Page 91 of Legacy of Glass
“What?” Daphne asked dryly. “Conduct the interrogation ourselves? I suppose you’re trained in the skillful questioning of hostile prisoners, are you? I didn’t realize that was part of the crown princess’s duties.”
Olivia sighed and finally collapsed into a chair. “When you put it like that, I do sound ridiculous, don’t I?”
Daphne smiled, but the expression didn’t last long. “I understand your concern. There is definitely something strange about this situation. They should be hailing you as a hero right now, not leaving you here, excluded and alone to worry.” Her voice dropped. “I expected more from your prince.”
Olivia frowned. “It isn’t Julius’s fault. His duty as crown prince is heavy, and if there’s a legitimate matter of concern to the kingdom, then of course he must attend to it.”
“Ifbeing the crucial word in that sentence,” Daphne muttered.
Olivia rubbed her neck. “It’s nearly time for the evening meal. We’re scheduled to eat with Julius and his parents, so let’s wash up and dress appropriately. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to hear what’s going on over the food.”
Daphne looked skeptical, but she didn’t protest, allowing Olivia to leave for her own suite.
The corridors of the palace were abuzz, but no one stopped her—if anything, they seemed to be avoiding her—and she reached her suite quickly. Inside, she found Mildred out of her usual nest, cowering behind a sofa. It was a comical sight, given the mouse was much larger than the back of the chair, but Olivia hurried to her side, murmuring quiet reassurances.
“Did you pick up on the atmosphere of the palace, girl?” she whispered, patting Mildred’s soft fur. “Don’t worry, you’re safe.” Determination hardened in her voice. “I’m about to find out what’s going on.”
The mouse finally calmed and returned to her nest, and Olivia moved to her bedchamber. But as soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, she froze.
The entire room lay in ruins. Her bed curtains had been pulled down and the bedclothes thrown across the room. All her drawers had been pulled out and their contents piled haphazardly on the floor. The wardrobe doors stood open, and a figure leaned inside, in the process of rifling through her dresses.
“What?” Olivia gasped, too shocked to avoid the loud exclamation.
The man immediately straightened and turned to look at her. Their eyes met across the room, and Olivia’s mouth dropped open.
“Zane!? What in the kingdoms are you doing right now?”
Of all the unexpected happenings of the day, finding Julius’s friend destroying her room was the most unexpected and inexplicable.
Zane sprang into motion, sprinting toward her. Skirting the bed, he leaped over the piles of her discarded belongings.
Too late, Olivia tried to flee. She didn’t make it more than a few steps before he caught her, grabbing both her arms in an iron grip.
“Let go of me!” She kicked at him and opened her mouth to scream.
He dodged, twisting her around and restraining her with a single arm across her middle, her back to his chest and both her arms trapped. It left his other hand free to cover her mouth.
Olivia struggled wildly, but her efforts did little to loosen his hold.
“Where is it?” he growled in her ear. “Where have you stashed it?”
Olivia shrugged, trying to indicate that she couldn’t answer with a hand over her mouth. He seemed to get the point because he slowly removed his hand, although his arm still hovered ready to silence her again.
“Zane, seriously!” she cried. “What are you doing? What are you even looking for? I haven’t stashed anything anywhere!”
But even as she said the words, a thought made her stiffen. She did usually have something stashed in her room. Something she had slipped into her pocket that morning, just in case.
“That’s right,” Zane said. “Where is that Auldanan mirror of yours? And what does it do?”
Cold seeped through Olivia. In all her calculations on whether or not to keep the mirror, she’d never envisaged this scenario. She should have handed it over to Julius long ago.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said stiffly, but Zane only laughed.
“If it isn’t in the room,” he said, “then perhaps…”
He used his free hand to tap at her pockets, quickly finding the bulky shape of the mirror in the second one.
“Aha!”
