I bit back a laugh at Scythe’s murderous glare. She yanked my other foot, hauling me across the slippery basin. My head plunged beneath the surface, and I flailed, water rushing up my nose. Coughing and sputtering, I gripped the tub’s edge and shot upward, splashing bathwater everywhere.
“You’re going to drown her!” Edith snapped, yanking my hair back with force.
I choked and pulled my feet out of Scythe’s reach, tucking them under me. She snickered, then began mopping up the puddles along the floorboards.
When the bath was over, my hair plaited and wrapped in silk, I dismissed Edith. She would tend to me in the morning. Scythe would see me to bed, staying in my room as usual. I yawned, watching the older woman slip through a small door hidden behind the tapestry in my receiving room.
Scythe squealed, her grip tightening around my hand as she yanked me through the rooms toward my sleeping chamber.
“Ihaveto show you!”
“Tonight?” I moaned, dragging my feet. She was the sister I never had—in every way that mattered.
“You’ll want to see it, I promise!”
She tugged me over to a giant chest wedged against the wall. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting pale shadows on the light wood. Vines snaked across its surface and delicate glass flowers shimmered on top.
“Help me move it!” she hissed, releasing my hand to brace herself on the opposite end.
“Are we rearranging furniture? At this hour?” I groaned, but still gripped the side, readying myself.
“It will be worth it!”
She grunted, shoving her slight weight at the wood. With a few muttered curses, we managed to move it. She let out a delighted squeal and crouched, peering behind it. I leaned over her, squinting at the wall.
Or rather, the small door embedded there.
“Old servant passages?” I raised an eyebrow as she dusted the frame. I couldn’t imagine a maid crawling through such a tiny opening to sneak between rooms.
“Not at all! These don’t connect to the servants’ quarters.” She tugged at the latch, but the aged wood resisted her pull. “Get a light!”
Sore feet be cursed. I wouldn’t miss an exploration for anything.
“Well, where does it lead?” I asked, retrieving the candle from my nightstand’s lantern.
“It’s from the war. All the royal quarters have one.” She peeked at me, eyes glittering with mischief. “Allof them. And they all connect.”
“So they can sneak from room to room?” I scoffed.
She pulled the swollen wood free of the frame and snatched the candle. “No, silly. For when assassins are afoot.”
As she stuck the small flickering light into the space ahead, a spider web caught flame and flared up in a sudden burst. I gasped, scrambling back as Scythe swatted at the flash with her bare hand.
“Careful!” I hissed, shoving her shoulder as I crouched beside her.
The hall was cramped. Wide enough for a few people to crawl through, but barely taller than my waist. I would have to wriggle through the darkness, brushing past spiders, mice, and who knew what else.
And it was dark.
“I’m so excited!” Without waiting, Scythe plunged through the cobwebs as she scuttled along, oblivious to the mess she left behind.
I dropped to my hands and knees, following her with a reluctant grin. After the night I’d had, this strange detour felt like a welcome change. The passage was neglected, cobwebs hanging thick in every corner.
“It’s an escape route,” she whispered, her eyes flickering around the suffocating dark. “All the rooms connect so the king can summon his family.”
My lips formed a line, my gaze lost to the darkness. The temptation to stumble upon Tallon’s room was too great. What secrets lay behind his door? Then again, he grew up in this palace. He must’ve explored these passages countless times. If I were caught, the consequences wouldn’t be just an embarrassment or an impropriety. It would be a shame I couldn’t escape, a mark that would linger long after the moment passed.
I dared not speak louder than a whisper. “How did you find out about them?”
