Page 64 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

Vera fell silent for a while, until—

‘I’ve heard that there was a wyverian king once that could turn into shadows.’ Mal tensed, unsure of where the conversation was going. ‘They say he also possessed a shadowwyvern.’

Mal turned her head to look at her maid properly. ‘And where exactly did you hear this tale?’

Vera shrugged. ‘Oh, just stories servants tell each other to pass the time, your highness.’

Mal knew she should leave it at that—she should not start putting her nose into affairs that did not concern her. But knowing that Vera heard all kinds of tales through the castle made Mal itch with the need to know Ash’s secrets.

‘Has the prince ever been formerly engaged?’ Mal asked casually while her maid finished rinsing her hair.

‘I do not believe so, your highness.’

‘Surely he has had many…’ Mal struggled to find the appropriate word. ‘Admirers.’

‘Oh, yes. Quite a few.’

Mal climbed out of the tub, allowing Vera to wrap a red towel around her body. She would not permit the maid to dry her off, that was still too personal. There were certain customs she was willing to partake in—having someone’s hands over her body was not one of them. Vera would wash her hair, nothing more.

‘Has he ever been in love before?’ Mal opened her wardrobe and studied the different dresses inside, her head tilted, pretending to be more interested in the gowns than the answer.

Mal sneered the moment she heard the maid swallow nervously. Twisting around with a gown in her hands, she lifted an eyebrow, waiting.

‘Well… I think…’ Vera began playing with her hands. ‘He… it was not…’

‘What was she like?’

Vera sighed, defeated. ‘She was lovely. A noble’s daughter.’

‘What happened?’

‘I think they realised it could not go any further.He is the Fire Prince and her titles were not close enough to be a contender in marriage. So, one day she left. I heard that she had become betrothed to someone else, which broke his heart.’

Mal observed her maid carefully. That story would be believable if princess Alina had not admitted that the young girl Ash had fallen for had had purple eyes. Which meant that somehow, the Fire Prince had fallen in love with a witch. Surely everyone had kept it a secret. Perhaps only his sister and he knew the truth. That was in Mal’s opinion the most likely reality.

Mal focused on Vera. She could not quite explain it. Perhaps it was from observing her maid a bit too carefully and obsessively, but she had picked up on the way Vera acted so timidly and nervously when she knew someone was watching and then, her entire posture would change when she believed to be alone. Or maybe it was the way those drakonian eyes sharpened when someone said something, something she clearly did not agree with. No other maid reacted in such a way, they were utterly submissive. A blank canvass with no emotion or expression.

What made Vera different?

‘What about your family, Vera?’ Mal asked, changing the subject, pretending to have grown bored of talking about the prince. She finished drying off and let her maid help dress her and comb her hair. ‘Do they also work in the castle?’

Vera shook her head. ‘No, they are back home.’

‘Do you have any siblings?’

Vera couldn’t help but smile. ‘Yes, I do. Two sisters in fact, your highness. You cannot imagine my father’s despair.’

Both laughed.

‘Are you the oldest?’ Mal asked, genuinely interested.

‘I’m actually the youngest. My sister Dawn is the oldest andshe would always boss us around, which drove me insane if I’m allowed to be honest, your highness. I think I was closer to my sister Allegra because only a year separated us.’

Mal watched her maid in the reflection of the mirror, her smile growing deeper and meaner, wickedly dangerous.

She listened to Vera, her smile never diminishing. It did not falter even when the maid realised, those eyes shining with momentary fear and confusion.

‘They sound lovely,’ Mal said, her voice dripping with venom.

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