I watched another girl’s body being carried out of the palace. My hand clenched around the edge of the basket I held. I shifted it and patted the papers n my pocket, the marriage contract between Ben and I. I owed Snow and Aurora something fierce for that one, next time I saw either of them again. By their power alone was I staying alive.
I took my basket downstairs to the laundries. There was a tiny breeze today, breaking the stillness ever so slightly, especially downstairs, where all the windows were thrown wide open. Found Schezzie lurking about and caught her fast.
“Schezzie, love, what’s wrong?”
Her face was drawn, her eyes red. She set down the sheet she was mending and turned to face me. Her eyes were red and puffy. I dropped my load and ran to hug her.
I stood in the doorway, using that ancient servants’ technique of being completely invisible no matter how many people were in a room. Normally, they carried the bodies out at this time and I was terribly worried about Schezzie. I could see Koru in his sitting room. He would write several things, drop his quill, walk around his desk twice, pulling at his hair, then start all over again when he sat down.
Johan came down the stairs, carrying a bundle.
My heart fluttered and I willed Koru not to glance into the hallway, for fear he would drop dead of an apoplexy on the spot.
Then I saw that Johan was alone. He was carrying bedclothes.
The plan had worked.
I ran across the hall to Koru’s study, slamming the door behind me. He glanced up and reminded me
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