Page 41 of Shadows and Roses

"Hello?"

The bright voice belonged to a young girl in the doorway. She waved with a tentative smile. Behind her, as though standing guard against the wall, the steward watched them.

"Hello there," Castien replied carefully.

"I’m Silarya Kipos. What’s your name?"

"Castien FitzUmbra. Pleased to meet you, my lady."

She giggled. "That’s a funny name. Nice to meet you, Escort Castien. Escort Vern says you like gardens. Would you like to see the Queen's rose garden? It's the only one in the palace. In the whole nation!"

The steward had probably read his file. Unlike the royal courtesan’s small and impersonal rooms, his chambers at the House of Shadows were spacious, luxurious, and to his preferences. They also included an outdoor area with a patio and a small garden. His House would have noted the care and time he put into that garden.

And he couldn’t refuse a child. "I’d like that."

The girl turned to Vern. "Can I take him to the rose garden, Escort?"

The steward raised a brow. "May."

She paused. "MayI show Escort Castien the rose garden?"

Vern smiled. "Yes, Lady Silarya. May I join you?"

"Ok," the girl chirped before dashing off down the hall. "Come on!" Her voice echoed as she quickly drew away.

"Best follow the lady, Escort." Vern turned a sharper smile to Castien.

There was something predatory about this man. He was cold and blunt at court, strict yet polite to children. This wing clearly wasdifferent, Castien had to admit.

They trailed behind the girl as she meandered through the halls.

Vern spoke. "We have not been properly introduced. I am Escort Vern, the steward and chancellor. How is your room in the Queen's Wing?"

Peaceful. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so resentful. Was he really protesting that they’d saved his life? He sighed. "Pleasant."

"Good. Let the servants know if you need anything."

He doubted they could sneak him out. "Whose daughter is she?"

"Silarya is the granddaughter of Satryani Kipos, Duchess of the Nerian Fields. A councilor from the old reign—Anais' grandmother’s time."

Disgust was in his voice when he said ‘old reign’.

The girl traced her fingers on the wall’s swirling waters, then waved to the guards at the door. After a glance at the Escorts, the guards waved back. They stopped to let her chat.

Normalcy felt odd. His arms itched, waiting for a bored noble to catch his wrist. He’d yet to see a whip. Castien almost laughed. Instead, he asked, "The Queen mentioned I’d have a new schedule?"

"Hm. Yes. For this first week, you will remain in the Queen's Wing. After, you will share Escort duties with Darius—or if we find a more suitable task." Vern provided a few other details when the girl started skipping away: physical training with a focus on combat, and education in any areas he might be lacking. "The first week is a familiarization period. Our Queen is never wrong—we simply like to learn more about our new members," Vern added. To evaluate him for themselves, more like. And a chance for him to do the same.

As different as this wing may appear, they all seemed to support the Queen, and by extension, the court. Niko’s warningrang in his mind. Vern—Count Vern—was a noble, and a particularly dangerous one at that.

They turned into a well-guarded hall where the Queen's bedroom lurked in the dark end. A familiar scent drifted in the air—her scent. The right side of the hall opened to a large outdoor garden.

In rounded bundles contained by short, trimmed bushes, roses of every color bloomed. Deep red lined the main walkway from the garden entrance to a raised gazebo at the far end. On each side of the main row, the colors shifted—orange to yellow, magenta to purple. A rainbow split in half. Around the edges of the garden were mottled, striped, and other patterned roses, creating an explosion of color. The blossoms beside his hand were red on the edges, softly fading to a pure white center.

Summer heat was starting to set into the day, but the girl didn’t seem to mind. She dashed a few steps onto the grass before suddenly stopping and turning. "Can—MayI explore the gardens, Escort Vern?"

"Go ahead, Lady Sil. Keep in sight, please."

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