Page 18 of Her Dark Reflection

I beamed up at him. ‘Thank you. I appreciate your mercy.’

‘I expect you’ll make me glad of it,’ he said, his gaze slipping away from my face and down my body.

I curtsied low, feeling pleased. He was flirting with me. ‘I should leave you to your evening and your companion. Goodnight, Your Majesty.’

He seemed for a moment as though he was going to say something else but didn’t stop me as I withdrew from the room and back past the young guard, who gave me a hopeful smile. I flicked my hair and blew him a kiss, then twiddled my fingers in a wave as I walked back down the hallway.

That had been easier than I had anticipated. If only I had brought the blasted apple along with me. I hadn’t wanted to be caught wandering the palace with it, especially when I wasn’t sure whether the apartment I was looking for was even the king’s. And if Mrs Corkill had discovered me out of my room, she would have gone through my pockets again, thinking I was stealing a few last-minute items before I was thrown out in the morning.

Now I just had to hope that the king wouldn’t change his mind.

Senafae was snoring softly when I slipped back into our room, and I watched her for a few moments, marking the slow rise and fall of her chest until I was convinced she really was asleep. Then, I opened the side table drawer and rooted around in my underclothes until my fingers met with smooth, cold skin. I pulled the apple out for a moment, feeling the pull of sudden hunger, the craving to bite. It still looked perfect. How long would it stay that way? Would it begin to rot, or was it immune to Taveum’s influence?

How would I get the king to eat it?

Sitting here, I realised how absurd it was. I had seen the delicacies being served that night. A humble apple was hardly going to fit in on his table.

I stuffed the apple back in the drawer, undressed, and slithered into bed. Apple dilemma or no, I was looking forward to seeing the look on Mrs Corkill’s face in the morning.

Thenextdaydawnedwithout an escort waiting to stuff me into a carriage and wave me off, so I went about dressing and breakfasting as I usually would. Mrs Corkill found me in the dining room and beckoned me into the hall. I wore my best approximation of someone meek and sad and solemnly accepting of her punishment. The housekeeper, on the other hand, looked as though someone had served her a plate of earwax for breakfast.

‘His Majesty and I have decided to offer you a second chance,’ she began, and I resisted the urge to laugh.His Majesty and Iindeed, as though the two were bosom buddies, partners in making a decision, when I knew very well that he would have pronounced his verdict and she would have swallowed it without a word of protest.

‘You will be permitted to remain in the palace for the duration of the treaty celebrations, as originally agreed in your contract, provided there are no further incidents that call into question your trustworthiness,’ she finished.

‘Thank you, Mrs Corkill. You’ve no idea how grateful I am,’ I said, my tone syrupy.

She stared at me with eyes as cold and hard as river rocks. ‘I will be watching you. Do not think you will be excused twice.’

‘Of course. It won’t happen again.’ I clasped my hands together and tried for sincerity, and it must have been at least halfway convincing for she nodded curtly.

‘Good. You may resume your breakfast.’ When she turned her back, I couldn’t help but stick my tongue out at her.

When I returned to the dining table, I caught Vanaria watching me with a feline interest, before she turned to Elovissa and said in a loud whisper, ‘I wonder what’s wrong with her? If she’s poor enough to steal cutlery, she mustn’t make very good money as a maisera.’ Elovissa shot me a glance, caught me looking, and quickly turned back to Vanaria to murmur something behind her hand. They both collapsed in a fit of giggles.

‘I should thank you, Vanaria,’ I said. ‘Your little ploy was actually very helpful.’

She tossed her hair. ‘How pathetic, to try blamingmefor your weakness. I almost feel sorry for you.’

‘As much as I appreciate your pity, it would be wasted on me. After all, I had an excellent excuse to seek out the king last night. He wasveryunderstanding.’

The smirk slipped from Vanaria’s face like melting butter. ‘Beauty will only get you so far. It takes charm and talent to be a true maisera. He’ll quickly lose interest.’

I offered her an icy smile. ‘You’d better hope so. Because if he doesn’t, you may have made yourself a powerful enemy.’

She only rolled her eyes. ‘You think a lot of yourself for such a nobody. Where have you come from again? Probably some flesh house in the Trough.’ Her expression suddenly perked with interest, and she leaned forward on the table. ‘Maybe I should find out.’

I chewed on a reply for a moment before swallowing it and turning away from her to find my seat at the end of the table. The last thing I needed was for that viper to go poking about in my history.

Senafae was fixing me with a strange look when I sat back down.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.

Her brows were drawn, her mouth rigid, and she sat with her cutlery dangling from her hands, her meal forgotten. ‘You told me you went to the infirmary last night,’ she said. ‘I thought you weren’t feeling well.’

‘What are you, my madam?’ I snapped. Her face twitched, hurt spilling over her expression, and regret stung me in the chest.

She stared at her plate for a moment, before dropping her cutlery to the table. ‘You don’t owe me your secrets. But I don’t want to be fed your lies, either.’

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