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Yet, most of the lords and ladies who sided with Lugh chose to act as though I was only here because I was to become his bride.
But the servants in Winter Castle could not have forgotten who I was so easily. Could they? They hadn’t forgotten about me during the ten years I’d spent at the arena.
Could they have forgotten in mere days under Lugh’s rule?
I stared at the woman without saying anything. She was old, but I had never seen her before. Her pale skin was wrinkled so much that I doubted they had hired her as a new maid. Perhaps she was one of Lugh’s. He had brought many servants from his father’s castle to replace servants loyal to our family. It would make sense that one of theirs would be assigned to me.
“If I need help,” I said, “I will call upon you.”
She moved. It was too quick for a woman of her age. I became tense, but she did not come any closer. When she was standing a few paces away from me, she stopped.
You need help now, her voice rang inside my mind. I am sorry that I could not come to you sooner.
The surprise I felt made me speechless for a split second, but the thoughts came nonetheless.
You are a mind magicker? I thought. Lady Queill... She can hear this.
No, she cannot, the woman said. She cannot sense me.
Who are you? The thought came quickly.
She gave me a look.
Only then, I recognized her. She was giving me the same look she had given me right after I’d come back home from the arena. That was the first time we had met since she hadn’t been in my father’s council when I had taken off for the trials.
Orla? I asked. This is you?
She lifted the cloak on my mind right then. Her disguise disappeared. Now, her dark-brown eyes met mine and even her clothes did not look like a servant’s.
She smiled sadly.
I am at your service, princess, Orla said. And I will not fail you again.
Chapter 4: Kieran
The sound of the waterfall echoed off the walls, making my ears buzz as I took in the smells of rotting and nature, all at once. The familiar cold air welcomed me, making my skin prickle and my ears heat up in reaction to it.
As the others stepped away from the waterfall where Gethin’s portal still shimmered, I tried not to think about the last time I had been here. The image of my father following me into this very cave was almost palpable in my mind. Grief threatened to consume me as I did my best to push it away.
“You see?” Cari said as Gethin’s portal closed. “You needed me already.”
