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Rina arrived dressed in black slacks and a white button-down shirt paired with ballet flats. An outfit Katherine Hepburn might have favored in some of her movies from the middle of the last century. What was it about this kingdom’s love of anyplace in time except where we lived? Still, I had to give Rina props for being able to carry it off. She was tall and slender yet with a bustline and hips that left no doubt of her feminine silhouette. In completely unqueenly fashion, I felt jealous of her. But once she sat down across the table in my quarters and began showing me some of her ideas, jealousy was replaced with admiration. I forgave her for her shining braid of hair and wide blue eyes. Especially when Leif came in to discuss something with me and never even seemed to notice her beyond a courteous greeting. He had eyes only for me.
As a betrothed should.
Once he left, we returned to discussing my new wardrobe.
“Your Majesty, if I may direct your attention to this sketch.” A caption lay below the drawing.The A-line skirt and rolled collar of the jacket convey a certain businesslike demeanor, while the ruby silk blouse underneath will be perfect with your complexion. Perhaps you have a strand of pearls to wear with it?The people of my kingdom were amazing in their ability to communicate with me. The efforts they went to. “And these pumps.” She flipped a page in the sketch book to show me a pair of black heels, high enough to make my legs look great but not so high as to cause pain when I had to stand for hours. The caption below read,If you like them, we can order them in several colors. I think they would be quite practical.
“Order them in black so I can try them?” If I liked them, I’d buy a dozen pairs.
Rina fished in the giant bag at her side. She set a shoebox on the table between us.
“The black?”
Her smile made her even prettier as she flipped the lid open to reveal the black shoes.
I took them out of the box and admired them. “If you already had them with you, why the drawing?”
She shrugged. “If Your Majesty wasn’t pleased with the drawing, I’d have left them in the bag. Now, I have some fabric swatches for the suit.”
We went back and forth for hours and hours, looking at each design, reading its caption, before she pulled out a measuring tape and wrapped it around at least a dozen places on my body. The clothes I was disposing of had theoretically been made to order for me, but all we’d done was provide a few measurements. This thorough process was very different, but then so were the clothes. I had been doing this reluctantly and only because I knew I needed appropriate garments, but I found myself excited about some of the additions to my wardrobe. I would wear them all more than once because I didn’t want to waste funds, but that meant we planned some mix-and-match ideas as well.
And then there were other accessories. I refused hats. I’d been forced to wear them when I was trotted out on display as a little girl, and I swore I’d wear them now only for warmth when needed in winter. Handbags were more for show than anything. The queen did not carry her own belongings.
Then Rina brought out some samples of underthings, and I was in love. Delicate lacy bras and panties, garter belts and soft stockings. Nightgowns intended for a woman rather than a little girl. Not that any of it was in poor taste or lurid, but the beige lace peignoir set made my heart pound a little harder.
There was nothing wrong with wearing a pretty gown, was there? I certainly hoped not because I ordered two more in sapphire and ruby tones. As we worked, Candace, Leif, and Gunnar came and went with matters requiring my attentions. I’d learned to handle interruptions and not let them distract me for them task at hand, usually, but Leif and Gunnar posed a distraction no matter what they did.
Two more handsome men would be difficult to find.
Chapter Eighteen
The moon shone through one of the windows in the hallway, my only light except for the candles that flickered in sconces along the walls. I couldn’t sleep. There were too many things on my mind. My slippers made padding noises on what I knew were cold floors. Shivering, I wrapped my robe tighter around my chest and tugged on the belt to make it tighter. I’d tossed and turned, wallowing in ruminations until I couldn’t stand to think any longer. Candace bolted to action when she heard me up and about, but I waved her off.
Even a queen needed a moment to herself.
There were issues on my mind. Leif, for one. I’d intended with everything in me to keep him at a distance and yet the moment we were alone in the tower, I knew that notion was ridiculous at best. He called to me and my wolf in ways I could never put words to. My entire body blossomed in his presence despite the fact that he aggravated the ever-loving tar out of me.
Then there was Gunnar. Not much to say there. He hadn’t responded to my request to get to know each other and that I knew, no one in the kingdom had heard from him since. I didn’t consider it a total loss but the fact that I’d turned him away bothered me.
I’d wandered the halls until I turned around, once, then again, and realized I was lost.
“Great,” I muttered and grabbed one of the oil lamps from a nearby table. I was surrounded by stone walls, all which blended together to make a maze that I was sure would throw anyone’s sense of direction off.
Behind me, there was nothing but darkened hallway and jumping candles. In front of me was a large wooden door with one slat of wood keeping it closed from the outside. The hallway seemed creeping and looming even though I’d just come from that direction, or maybe the stairway on the side of me. I’d been buried so deeply in my own thoughts that honestly, I didn’t know where I came from or how far I’d traveled from my quarters.
“Might as well see where this goes,” I said and put the oil lamp down to move the slat holding the door closed. It opened but only after I gave it a great shove. A whoosh of cold, damp air hit me in the face making it seem like winter was dancing right on the other side.
After picking up the lamp and shining it into the darkness, I realized on the other side of the heavy door was a spiral stairway that led downward. There were no candles here to lead the way. In fact, the whole thing seemed like a never-ending tunnel of ink.
“Hello?” I called out and then laughed at my own silliness. Even if someone answered or something made a noise, I wouldn’t be able to hear it. It wasn’t as though someone was going to come up the stairs and mouth hello in the middle of the night.
I took the stairs one by one, clutching the fabric of my robe against not only the solid chill in the air but against my fear which had taken hold about halfway down the stone stairs.
I’d never been here before, that much I was sure of. I knew there were lower levels to the castle, but no one had ever mentioned what took place there. The rancid smells of sweat, vomit, and putrid water filled my nose as soon as my foot hit the last step.
Whatever was down here wasn’t in good shape.
My oil lamp lit up several hallways that made a trident in front of me. I took the one on the right, immediately finding some torches to light along the way.
