Page 27 of Dhampira

“Not to worry, my dear. I asked if you would enjoy a hunt tomorrow.”

Wariness stole over me, memories of the “hunts” the young men of Derryton staged rising in my mind. “Like…on horseback?”

Amusement shone in Rasimir’s eyes. “Yes, on horseback. I believe the nobles of your large cities in Ghedda enjoy similar pursuits.”

Relief swept through me. Even in Derryton, the gentry loved wearing their best clothes and thundering after a boar. “Yes, I believe so.”

Rasimir slapped his thigh, his lips curving into a smile wide enough to show the tips of his fangs. “Just so. We’ll ride out in the morning.” He raised his voice without looking away from me. “Alon will lead us.”

The slender servant stiffened, the ends of his hair shivering. He blinked his moss-green eyes, then licked his lips. “I am…honored, Majesty.”

Rasimir rose. As Lorcan and I stood with him, the king rounded the table and brushed his knuckles over my cheek. “Prince Lorcan and I have been selfish, keeping you all to ourselves this evening. Tomorrow, you’ll meet the rest of my court. Our court.”

I nodded, nerves tightening my gut. As with everything else that had transpired since I entered the Drakhold, refusal seemed impolite. “I’d like that. Father.”

His eyes lit up the same way they had on the steps of the Drakhold. “Rest well, Daughter. One of the servants will see you to your chamber.”

A half hour later, I kept my smile plastered on my face as I nodded to the servant. “Good night. And thank you.”

The man froze in the middle of backing into the corridor, his hands on the knobs of my room’s double doors. “O-Of course, Your Highness. It was my pleasure to serve you. Good night.”

“Good night.” I braced for an endless volley of good nights, but he simply returned my nod and closed the doors.

Five…four…three…When nothing happened by the time I finished counting down to one, I spun and sagged against the paneled wood. More opulence greeted me as I surveyed the chamber, which was at least double the size of the cottage back home.

Home. Would I ever see it again? Would I see Mama? And what would I say to her? Why would she lie to me about something so important—possibly the most important thing in my life? It was one thing to think I was the daughter of a Noctan nobleman. It was quite another to discover I was the secret heir to the throne. How could she keep that from me? Did she search for me now?

The questions spun through my mind, threatening to make me dizzy as I took in the chamber’s thick carpets and blush-pink decor. Colorful tapestries of women in long, courtly gowns decorated the walls. Vases of brilliant flowers stood on various surfaces. Candelabras with more shimmering orbs were scattered on elegant tables, bathing everything in dreamy light. It was a room fit for a princess, but I didn’t feel like one. The warm, pleasurable glow of the blood-wine had dissipated, and the aftertaste of lemon-flavored frosting coated my tongue.

A woman stepped away from the wall across the room and curtsied. “Good evening, Your Highness.”

My heart seized and a scream caught in my throat. I pressed my back harder against the doors, my heart pumping wildly. The woman was too stunning to be human. Snowy white hair fell in loose waves to her waist, and her eyes were twin pools of sapphire blue. Her skin was even more flawless than Lorcan’s, not a blemish or wrinkle in sight. And she’d blended into the wall like she was part of it.

“Who are you?” I croaked.

“Oh!” The woman’s face crumpled. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you, Princess. Truly, I didn’t.”

She was so obviously contrite, my fear faded at once. “It’s all right,” I said. “You just startled me. I thought I was alone.”

“I should have announced myself right away.” She moved closer and bobbed another curtsy. “I’m Delphine, Your Highness, a lady’s maid here at court. If it pleases you, I’ll help you dress for bed.” She lowered her gaze, and a hint of pink entered her cheeks. “And if you’re satisfied with my assistance, perhaps I could serve you permanently.”

The awkwardness I’d felt with Rasimir returned. I forced a smile as I stepped away from the doors. “The only place I’ve ever been served is inside a tavern.”

Delphine’s brow furrowed. “Your maid helped you undress inside a tavern?”

“No, I just meant—” I shrugged. Might as well own up to it. “I’m sort of new to being a princess. My mother used to help me unlace my dresses when I was younger, but I’ve never had a lady’s maid.” I cringed inwardly, prepared for a smirk or condescension. But Delphine beamed at me, her skin glowing as brightly as the orbs around the room.

“I’ll be so pleased to help you, Your Highness,” she said. “Just leave it to me.”

She made good on her word, producing a tub of hot water and a variety of soaps in more scents and colors than I could count. An hour later, I was dressed in a filmy nightgown and seated on a cushioned stool before a mirrored vanity while Delphine swept a soft-bristled brush down my hair.

“The dragonstone gown is a thing of wonder, Your Highness,” she said softly. “I’ve never seen so many stones in one place.”

I looked at the open armoire reflected in the mirror. Delphine had hung my mother’s gown on the door while I bathed. The dress had returned to its original state the moment I removed it, and the red centers of its gemstones flared in the moonlight that streamed through the chamber’s tall windows.

“Does the king own other items with dragonstones in them?” I asked.

“Not that I know of, Your Highness. But Prince Lorcan has a dragonstone in the pommel of his sword, Dark Dream.”