“He certainly appears to have enough wisdom to let her run the servants as she sees fit.”
“Well, if you need me to spill something else, it’s a task I’m willing to undertake for the good of the cause.” Bryony polished off the final bite. “As you can see, no sacrifice is too great to assist your noble quest, Princess.”
I laughed and assured her I’d let her know if I needed her services, but I was the one to knock over a vase less than a week later. I wasn’t usually so clumsy and even wondered if my subconscious was creating an accident on purpose. Whatever the cause, I once again summoned Ida.
But when I finally dared to ask the mildest of questions about the politics of the capital, using my most nonchalant voice, she instantly went quiet. We had no more conversation that day. Which left me with a burning question. Was Ida scared or was she hiding something?
Chapter 14
The next evening, a knock on the outer door of my suite startled me. I rarely had visitors at that entrance who needed to knock. When I opened the door to find Zora waiting in the corridor, my surprise grew. For a moment we assessed each other in silence, and then I gestured for her to enter my sitting room.
I could think of no reason for the head servant to be visiting me, which only confirmed that the timing was far from coincidental. Apparently I had rattled Ida enough to send her to Zora. Although that knowledge still didn’t provide an answer to my question.
“Your Highness, I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion,” Zora said smoothly, once she was inside with the door closed behind her.
“Your presence could never be an intrusion, Zora. Please sit down.”
“I would prefer to stay standing if you don’t mind.” She paused. “Although I thank you for the invitation.”
“Certainly.” I remained standing as well.
“I am merely here to inquire if Ida’s service has been to your satisfaction of late.”
“I have no complaints, I assure you. She has always performed her duties admirably.”
“I’m glad to hear it. She has always been a diligent worker, or I would not have assigned her to you.”
“As I said, I have no complaints. Why? Has someone else complained about her work?”
“No indeed. I merely consider it incumbent on me to check on those within my care from time to time. We live close together here at the Academy and are more than a team. I would consider us more like a family.”
“A family that I’m sure you run with excellence and precision,” I said. “It’s clear that Ida would not consider seeking a position elsewhere, although her sealed status must put her in higher demand than many other servants.”
“There are few in this region who have reason to employ servants.”
“But this is not the only region in Kallorway.” I kept my voice light. “As I said, I congratulate you.” I met her eyes boldly. “I’m surprised you haven’t ever considered a position elsewhere yourself. I imagine someone with your skills and vision might rise high at the capital.”
“I will never leave the Academy,” she said, her voice flat.
“Then the Academy is fortunate indeed. I cannot regret your choice, although I fear you are somewhat wasted in your current position. If you’ll allow me to say so.”
“You’re a princess, Your Highness,” she said, a note of humor in her voice. “You can say what you please.”
I chuckled. “If only that were true. I think there are few of us indeed who can truly say what we please. Especially in Kallorway.” I paused. “Or has that not been your experience?”
“I like you, Princess Verene,” Zora said, her manner changing suddenly. “I have ever since you arrived. So I would caution you not to make the mistake of thinking the Academy is Kallorway.”
“We are remote here, of course,” I said cautiously. “And out of touch with the ways of court, I suppose.”
She gave a bitter laugh. “No one in Kallorway is free from the poisoned influence of the court. But it is true that we are somewhat shielded here.”
I raised my brows at her open comment. Something in her manner reminded me of my conversation with Hugh and Raelynn the year before. They had seemed to have the same barely disguised contempt toward the court. Perhaps such an attitude was necessary to accept long term residence in such a remote location.
“I bow to your greater experience.” I carefully kept my voice neutral.
She weighed me again with her eyes. “You may have an opportunity to judge for yourself soon enough.”
“To judge the court?” My mind flew immediately to the upcoming Midwinter celebrations. But I had heard no rumors of the duke repeating his invitation for guests to join us at the Academy.
“I have heard the king, in his gracious wisdom, has issued an invitation to the duke.” Her tone turned gracious wisdom into a biting insult.
“An invitation for me?” I frowned. Why would he send an invitation for me to the duke?
“An invitation for the entire Academy. Apparently he wishes to return the hospitality we extended to him last Midwinter. And so he is to hold a ball for you all at his castle in Kallmon. For the trainees and instructors and their families.” She gave me a wry smile. “Or so I hear.”
“I suppose,” I said lightly, “if the rumor is true, then I’ll hear an official announcement from the duke soon enough.”
“Yes, I suppose you will,” she agreed. “If the rumors are true.” She eyed me calculatingly. “If anyone wanted to see the true state of Kallorway for themselves, the court at Kallmon would be a fine place to start. Although I could understand if the duke had some hesitations about allowing his trainees to travel outside the safety of the Academy walls.”
Understanding finally dawned. I hadn’t heard anything about it because the duke had received the invitation but was undecided on how to answer. And I was likely his primary concern.
“No doubt you are right,” I said. “And I’m sure we can trust the duke to arrive at the wisest conclusion.”
A sardonic light entered her eye. “As you say, Your Highness.” She gave me a perfunctory curtsy, and I thanked her again for her visit and for assigning Ida to me. I kept my face and voice light and open, but as soon as the door closed behind her, I began to pace the room.
I couldn’t trust Cassius’s sudden desire to invite me to Kallmon. But I was also unlikely to get a safer opportunity to visit than in the midst of the entire Academy. Zora said the capital was the place to go to see the real Kallorway, and I believed her. But if I had understood her message correctly, she thought the duke would need some encouragement.
Drawing a deep breath, I retrieved one of my communication compositions.
My arms felt strangely reticent as I instructed them to tear the parchment, as if they had a mind of their own and hated to use the valuable working. But timing might be critical here. I ripped the paper cleanly in half.
A ball of power unfurled and hovered in front of me. I leaned forward to speak directly into it.
“I need to speak to Queen Lucienne about an opportunity that has presented itself.”
The power folded itself around my words as if they were physical things that could be held in your hand. I could almost feel them hovering still in the air. But for several beats nothing else happened. Was I meant to do something? But as the silence stretched out, the power finally moved, picking up speed as it dove straight thorough the wall of my room. I could feel it for some distance, speeding away toward Corrin.