Moody And The Beast (Shadowvale #4) - Kristen Painter Page 0,78
her knees bent on instinct, and she dropped down. “Your Highness.”
What in Hades was Vesta doing here?
“Get up.”
Theo rose, still not believing that Vesta was on her balcony. Whatever reason had brought the queen here, it wasn’t a good one. That was pretty plain. She could feel herself quivering ever so slightly. Nerves or fear, she wasn’t sure. Maybe both. She stayed silent, though, waiting on the queen to speak first.
She didn’t have to wait long. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. What did you ask me?”
“If my husband often calls on you late at night.”
They weren’t married anymore. Theo knew that. Everyone in Limbo knew that. In fact, Vesta had several royal companions who did a lot more companioning than Theo was doing with Robin. But obviously, Vesta meant to start something. “No, Your Highness. Never. But I am here as his indentured servant. It would certainly be within his rights.”
“You called him Robin. Seems awfully informal for a servant.”
That wasn’t a question, so Theo didn’t answer it.
Thankfully, Vesta moved on. Her finely penciled brows arched. “Does he house all of his indentured servants in guest quarters on the same floor as his own?”
Vesta’s second thinly veiled suggestion that something else was going on nudged Theo’s nerves in the direction of outright anger. But it wouldn’t do to get angry with a woman like Vesta. The power she wielded made her far too dangerous an opponent to take on. “I wouldn’t know, Your Highness.”
Vesta hesitated, then strolled to the edge of the balcony, put her hands on the railing, and stared out at the garden. She wore a long turquoise gown of silk with a wide jeweled gold belt that matched the lace edging the sleeves and hem of the dress.
The strands of jewels woven into the braids piled high on her head complemented those in the belt. More jewels dripped from her ears, neck, and fingers. Even her slippers were jeweled. And the tips of her ears were painted with tiny gold designs. After a moment, she spoke. “This house is breathtaking, isn’t it? I designed these gardens. Did you know that?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Short answers were probably the best. Short answers with as little additional information as possible.
Vesta looked over her shoulder. “So he still speaks of me, then?”
Theo briefly thought about shoving the queen over the railing, but they were only one floor up. The fall would cause injury, for sure, but not enough to make it worth the effort. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Theo said a little prayer that Vesta’s visit would be short and not include a trip to her old quarters. If it did, Theo prayed Vesta wouldn’t remember exactly how things had been left, considering that Theo currently had a lot of the clothes in the closet separated into piles.
Vesta turned suddenly and leaned back, hands wide on the railing. “I have a kingdom to run, so I’m going to keep this short. You work for me now, do you understand? You will be my eyes and ears. As such, you will write me a letter daily telling me everything he does. Everything. I already know you’re good at writing letters, so don’t pretend otherwise.”
That explained so much. Like how Vesta had found out Theo was here. Vesta had read the letters Theo had sent home to her father. Or at least the one. If Vesta had read the second, with Robin’s offer for him to relocate, she’d probably be angrier than she was now.
Well, Theo was feeling a little angry herself. Especially because she suspected either Elswood or Baton were responsible for getting the letters to Vesta. “No, I don’t understand. Why do you want—”
“You dare question your queen?” Vesta’s eyes narrowed as a cold, calculating gleam lit them. “All you need to know is what you have been told. You will report on everything he does. Or your father will be placed in the darkest, dampest cell in my dungeons. That won’t be very good for his health now, will it?”
No, it wouldn’t, but Theo was in no mood to agree with the fairy menace before her. She clenched her teeth in an effort to quell her rising rage. “A letter every day. I understand.”
Vesta smiled. “That’s a good girl. Now, since I don’t have time for a letter about today’s events, why don’t you answer a few questions for me? Has he done anything unusual lately?”
Like throwing a dinner party? Or kissing her? Professing his love for her? Giving