“And where’s your ribbon gone?” Camellia scoffs. She steps closer and reaches for a lock of my tangled hair. “You ought not to sleep with this all down. You’ll get split ends.”
“Sorry.” Half-dazed, I fumble through my hair for my ribbon, but my hand comes back empty.
Did he take it?
“No need to apologise,” Blossom chuckles, pulling me from my thoughts. “Let’s just get you back to bed, silly thing.”
Quickly, I’m ushered towards my bed as Camellia lifts the blanket to tuck me in.
“Was it that bad? Do you need one of us to stay with you?” Camellia offers, bringing the blanket up to my shoulders. “Or perhaps I can bring you an eye mask to help you sleep?”
Gripping the bedsheets, I shake my head. No eye mask will clear his touch from my skin, and while I love my sisters, the last thing I need right now is to be kept awake by filthy thoughts while my innocent sisters sleep peacefully beside me. No. All I need is time to be alone. Enough alone time to come to my senses, and to figure out how in the realm I’m going to look Father in the eye during breakfast tomorrow.
7
AMARYLLIS
Ididn’t make it to breakfast the following morning.
Dismissing the servants as soon as they arrived, I spent far too long dressing myself in a simple, amethyst-dyed gown and fussing with my messy hair before I finally left my bedchamber.
After the events of last night, I just couldn’t face anyone. My reputation might still be clean, but I certainly don’t feel it. He touched me. Pinned me against the wall. I felt his manhood pressing into my stomach. And yet, a part of me liked it.
‘I’ll break you, Ruby.’
‘You won’t be able to walk once I’m done with you.’
“Ami?”
With a start, I’m jerked out of my daydream and the book I was holding crashes to the floor of the palace library.
“What? Who’s there?” I whip my head around. All I can see are tall bookshelves and a huge, lit fireplace crackling away, warming the small reading alcove with its golden glow.
“It’s me!” the voice calls again.
I jolt in surprise to see Fern, sitting less than a metre away in a chair that I’m certain was empty before.
“Fern?” I gasp. “How did you get there so quickly? Where were you hiding?”
Fern scowls, shoving the book she’s holding into her lap. “Why does everyone keep acting like I’m invisible? I’ve been here since you arrived.”
I blink in confusion. There’s no way. Surely I would’ve noticed her…
Rolling her pale eyes, she continues, “I didn’t say hello when you got here because you looked so out of it. I thought you just wanted some peace to read, and I understand. I need space sometimes too. But it’s been half an hour, and you haven’t even turned the page. Is something wrong?”
My heart sinks. Yes, there’s something wrong. But I can’t speak to Fern about it – she’ll never look at me the same way again. Besides, I’m the eldest daughter. I’m the one who’s supposed to solve the problems, not unload them onto my younger sisters.
“I’m fine, just tired,” I lie.
Fern shoots me a look. “If you don’t want to talk to me about it, at least talk to someone else.” She props her feet up onto her chair and opens the book in her lap. “Dahlia was looking for you this morning. She’s probably out at the stables. I’d go and speak to her if I were you. You know what she’s like if she doesn’t get her way.”
I scowl. Out of all my sisters, Dahlia is the one I’d least like to see right now. But Fern is right: if I don’t go and find her, she’ll only corner me at dinner, and I’d rather not deal with whatever interrogation she’s prepared for me in front of Father. So, with a reluctant exhale, I heave myself out of my seat and exit the library.
My feet ache by the time I reach the palace stables. Built far from the main palace, the little stone-walled building, decorated with flags bearing my family’s crest, stands out against the curtain of forest behind it.
The same forest I snuck out to four nights ago to reach Night Alley.
My sisters and I aren’t allowed in the woods. Technically we’re not even supposed to be in the stables, but that never seemed to stop Dahlia.
