Page 27

“Of course. I apologize,” the maid said, hurrying to the wardrobe and returning with a clean set of nightclothes. “I’ll turn down the bed for you. You’ll need your rest for all that’s ahead.”

Brynn had no idea. But as much as Kiva wanted a fresh mind for the challenges of the next day, after she slipped beneath the blankets, it still took hours of tossing and turning before she finally drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

A loud pounding on the door woke Kiva the next morning. She shot up in bed, feeling as if she’d barely had a minute’s sleep, her thoughts like cobwebs.

Through hazy eyes, she watched Brynn hurry to answer it, but the door swung open before she reached it and King Navok walked straight through.

Kiva had a split second to consider her reaction. Feeling vulnerable in bed, she wanted to stand, but she recalled her silky attire and hatedthe thought of being on display before him. She tugged the blankets up to her chin, shooting him a glare that told him exactly what she thought of his early morning visit.

Brynn, Kiva noticed, had pressed herself into the wall, her gaze lowered and her posture tense, as if she hoped to melt into the nearest tapestry. Kiva wanted to do the same herself.

“You’re still in bed,” Navok observed.

Even knowing it was unwise, Kiva couldn’t help baiting him. “Am I? Are you sure?”

The king was no less attractive in the light of day, even while scowling at her. “Get up,” he ordered. He spun on his heel and called over his shoulder, “If you’re not in the throne room in half an hour, I’ll return for you. And believe me, you don’t want that to happen.”

He disappeared out the door, gone as fast as he’d appeared.

Kiva released a shaky breath, then pulled herself out of bed as Brynn approached.

“I should have woken you,” the maid said, wringing her hands. “But you had such trouble sleeping, and I —”

“It’s not your fault,” Kiva assured her. “Do you know what he wants? The wedding” — she choked on the word — “isn’t until tomorrow.”

Brynn gathered fresh clothes for Kiva and bustled her into the bathing chamber. “It could be anything. His sister and Prince Voshell are due to return today. Perhaps they’re already here and he wishes for you to meet them?”

Kiva hoped that was it. She was curious about the royals, especially the woman Mirryn had fallen in love with. But even so, the disruption would be costly. Every minute she lost was another it would take for her to find a way to flee the castle.

Brynn was efficient in helping Kiva don another gown, this one black. The material clung to her flesh, emphasizing the curves she wasslowly beginning to regain and the hint of muscle she was working to build.

“Are there anynormalclothes I could wear?” Kiva asked, frowning at yet another lewd slit up her leg. Aside from that, she was grateful not to have as much flesh on display this time, though the bodice did stretch diagonally across her chest and up over one of her shoulders, leaving the other bare.

“I’m sorry,” Brynn said. “His Majesty —”

Kiva sighed. “Let me guess: he chose it himself.”

“Just wait until you see what he picked for your wedding gown,” the maid muttered, her tone full of disgust as she began working on Kiva’s hair.

The words prompted a sick feeling inside Kiva, but the way they were said gave her pause. “You don’t like Navok much, do you?”

Instead of looking afraid and jumping to his defense, Brynn surprised Kiva by snorting. “He’s not the kind of person who inspires likability. Not even his sister enjoys his company, and she’s the sweetest, kindest person you’ll ever meet. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about him, then nothing will.”

Kiva’s respect for the maid was growing by the second. Carefully, she asked, “You said last night that you’ve only been here for a few months. Has he...doneanything to make you have that opinion of him?”

Brynn stilled her fingers and shifted around to meet Kiva’s eyes. “No, nothing like that.” She indicated her maid’s outfit. “Dressed like this, I might as well be a piece of the furniture. I could be his long-lost mother and he wouldn’t know because he’s never deigned to so much as look at me. In his mind, servants are beneath him, so he treats us as such — like we don’t exist.” Her eyes turned mischievous as she shared, “There have been too many times when I’ve been cleaning his roomsand he’s continued meetings, unaware that I was even there. You would notbelievethe things I’ve heard.”

As if she hadn’t just admitted to having potentially treasonous knowledge, Brynn returned to Kiva’s hair, styling it into a complicated updo with glittery beads placed intricately among the layers.

“Isn’t it a bit... much?” Kiva asked weakly, looking in the mirror.

“You’re betrothed to a king,” Brynn said, hustling her from the bathing chamber back into the bedroom, where a breakfast platter brimming with fruits and pastries had been delivered. “This is nothing.”

Kiva pulled a face before turning to the food. She had no appetite, but since her plans that day included escape, she knew she should fuel up for the long journey back to Evalon.

Ignoring her queasy stomach, she consumed a full meal, finishing only when Brynn declared it was time to leave. The maid then guided her through the castle once more, both of them remaining silent as they walked, lost in their own thoughts.

“Any warnings this time?” Kiva asked as they approached a large set of gilded doors, with yet another pair of Gray Guards standing like statues on either side.