the jacket on the chair.
There was nothing here of mine, making me feel even more lost and alone.
Waking up here the first time would be scary enough, but after the night we had, losing consciousness in the club after almost being trampled to death—it was utterly terrifying.
I wanted to go home.
Theo. This will all be worth it.
A pounding head and aching bones weighed me down in the expensive bedding, and I melted into the fluffy pillows and mattress. My eyes lowered, drifting me back into dreamland.
When I woke again, the room was filled in buttery light. Groaning, I pushed off the mattress, my bladder moving me quicker than my bones wanted to. I padded into the bathroom, which was in the same creams, golds, and pastels as my room. It housed a gold chandelier, small shower, claw tub, toilet, and bidet. For the palace, it was very simple, which was fine by me. The ornate decor of this castle could get overwhelming. Besides the servant quarters, this was probably one of the least decorated rooms, suggesting I was low on the guest-to-impress list.
Jumping in the shower, I washed the grime, blood, and smell from my skin and hair, discovering most of my body covered in bruises, including a discoloration on my thigh in the exact shape of a man’s boot.
Cosmetics, toiletries, clothes, shoes… everything had been provided for me. Covering up a few cuts on my face, I blew out my long hair before finding clothes that were the most like me. I dressed in dark skinny jeans, a white blouse, and a blue blazer and slid my feet into flats. All designer. Not my normal style, and I felt like I was dressing for a part. A job interview.
My stomach rumbled as I stepped out into the hallway; the silence at the end of this wing was eerie. My house always creaked, and there were always noises from Nara cleaning or Olivia running up and down the hall.
I started down the corridor and paused. I really had no clue where I was going or where I was allowed. Theo hadn’t given me a tour of the private residence yet, so besides the room I was in and the path to where I met the Queen, I had little understanding of this place.
Setting my feet toward the one room I did know, a figure almost collided into me.
“Oh, mistress.” A dark-haired, petite maid in her later twenties, dropped down in a curtsy. “I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I smiled. “Actually, I’m so glad I bumped into you. Do you know where Theo or Eloise are?”
“The prince and princess are in the breakfast room.” She kept her eyes on the ground. “I was told to let you sleep, my lady.”
“Spencer, please.”
She pinched her lips together. She would never call me by my name; that’s not how it was here. Formal. Traditional.
Nara would wake me up by chucking a pillow at my head or vacuuming my headboard. One time she poured the glass of water by my bed over my head to get me up. The woman’s cruelty knew no bounds.
“The breakfast room would be?”
“Down the corridor, through the green and mural room.” She pointed, bobbed her head, and took off for the room I just left, probably to straighten it up until it looked like I was never there.
Heading in the direction she pointed, I crept through some of the vast history of our small country. Kings, queens, lords, wars, murders. Precious items you’d find in a museum. Things you’d read about in history books. And all this in the place Eloise and Theo grew up.
“This is unacceptable!” A voice boomed down the hall. Sneaking up to the room, I peered in, oxygen halting in my throat. I froze, seeing the man who ruled this kingdom.
King Alexander stood tall behind a desk, his normally stern expression lined with anger, his blue eyes blazing. He wore dark trousers, a pinstripe dress shirt, shiny shoes, and a yellow tie. His perfectly styled short brown hair was combed back, a touch of gray around his temples and sideburns. He was handsome in that untouchable way. I could never imagine him showing passion, an emotion he’d probably think of as weak.
Theo had more of his mother’s coloring and eyes but was otherwise a duplicate of his father. Same height and physique. But where Theo was easy to smile and joke, the king was stern, aloof, and curt. The press feared and respected him, not daring