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Ignoring the obvious jab, I backed up until I was against the wall. I remained on the outside of the room. With no one here to chat with, I could instead focus on whether Vanessa’s evening visitor was someone here who she would speak with as well. As I moved, I kept my ears peeled for anything that remotely sounded like the low muffled voice from last night.
Moving slowly made it seem as if I was simply playing the good servant, always accessible to a royal who may need assistance. But the more voices I heard, the more it seemed as though I’d never find the mystery voice. At least not here. The fae women gathered in this room had a very distinct sort of voice; whether they put it on for show or not, I couldn’t imagine them being able to lower it the way the voice from Vanessa’s bathroom had been.
And had there been a person in the bathroom, they would have had to exit through the main part of the room. Unless the impossible were true, and Vanessa’s bathroom held a secret door of some kind.
Given the constant wars with the Seelie, would it be so far-fetched that there were secrets within the Unseelie walls that would allow for easier passage unseen?
Three loud snaps sounded again as eyes fell lazily on me and back to Vanessa. I smiled at some of the other royals, the ones who always offered me warm greetings, who now looked as if they didn’t know how to act. I hoped one fae wouldn’t be enough to change how all of them treated the entire staff here, though given the events from the dining hall, and even now, I believed that was very much the sad truth.
Vanessa raised her teacup in the air as I took it from her hands. I stood there, believing there had to be more to her exuberant snapping than taking her teacup away when there was a tray on the table right next to her.
She turned slowly to me as though I’d offended her by remaining by her side. “That’s all.”
I licked my lips, which helped distract me from screaming. One of the fae with Vanessa looked taken aback, and as I turned I heard her tell the others, “Honestly, I may have to get a different lady’s maid. How someone so incompetent has remained here so long and by the prince’s side is a mystery to me.”
I grimaced since my back was turned. Part of me wanted to beat her over the head with one of the silver trays in the room. The other was instantly worried at what Vanessa would do if the rumors the queen heard to bring her here in the first place made their way back to her. Mentioning my incompetence and wondering how I remained seemed like a good segue into someone wanting a leg up to say just what they assumed was the reason I was kept around.
I set Vanessa’s teacup down far across the room in case any additional conversation was happening. Should something be said, I wanted to be as far removed from her as I could be.
As I watched her obviously fake laughs and interactions with the other fae from the castle, I couldn’t help but wonder once more why Noah had chosen someone like her. There had to be dozens of eligible fae—here alone there were several, all fawning over him. He’d have his pick, and yet he chose Vanessa. Someone whose character was so much the opposite of his.
“My dear ladies.” One of the male butler figures drew the attention of the room from the doorway. “Her Majesty has insisted you meet her in the garden for a walk. The blooms are remarkable right now, and you will enjoy your morning stroll before lunch is ready outdoors.”
Vanessa clapped her hands. “Oh, seeing the Unseelie castle garden up close has been a dream of mine. Shall we?” She rose, raising her hands up like she was conducting an orchestra of her own as the other fae followed her silent command.
I stood behind Vanessa as she graciously ushered the other women out of the room. When the last royal was gone she turned toward me. “I’d prefer if I could be in the gardens without looking at you. Meet me outside of my room before lunch and you’ll get things ready then.”
Her shoes clicked on the marble floor as she walked out of the room and toward the rest of the bunch.
“At some point in her life she had to have sucked all the evil in Unseelie into her little body. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Lisa shook her head, standing close to me. “At least you have a few hours away from her. Go enjoy it while you can.”
I returned her warm smile and appreciated her gesture. A few free hours would be nice to lie down and try to get some sleep since I hadn’t been able to the previous night. But as I turned toward the small hallway that would lead to my quarters, I hesitated.
Vanessa being out of her room for a set time would give me ample opportunity to explore and see just how someone was able to be with her in the bathroom and never leave through the bedroom door. And since she told me to meet her there after, should exploring take too long, I could simply say I was waiting for her.
It might be the only chance I had to find the information I needed. Because unless I had some hard evidence, I was stuck.
I glanced around to see who was still here from the staff but noticed most had vanished, off to do their chores or take their own breaks. I looked up and ascended the set of stairs that would lead me to the royal quarters from the sitting area we’d occupied.
My heart beat loudly in my chest, growing each step I climbed. It would be absolutely disastrous if I were to get caught. I was specifically told to wait outside her room and would have no business in Vanessa’s room without the duchess there with me.
Noah would be furious, assuming I was being difficult given how things were between us at the moment. And the queen? The queen would most likely have me thrown out of the palace altogether. But would the king allow it? Or be able to stop it?
I was putting him in a difficult position making this choice. And I’d have no home to go to if I truly were banished from the palace.
But if I did nothing, Noah would marry a fae who didn’t love him. A woman who would harm the queen and maybe endanger her very life if I held on to this secret and did nothing to find the truth.
I reached Vanessa’s door, and with no one else around in sight, I swallowed hard. I refused to have people I cared for put in danger. And that meant being brave and doing whatever it took.
Let’s just hope this one’s worth the risk, I thought to myself as my hand touched Vanessa’s doorknob and I used her key to enter her private quarters.
