Ruined - Amy Tintera Page 0,6
the priest to say that at the wedding,” Cas said. “‘And now we unite Casimir and Mary. They both could have done worse.’”
THREE
A KNOCK ON the door made Em’s eyes fly open. She gasped and scrambled upright, the sheets tangled between her feet. She rolled off the bed, yelping and hitting the ground with a thud.
She winced, pushing her hair out of her face. She was surprised she’d fallen asleep at all. She’d still been awake when the sun started peeking through the curtains, unable to sleep in a castle full of her enemies. She’d spent almost a year planning to infiltrate the castle, but the reality of being surrounded by people who would kill her if they discovered her true identity was more unsettling than anticipated.
“Your Highness?” a voice called from behind the door.
She got to her feet, straightening her nightgown. “Yes?”
The door opened to reveal Davina, one of her maids, carrying a tray of food. One of her maids. The life these people led was ridiculous. Em’s mother hadn’t employed maids.
A maid is a potential spy, her mother used to say.
Davina held up the tray. “I brought your breakfast, Your Highness. And the queen has requested your presence.” She put the tray on the table in the corner and turned back to Em, a smile on her young, pretty face. There was one knife on the tray, and Em studied it, trying to judge how sharp it was. Three quick steps across the room and she could reach around Davina for the knife to jab it in her throat before she knew what was happening. Five seconds, tops.
Em shook the thought away. She didn’t need to kill her maid at the moment. “Requested my presence for what?”
“The wedding dress fitting, Your Highness.”
“Oh. Right.” She tried not to look like the thought of her wedding dress made her want to throw up.
“And the Union Battle is this afternoon,” Davina said. “The queen wants to do the fitting first.”
Was she supposed to know what the Union Battle was? It didn’t sound good, whatever it was.
“Of course,” Em said. “I’ll get ready quickly.”
Davina made a move like she was going to stay and help, and Em shook her head.
“I’m fine for now. I’ll call you in when I’m almost ready?”
Davina hesitated, then walked to the door. “I’ll wait right outside?”
“Yes, please,” Em said.
Em sighed as Davina disappeared through the door. The maid had left tea and a thick slice of oddly colored bread on the tray. Em broke off a chunk and popped it in her mouth. It was sweet and delicious, and she quickly finished the whole piece. She hadn’t had much good food for the past year.
She looked around her room. She’d rarely even had a bed for the past year, and now she had a sitting room, an office, and a bedroom. The large window on one wall showed off a lovely view of the gardens. The room had been decorated in blue, Lera’s official color. The chair in the corner was blue, the tapestry on the wall was blue, and the sheets on the bed were blue.
It was all pristine and beautiful, and Em wanted to rip it to shreds. They lived like this while the Ruined were forced out of their homes and had to move camp every few days just to stay alive?
She’d have to make sure to burn down the castle before she was done. She could still smell the smoke from the day the king had burned her home to the ground, killed her mother, and taken her sister. It was only right to repay the favor.
She drained her tea and pulled out a hideous pink dress of Mary’s. The weather in Vallos was much cooler than Lera, and the people were often completely covered from neck to toe. Mary’s dresses were long-sleeved, stiff, and made more for function than fashion. They were wildly depressing.
Like the dress she’d worn yesterday, this one felt too short and tight as she pulled it on. But the fullness of the skirt hid the ill fit well enough.
Her necklace hung in the center of her chest, and she closed her fingers around it for a moment. The silver O was for Olivia, and she’d considered leaving it behind when she became Mary. But she’d worn the necklace every day since returning to the remains of her castle and finding it among the rubble. If she ever found Olivia, she would return it to her.
When she found Olivia.