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At first, she had thought about manipulating a prisoner, but that would be too easy. Domitius would discover the truth. This letter was proof enough that someone was watching her.
Kallie tilted her head as Phaia laughed. Her black hair fell down her back, straight and unknotted, almost reaching her hip. She had a careless sway to her gait.
She would be an easy target. She was accessible, slightly naive. Over the past few days, the woman was almost always in Kallie’s company. She would be easy to manipulate without anyone noticing. But as the handmaiden threw back another boisterous laugh, Kallie’s stomach turned. She hated to admit it because it would only prove that her father was right, but Kallie liked the woman too much.
As they strolled through the garden, Kallie thought of the alternatives.
The way the housekeeper’s gaze swept over Kallie as if she was nothing more than a guest in the castle and not the future queen did irk Kallie. Tessa was also particularly fond of the housekeeper, it seemed, which was indeed a welcome bonus. Yet Lystrata hadn’t done anything to warrant death.
While Kallie may not have liked the woman, she was not heartless.
Was this what it was like to be in the seat of power?
Her father never struggled to make these decisions. He wore a look of indifference as if it was a badge of honor. And Kallie should have aspired to do the same, for rulers needed to make hard decisions daily. Domitius wasn’t the only leader to make decisions that Kallie questioned. Esmeray also had decided to put Pontia’s safety first when it came to Kallie’s own life. Sacrifices had to be made. Was Kallie willing to sacrifice an innocent’s life to protect her father? Was she willing to sacrifice her morality? Did she even have any morality left? If she had asked Terin or the others, they would claim she had none.
Maybe it would be easier to become the monster they all believed her to be.
Kallie brushed her palms across the sides of her skirt. Her fingers ran over the dagger strapped around her thigh beneath the soft fabric. Since arriving in Frenzia, she had not gone a day without it. It was ironic, wasn’t it? A princess who carried a dagger afraid to kill by poison? Myra had not given Kallie the dagger to kill but to remind her that she was not defenseless. That even without a crown on her head, she still had power. And, most importantly, that there was always a choice.
“Princess?”
“Hmm?”Kallie looked up in time to stop herself from running into Phaia.
Having stopped walking at some point, the two handmaidens stared at Kallie.
Phaia tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowed. “I asked if you were missing your family. It is unfortunate your father couldn’t stay longer.”
Myra wrapped her arm around Kallie’s, pulling her between them as they started walking again. Myra’s fingers brushed over Kallie’s bicep, a soothing touch.
Kallie nodded haphazardly. “Oh, well, my father does have his own responsibilities back home.” A soft smile slipped onto Kallie’s face as she looked at the Frenzian woman.
“But it is always good to have a familiar face around, is it not?”
“I do. I have Myra,” Kallie said, squeezing her friend’s hand.
“Always, my lady.” Myra patted Kallie’s arm,
Phaia offered a small smile. “And I suppose you and King Rian will have your own family soon enough.”
Kallie coughed, choking on the air that wrapped around her lungs. Phaia sent her a wary look, and Kallie shook it off, claiming she had swallowed a bug.
Children might have been an obvious next step for most young couples; however, Kallie hadn’t even given them a single thought. Marrying Rian was a farce already. No need to add children to the mix.
As if she could sense Kallie’s discomfort, Myra turned to the other handmaiden. “Phaia, I have been meaning to ask you something.”
None the wiser, Phaia leaned forward. “Ask away.”
“Is there a reason why the castle seems understaffed? For such a large castle, I would have assumed more staff would be on hand, especially with a wedding near.”
Phaia hummed in agreement as she bent over a nearby rose bush. “You are correct. The staff is currently undergoing a rather dramatic transition.” Her fingers danced across the red flowers, like a pianist finding their starting key. With a flick, she plucked a bright red rose, all of its petals pristine. Instead of holding onto it, Phaia began picking at each perfect petal, dropping them onto the ground behind them one by one. “I’m afraid to say that the undertaking is taking longer than planned since King Rian has decided to hand-pick the staff.”
“A noble endeavor,” Myra said.
Phaia nodded, and another petal drifted to the ground.
“That seems like a strange use of the king’s time. Shouldn’t he have someone else do that for him?” Kallie asked.
“Indeed,” Myra mumbled in agreement.
