Chapter 1 38

CAMILLA’S P.O.V

Christine left very early the next morning and if anyone had any questions about where she was going, they kept it to themselves. She assured us that she would be back as soon as possible and it wasn’t until after she was gone that I realized just how much she helped us with Aurora. Audrey was in school but Christine spent most of her time with Aurora and I didn’t even realize it, carrying around an infant while trying to work was another special kind of dedication.

“Do you want me to take her for a while?” Ryker asked but I shook my head. I was just getting the hang of things and he had a lot more on his plate at the moment.

“I can take her, don’t worry,” I assured him as I looked down at her. “She isn’t as frolicky as I thought she would be. I’ll just put her in a bassinet while I work.”

“Camilla,” there was something in the way that he said my name, something raw and exposed that had me looking up at him.

He didn’t say a single word, he just looked at me and I didn’t realize when I handed her over. He needed her comfort and presence a lot more than I did and I didn’t even notice. His eyes thanked me when his mouth couldn’t and he placed a kiss on my forehead. It was at times like this that I wished I could help Ryker, times like this that I wished he would let me into his head and allow me comfort him the way he does with me but Ryker is nothing if not proud and he loved to do things by himself. He loved having a firm grip on everything including his emotions and it didn’t matter how much I tried and probed, he would only reveal his cards when we were ready.

I didn’t know when my hand touched his bicep in encouragement but I gave him a small smile and turned on my heels. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away and all I could do was hope that he would be fine. I had to speak to some of the maids and guards to find out what I could about Alara. Christine suggested that it might help.

When I got to my office, the head maid was waiting for me. I didn’t know her name and if she had told me then I had forgotten it. She was an older woman with dark brown hair that was tied low at the base of her skull in a bun. Her eyes were kind but sharp and she reminded me of that kind aunt who would give you cookies but also smack your hand if you were playing too/rough.

“Your majesty,” she bowed the moment she noticed me walk in. “I was surprised to receive your summon. What can I do for you?”

“Please sit,” I waved my hand in the direction of the chair and I saw her hesitate.

Surely, she had figured out that if it was something little, I would have just asked about

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Chapter 13

importance- at least to me. She sat down and kept her hands clasped in front of her. She wouldn’t look me

to work with the maids, right?” I asked and

it was at the behest of his majesty. If I had known that he didn’t order that then I

isn’t why I am here right now. I want you to tell me about her. There is

barely spent time with her outside of work,” she tried to explain.

you have been trained to notice tells

but she has always been weird. She would always disappear at the oddest hours and I remembered seeing

asked and she

was ongoing. I always thought it was insane and she had a death wish but she always came back unharmed. I assumed she just took a walk around the palace or lingered by

a minute. What could Alara possibly have wanted outside the palace in the dead of night? It had to be important if she was

idea what she was doing?” I asked and

enough to risk dying that is for sure. All I know is that she was also very secretive. She was always passing notes and writing them using lime juice so they couldn’t be read. She is crazy smart and manipulative as well, she would get the other girls to do her chores and never do theirs in return. She had her ways of just convincing everyone that she was good and to an extent, I could argue that she is but that manipulative streak keeps

of this before?” I asked and she shrugged.

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Chapter 1 38

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have dealt with

the past?” The woman hesitated as if she wasn’t sure if her next words would offend me. “Speak, there is nothing you

speak then closed it and leaned across the table. When she spoke, she made sure that her voice was

is idle talk because everyone knows that he will not look away from you but Alara had always said that she felt something between them. I just thought that she was being delusional she wouldn’t be the first one. So many of my girls have

I deduced and she nodded. “You have

her feet and bowed. She walked away until she was at the door but paused with her hand on the kn ob. She turned back to me with

that I don’t believe

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