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Eina glances over her shoulder at me, gray brows rising. “Ah, good. Drink some water. You’ve been out for a full day.”
With great difficulty, I prop myself up on my elbows. The bed is far softer than what I’m used to and I only sink farther into the mattress. My muscles seem to be intact and functional; they’re just stiff and complaining loudly about it. My head is strangely refreshed. That might have been the best sleep I’ve had in ages, even though I dreamed.
Did the fairies do something?
I can still taste fur in my mouth. I obey Eina’s command and drink down the whole cup of water before asking my first question. “Where’s Cyrus?”
“His Highness is preparing to announce his engagement.”
“Hiswhat?” I sit straight up, wincing. My ribs feel like they’re splitting apart.
“Lie back down, child. You didn’t break anything, but you’re still banged up,” Eina chides. “How’s your head? Follow my finger.”
Biting my tongue, I oblige Eina with her tests. I’m dizzier than I ought to be. During a lull, I ask again, “Cyrus is engaged?”
“Lady Raya. Pretty thing. Came all the way from Balica.”
Raya Solquezil of Lunesse.Cyrus had spat her name when he told me.
“It’s a good thing he found her,” Eina continues, “just as the beasts arrived.”
“Yes,” I agree half-heartedly. She doesn’t know what else transpired last night. That among my bruises, the one I feel most is the one on my lips. “What happened to the beasts?”
“They took the bodies somewhere to be studied. But that is none of your concern. Only rest is.” Eina smooths down the quilt, tucking me in, as if she senses my urge to return to my tower. “They left a mess of roses we’re still cleaning up. It is…Felicita’s last prophecy, then?”
“I don’t know what else it could be.”
She nods, concern melting across her wrinkled features. No one enjoys contemplating the unknown.
So much has changed in one night. The future is here, like I foretold, and it’s nothing like I expected.
With the royal twins grown and no little ones coming along from the widowed king, the nurse has time to spare for me. Eina thinks she’s doing me a favor by keeping me company and finishing her mending here. It’s not so bad while I’m eating, but she stays long after I lick my bowl clean of porridge.
I have people I need to see.
When she finally leaves to fetch a fresh pitcher of water and reading material I requested—the library is on the otherside of the palace—I throw off the quilts and grab the spare set of clothes at the foot of the bed.
Then Camilla comes charging into the room with an armful of flowers and a plate of cake. “Thank the stars! Violet, you look half-dead!”
“I’m fine.” I wriggle out of my nightgown. Lifting my arms still hurts.
“You were practically full-dead when you were brought in—”
“I didn’t even break anything.” The worst injury was a gash to my jaw that needed stitches.
“—and Cyrus wouldn’t tell meanythingabout what happened.‘I’m tired, Camilla,’ ” she mimics. “But not too tired to carry you into the palace himself—”
I pop my head out of the tangle of my clothes. “He did what?”
“—and I had to hear everything secondhand from Ziza Lace, but you know that woman is as trustworthy as a house made of candy.” Camilla deposits the flowers into an empty vase, sets the cake on the table, and flops down next to me. “Have you heard? Cyrus is engaged. I tried to stop him. She is awitch,I stand by it.”
“Lady Raya?” I can only recall her silhouette, dainty and shocked.
“It’s just Raya, technically—Father calls her by that title so she can sound proper. They don’t do nobility down in Balica. The Head of Lunesse would be a reasonable match if she’d ever bothered with diplomacy before. And if she didn’t arrive in the capital withfive fairies.One fairy, all right, you’re cute.Fivefairies? Five fairies, you’re trouble!”
I pull on the linen blouse and work on buttoning a swishy yellow skirt around my waist. Camilla has a point, but Camilla isalsomore than a little irritated that she wasn’t the most exciting thing at the masquerade, I’m sure. “Youhave three fairies that you use for the purposes of charming people….”
“That’s different!” She pouts and doesn’t expound. Hypocrisy runs in the royal family. “The worst part is someone in the search party told Ziza about the fairies and she published the news inLacy Thingsbefore I could tell her not to. Ziza’s making Raya look good—says Raya deserved the fairies, for‘Who else but the prince’s true love would be so special?’ ” She makes a gagging sound.
