“No, that’s for servants.” Yasmin cast me a side eye and then pulled Xander after her.
The wood piece I was holding snapped in my hand and I tossed it into the ground, wishing it were her neck.
Thankfully, we were quickly loaded and back on the road. By dusk, we were almost to the mountains and the small village they protected.
The carriage picked up pace, and a trumpet fanfare announced our arrival into Celia. Feeling sorry for Pru, I weaved a spell on the curtains, thinning them so she could see.
I didn’t care to look at first—what was the point of looking out of a fishbowl if I’d never experience it—but I listened. Listened to the voices of the villagers cheering for Xander, hearing them scream and point at Yasmin, at first thinking she was his new wife, followed by the confusion as a second royal carriage pulled up behind them and people pondered the closed curtains.
Finally, I looked out at them.
Even though they couldn’t see me, I couldn’t help but hold up my hand and wave softly to my people. A tear of gratefulness passed down my cheek as I beheld them, young and old. They were my people, my subjects, and I was their intercessor on behalf of the king and queen, until such a time as I finished my bargain and left.
The carriages pulled to a stop, and Prince Xander dismounted Nova. He was led onto a stage, where he greeted the people and thanked them for the gifts they had brought and placed on the stage for him and his bride. He explained on my behalf that I had taken ill and preferred to rest, but I thanked them as well.
More lies. Anger pulled inward into my soul. How much could one person take? I feared the rest of the procession would taper out much like today, and I couldn’t dare handle more. I would suffocate.
The leader of the town, a hefty man with a short red mustache and bald head named Steffler, was also the innkeeper. Our group had taken up all the rooms at the Three-Headed Dragon. Apparently the inn used to be called the Dragon and was destroyed shortly after it was built. Steffler felt it was bad luck to rename it the same, so he moved on to the Two-Headed Dragon, but sadly that one was destroyed as well, so we now were in the Three-Headed Dragon.
Knowing the current track record of the prince ignoring me, I figured we wouldn’t be placed in the same room, and I was right. Prudence and I were given a room at the Three-Headed Dragon, and so was Yasmin. The prince decided he would sleep with his men in the stables out back. For something had got the men spooked. Whispers and rumors, that were for once not about me, but of a legend in regards to a great troll.
Once my small trunk with Gobbersnot was brought inside and the guards put in attendance outside my door, I knew I needed to get out.
Opening the trunk, I pulled the only non-destroyed dress from around Gobbersnot’s sleeping form. It was a deep dark red, perfect for slinking through the night and hiding amongst the shadows. Throwing off the veil, I motioned for Prudence to help me out of the black mourning dress and into the red one. It bared my shoulders and was a little low cut, but for the most part it was modest. Pulling out my braids, I let my hair flow down my back and slipped into short boots; slippers would not do for what I had planned. Finally, I donned black gloves to cover my bandaged hand, then a deep burgundy cloak.
I rushed to the small window, threw open the shutters and looked out into the cold night air. The window opened to the back of the inn and was awfully close to the next inn’s roof. The jump would be child’s play for someone of my height.
“What are you doing?” Pru asked.
“I’m going out.” I smiled and tilted my head to listen to the music coming from the streets below. “There’s another celebration, and I won’t miss out on tonight.”
“Wait, miss.” She looked at the door, nibbling her lip in worry. “What if someone comes to check on you?”
An incredulous look crossed my face, and I raised my eyebrow at her. “Has anyone other than you ever come to my rooms to check on me?” Her worry dissipated, and I smiled. “Would you