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The Hall of Illusions?

I treaded closer on silent steps. The beautiful, mournful voice continued, a little faint, still—but clearly coming from behind those guarded doors. When I was mere steps away, the knights finally saw me and startled.

The two knights crossed their halberds in front of me.

“You should be in bed,” said the one with a mustache.

I frowned over his shoulder, as if I could see the singer behind the doors. “There’s—there’s someone in there. Can’t you hear her?”

The one on the right with pale blond hair laughed, like I’d missed something obvious. “It’s not real,” he said.

I jabbed the candelabrum at the door. The song continued faintly within that room. “My senses are perfectly keen,” I told the guards. “A woman is in there, in the Hall of Illusions.”And she sounds like she’s in misery, I didn’t say.

“Yes, the Hall ofIllusions,” said the blond knight slowly. He snickered and shot his fellow a look. “Whatever is inside that room, whatever sounds or voices there may be, they’re nothing more than illusions. More enchantments created by the gods.”

“How do you know? Have you been within?”

“Only the king enters,” said the knight on the left. He struck his halberd once against the floor. “Now on your way, girl.”

I looked him in the eyes. For a moment, I granted myself a little fantasy, imagining that I had my rapier back in my hand. In a second I’d have the tip of my blade pressed into his jugular. I could sweep up his halberd and use it on his partner. I’d watch the haughty contempt in their eyes turn quickly into fear.

Such behavior was unwise. And I had no rapier, anyhow. To them, I was just a helpless, wandering girl. I took my leave.

As I walked back to the dining room, the strange song, the song that supposedly did not exist, grew fainter and fainter. Those guards may have thought me silly, but I was not a fool. If the hall was simply a room where false images and sounds could appear from nothing, why would the king conceal such a place? Everything in this palace was on proud display, framed in gold and held up to the light.

Something was in that chamber. Something he, the great, fearless king, wanted tohide.

13

Ofelia

After a day full of parties and more food than I’d dreamed of, I collapsed onto my new bed. My head was spinning, and all of the day’s dancing didn’t help.

Lope drifted into the room behind me like a ghost, quietly shutting the door. As soon as she did, I shot up, jumping off the bed and rifling through my bedside table. “Lope, I’ve hardly gotten to speak with you today! I’m sorry, I’ve just been rushed from one thing to the next!”

I removed the envelope with Mother’s letter. But first I gently set aside the pale pink shell she’d included, no bigger than my littlest nail.

Crossing the bedroom, I placed the letter in Lope’s hands.

“Here,” I said. “Mother’s note.”

I stood behind her as she pored over the letter for the first time. I knew what it said:

My dearest Ofelia,

I write to you to assure you that I am safe and well. I shall feel better each day I spend here at Lantanas. His Majesty’s staff take excellent care of me.

Sometimes the doctor permits me to sit and paint the waves. The colors here are so beautiful. I wish I could send them to you. This shell is the best I can do—its color made me think of you. This soft pink is just like that of the peonies in our garden back home. I love that you wanted all our flowers to be pink. It’s like this color belongs to you now.

Until I hold you in my arms again, I know that the king will show you all the kindness a father ought to. Forgive me for not sharing our story sooner. It is difficult to speak of the past.

Soon, we will all be together. We can be a family at Le Château—how wonderful that shall be!

With a kiss,

Your Mother

The pen-strokes, the curves of theM,just like how she wrote them as she signed her paintings. The writing washers.It wasn’t the same as seeing her again, but all the same, holding this small part of her in this letter, it was a balm to the wounds of my sore, tired heart.