze cases, turned on even in the day, and I peered through each door we passed. A comfortable parlor. An evening room. A game room. I stopped. The next door was closed, but the top half was lattice and glass, revealing a huge dormant ballroom with white fabric covering the furniture and chandeliers. It looked like it hadn’t been used for a decade, despite it being the start of summer.
“Does the general really never host balls? Not at all?” I asked my guard.
Meena snorted a laugh, which she attempted to turn into a cough when she realized I was serious.
“We rarely host anything here.”
“Oh.” It was a pity. I could imagine the room being truly beautiful. Maybe the general had simply not had the time without a wife to help him organize such entertainment. He’d been frequently away at war ever since he had come of age to receive a title. Kasomere was quite far from Adenburg, but we had more than enough rooms for guests to stay.
We walked up a simple wooden staircase, and I was relieved to find my room was not far down the corridor. The door was a lighter wood, more orange than the staircases, and carved with beautiful birds that had tiny white stones for eyes. It smelled warm, almost spicy as Meena pushed down the bronze door handle and stepped to one side for me to enter.
I gasped.
The room was full of flowers, and the decor was lavish. I hadn’t known what to expect, but it certainly hadn’t been this. Lilies, peonies, and roses flooded every surface. Bundles of lavender dangled from the bed posts. Potted plants flanked the doorways. There wasn’t a wilting bloom in sight.
The curtains were high-quality silk that fell in crumpled, luxurious puddles on the deep blue carpets. The bed was the largest I’d ever seen with petals of every color scattered over the sheets.
The smell of pollen was so thick, I almost coughed, but it was beautiful in its chaos. My throat constricted at the thought that somebody would do this for me.
A heavy sigh echoed behind me. “Ridiculous, isn’t it? I told him it was over the top, but he insisted.”
I jumped and whirled around. Callum sat at an ornate desk with his feet on the surface, rocking back in the chair. The table was so crowded with flowers, I could barely see him.
“These flowers are from my husband?”
He slid his feet off the table and the chair thudded back onto four legs. “Of course. Who else? Got a secret admirer?” He waggled his eyebrows with a wolfish grin.
I ignored the jibe. “They’re beautiful and very thoughtful. I must thank him in person. Do you know where he is?”
He sighed. “No idea. I would wait for him to find you. If you try to hunt Kasten, you can waste all day in this place. Besides, there’s been an…incident involving one of his men in the capital. He’s rather busy right now.”
I tried to hide how much his words deflated me. “Oh. Maybe there’s a way I could help ease the load?”
Callum gave me a flat look. “Unlikely.”
I flinched and changed the conversation to hide the sting of his words. I didn’t want him to see my weakness. “Would he really hang Miss Claris up by her ankles?”
Callum stood and gave me a long sideways look as he walked to the door. He drew out his words. “I’m not sure. I think where you are concerned, not even Kasten knows what he would or wouldn’t do. I wouldn’t particularly want to find out.”
Goodness. That sounded ominous.
“Now that you’re settled, I’ll be off.” He mock bowed and grinned. “Enjoy your flowers.” He disappeared without waiting for me to dismiss him.
Meena remained outside and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone.
That man was…odd. Rude. But, I supposed, so was my husband. It was clear that Callum disliked me, and it would be hard to win him over when I had no idea what about me displeased him. My husband…well, who knew what the general thought of me either. His eyes gave nothing away.
I sighed. My sigh turned into a sneeze, quickly followed by another.
Beatrice appeared through the door under a mound of clothes. “Are you all right, my lady? Not catching a cold, are you?” Her eyes were round with concern as if a cold was something terrible.
“I’m quite all right, thank you.” I sneezed again. “I think it might be the lavender. It smells wonderful but has made me sneeze in the past.” I freed my lace handkerchief and pressed it to my nose to prevent any more sneezes from escaping.
Beatrice put down her load. “I’ll remove them right away.”
She hurried to open the window as Lucy brought in a tray of apple cakes and a silver jug.
My stomach rumbled, and I thanked her as I sat at the desk and made room between the flowers for my plate. The mother-of-pearl and ebony mosaic shimmered under the kryalcomy lights.
“These look delicious.” I risked removing my handkerchief and tried to only breathe through my mouth.
The maid beamed as if I’d just given her the highest compliment. I guessed praise from General Kasten came infrequently.
As I gazed around the room, taking in more details among the flowers, I noticed there were no fewer than four kryalcomy lamps. All were turned on, glowing with pale blue light behind intricate glass cases that resembled peacocks.
“Is it acceptable for all the lights to be on? I don’t want to be wasteful. I’m quite happy with an oil lamp.”
Lucy waved my concern aside. “Don’t worry, my lady, we have no shortage of kryal to recharge them. You may use the lamps as much as you like. We don’t use oil lamps at all here.”
Strange that they would have more kryalcomy here in the countryside than at the capital. I had assumed there would be next to none this far out. Almost all the kryalcomy workshops were on the southern outskirts of Adenburg near the University of Ilustran.
As I helped myself to a second apple cake—thankful Miss Claris wasn’t here to scold me for not watching my waistline—I noticed my chest from home in one corner of the room. It should contain my gowns, and I felt better equipped knowing it was already here.
Father had always taught me that attire could be ones strongest arsenal or their most damning weakness.
I brushed stray crumbs from my lips. “What time is dinner? How grandly should I dress?”
The maids looked at each other with a loaded, uncertain look, then Lucy plastered a cheery smile on her face. “There’s no formal dinner here, my lady, but you can dress however you like.”
Beatrice nodded eagerly. “We’ll make you the nicest dresses. It will be entertaining. Lady Batton should look beautiful and grand after all.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. I’d never heard somebody describe dressing up as entertaining. Back home it had always been a very serious affair.
I leaned forward so they could catch the weight of my concerns. “It will be the first impression my husband gets of me after my wedding dress.”
The two maids looked at each other again. Lucy wrung her hands. “I may be wrong, but I suspect his lordship won’t be joining you for dinner tonight.”
“He’s likely concerned about you needing rest after your journey,” Beatrice added too quickly.
“Oh.” I finished the apple cake while looking down at my plate. Though part of me was relieved, I couldn’t help the growing fear that I had done something very wrong to make him avoid me.
I would think of a way to make it up to him.