Page 46 of Beyond Those Gilded Walls

My sixth night in the castle, the ballroom had been transformed into a vision of deep, warm blues and rich violets. It was beautiful, enchanting even, but my mind was elsewhere, back in that room beneath Tallon. His half-mask was black tonight, as was the rest of his attire, yet all I could see when I looked at him were the sprawling marks I knew lay beneath his shirt.

I again felt him watching me, but studiously avoided him. The letter to Emyl was once again tucked into my dress, my reminder of what was at stake and why I could not let myself fall prey to such fantasies. Tallon was first and foremost the prince’s right hand, and despite seeming to want to help me, I knew there was more at stake. Hours ago, when I agreed to his bargain, I just hadn’t cared.

Now that the energy from the nightmare, and then from the kiss, had worn off, my mind was clearer, and it was telling me that though I had little left to lose, there was always something left for Tallon to take. My life.

The party was quickly in full swing, the music and the dancing for once a welcome distraction. Weaving between the bodies and avoiding bumping into anyone kept my mind off other things, and so I threw myself into it. I was a frantic whirlwind about the ballroom, refilling drinks and plates as fast as they were emptied.

I had thrown myself into my work before, losing myself to the task and the instruction and tuning out everything else. Before, it had always been a welcome distraction, but this time was different, and here in the castle, I had to keep some awareness. That was the only reason I noticed the strands of conversation that cut through the music and made their way over to me as I laid out fresh treats along the table.

Looking up briefly, I immediately fixed my gaze back on the table once I realized that the speakers tucked behind a nearby column were Prince Eadric and Tallon. I continued my duties, only daring to lift my eyes infrequently and never my head. My hands shook slightly, but beneath the gloves and the veil, I could only hope it wasn’t enough for either of them to notice. The task was most important, and I set out each pastry with care, slowly and methodically.

“…is happening with you?” Prince Eadric poked his finger into Tallon’s chest. “You are not holding up…bargain.”

“My bargain…your father.”

“People…restless. The death rate…falling. This is not…you promised.”

“Would you like… kill everyone, then?”

My blood ran cold, hands freezing as they hovered to set out a pastry. The violins roared as the song crescendoed and startled me back out of my stillness. As the music softened, I caught the prince’s reply.

“No…do your job.” The prince was silent for a moment and his empty glass landed heavily on the table. “And you need to deal with…excuse for a servant. I will not…embarrass me again.”

“Understood.”

I wanted to vomit. Surely I’d missed vital pieces of the conversation, because from what I had heard, Tallon had some type of sway over the blood plague. Certainly it was impossible, but the irritation of the still-healing wound in my hand raised my doubts.

The servant he discussed was me, no doubt, as I was the only one that had come near embarrassing him in recent days, and while I was sure the prince and I had far different ideas of what it meant to deal with me, I wasn’t confident where Tallon fell between the two. I didn’t want to find out either. Our bargain was for the treatment for my brothers, not for my own safety.

Shuffled movements indicated the conversation was over and I ducked my head as the prince bustled past me, focusing on setting out the food and pretending with every ounce of my body that I had not overheard their conversation. Thankfully, he paid me no mind.

Tallon followed behind, and unlike the prince, he hesitated momentarily when he saw me, his steps faltering. He recovered quickly, though, offering me a small nod I did not return before he followed after the prince.

Hands shaking, I finished my task and then hastily but carefully retreated to the kitchens for a reprieve.

The kitchen was not the calm place to settle my mind like I’d hoped, though it did offer a distraction nonetheless in the form of Maricara and Elena pouring glasses of wine and trading whispered words between not-so-subtle glances at me. Focusing on them took my mind off Tallon and his conversation with the prince, even momentarily. My hands no longer shook and my breath returned in full, no longer catching in my throat.

I would not let myself consider the conversation, not until after the party was over and I was safely back in my room. Another public mistake would be the nail in my coffin, and I doubted Tallon would be able to save me this time, even if he wanted to.

Once again, I’d fallen victim to his games, believing the lies he whispered and believing myself smart enough to ignore the warnings Zaharya had so adamantly given.

I was nothing but foolish and naive, and now I would pay for it. The tray piled high with food once more, I held my chin high, ignored the whispers of Maricara and Elena, and returned to the ballroom.

For the first time in my life, whatever gods were left in Veressia had listened to my unspoken prayers and I had no opportunity to consider my predicament for the remainder of the party, too busy serving those Prince Eadric saw value in and ensuring I did not humiliate myself again.

Though there was no time to linger on what it meant, I also did not miss that Tallon had been following me whenever I was in the ballroom. His gaze felt different on my back than that of the revelers: they looked through me, only seeing a servant here to bend to their every whim, whereas he was looking at me, peering through my midnight violet shroud and looking at the person beneath.

And if he was not watching me, the Soulshade cat was by my side. In a way, I was grateful for the latter, as it seemed to drive away any other Soulshades. Its company was welcome, despite knowing that it served Tallon.

The bells tolled three hours past midnight, and the guests slowly began to disperse. Finally, as the early hours of the morning saw the crimson night begin to lighten, the ballroom was empty of all but the servants. My shoulders ached from the tension I’d carried there all evening, brought on by both my attempts to not make any more mistakes and my building apprehension over the bargain I’d made with Tallon.

Though I had no firm ideas yet, I knew that if Tallon was going to betray me to the prince, I needed to find the treatment first. He could have already told him, and the two were biding their time. Far more likely, though, was the notion that Tallon was playing another game, that my plans would be safe so long as I played along. But I had no time for games, and I needed that treatment. I would simply need to be more careful when trying to gain access to Prince Eadric’s rooms.

Tallon would not be the reason I failed my family.

The ballroom was quiet as we cleaned and thankfully, I’d been assigned to work alone. The others were nearby, and despite their best efforts to the contrary, I knew they were watching me, waiting for another outburst like before, waiting for me to slip up and give them reason to have Camelya get rid of me. They bothered me, their stares, but I’d come to accept them. There was nothing I could do, and acknowledging that they bothered me would likely only make them stare more obviously.

Cold curled around my ankle, and I briefly glanced down at the Soulshade cat at my side. It looked up at me, seemingly telling me that it would keep me safe tonight. I wasn’t sure how I knew that’s what its slow blink and head tilt meant, but I felt it in my heart. I wouldn’t question it; far stranger things had happened in this castle.

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