Princess of Frost - Mila Young Page 0,37
And there were always different guards manning the entrances on the night of each of the four murders. Even if they brought the girls in during the day and hid them, the guards at the door would have noticed. Those men take note when one of their own is with a woman... especially if one man brings four with him into the kingdom over the period of a month. Only workers are permitted onto the castle grounds, no villagers.
Fuck! What are we missing?
The more I stare at the stables, the more I keep thinking back to when Licia first walked into my office with that nasty bruise on her mouth. She implied it had been caused by someone in the stables. My adrenaline spikes and I storm across the yard, making my way toward the castle. I need to talk to her.
Licia
The bedroom doors shove open, and I jump in my skin as I flinch around. Kainee stomps inside with a sneer, her hands tucked into the front pockets of her white apron, her black dress perfectly following the curves of her body. She has her light hair drawn into a bun, and her lips shine as though she wears gloss. She always looks perfect, which explains why she’s delivered meals directly to the prince all these years.
"Time for your morning bath," she barks at me. "Prince's order."
"I'm fine," I say, thankful I put on my clothes before she found me sleeping naked in the prince's bed. Not that it would have made much of a difference to Kainee, who glares at me like she may toss me out of the window. She never liked me when I worked in the kitchen, but now the look she gives could skin me alive.
"I won’t go against the prince's order." She stands her ground in the doorway, and I grind my back teeth, but I can see I'm not going to win this battle. Eryk never returned to his room last night after he was called away, so I have no clue where he got to. So, I sigh and nod in defeat.
I search the room for my shoes while Kainee folds her arms across her chest. Finding them under the bed, I snatch them and step into the black ankle-length boots.
We walk in silence with a guard at our backs. This part of the castle seems to be the prince's personal living quarters, as we walk past a drawing room and another with a long mahogany table that could fit a feast. Chandeliers hang from the ceilings and plush rugs of varied dark colors run the length of the halls. A maid is dusting the walls and paintings, while a butler pushes a large metal frame with freshly pressed clothes hanging from them. To have everything prepared and delivered every day of your life must be wonderful.
"You know he's only using you," Kainee whispers over her shoulder at me.
I blink in her direction, trying to make sense of her words. "I don't know what you're talking about."
She scowls and leans closer. "The whole palace is talking about you and the prince. But you're not the first maid he's taken to his bed, and you won't be the last."
"It's not what you think," I whisper and glance back to the guard who watches us.
"You slept in his bed, did you not?" she growls, snatching my arm, fingernails digging into flesh, tearing into me.
I wince and yank my hand away.
When I don’t respond, she continues, "Give it another night or two, but then you'll be a nobody. Don't get used to this."
My fingers rub over the rough skin she broke on my forearm. “Why the hell do you care?" I hiss, not needing to explain the complication between Eryk and I.
She doesn't respond but marches me to the ground floor and into the room where a large round wooden tub awaits, half-filled with steaming water. High windows fill the room with light, and with the wooden flooring and walls, this place reminds me of a steam room I went to once in the village. The royals sure do love their baths.
A hand shoves me in the back.
I stumble forward and whip around to Kainee who stands in the entryway, one hand on the door, keeping it open while the guard behind her stares at me.
"Hurry up and get in." She smirks as though I'm an idiot and will get naked in front of the leering guard. I've had enough encounters with them to