Page 6 of The Chaosweaver's Daughter
Nes gulped. An interview she could handle, but a meal?
“Yes,” the queen took over. “We’ll have you set up in a chamber and look forward to dining with you this evening.”
“Thank you.” Nesrina managed graciousness in spite of her nerves as her fingernails tapped a little rhythm against her teacup.
It did not go unnoticed by the queen. “Miss Kiappa, I assure you we don’t bite—”
“Us adults at least,” the king boomed, laughing heartily at his own joke.
“Neither do the twins... anymore.” Queen Hevva shrugged.
Nesrina’s lips threatened to smile as she sipped her tea and tried to convince herself she had a handle on the situation. Her education was a point of pride. Her ability to learn and retain knowledge? Exquisite. Her skill in working with children? Passable. Her confidence in mingling with nobility? Miniscule. But still, she could do this. She could get through a dinner and secure her role.
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Nesrina doesn’t love pink.
AchambermaidwhiskedNesthroughthe halls while peppering her with information about the twins’ schedule and their team of two nannies and two academic tutors. With business out of the way, the maid lapsed into silence, and nothing but thetap tap tapof their shoes marked their movement down the spacious corridor.
They stopped before a glossy white panel, one of four in the short hallway, and when the young woman pushed open the door, Nes thought she’d died and gone to the stars. The chamber was a dream come true... a very pink, very patterned, very plush dream come true. Perhaps a little too pink for her tastes, but she couldn’t deny the room was gorgeous.
“Are you certain this is for me?” Nes breathed, peering in, unwilling to step over the threshold, positive a miscommunication must have happened somewhere along the line.
“Yes, my lady. Queen’s orders.” The maid bowed her head, looking terrified, as if Nesrina herself were a noble—a rude one, too—like that man from the grand hall.
As though her thoughts unwittingly summoned him, boot heels on the parquet called her attention down the long corridor to her left. His dark clothing and hair stood in stark contrast with the white paneled walls as he ambled in her direction, eyes cast down.
Go into the study. Go down the stairs. Turn. Turn. Turn.
He kept coming. She didn’t think he noticed her but couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t as if he’d shout down the hall, “Potential staff shouldn’t be on this level!”... probably. Still, fear of facing another awkward encounter vastly outweighed any trepidation Nes felt about entering her new room. In a panicked move, she dashed in and hopped off to the side, crouching behind a dresser.
“Are you well, my lady?” The maid stepped into the doorway.
“Yes,” she squeaked in a whisper as the reedy man drifted past. One of the doors at the end of her short hall clicked closed, and she cursed under her breath—in Old Tongue so it still passed as ladylike.
“Of course, my lady. I’ll return in two hours to take you to dinner. Ring if you need anything.” She gestured to a cord on the wall, then dipped a curtsy and pulled the enormous door closed.
Nesrina slumped, releasing some of the tension wracking her. Only some, because she still had an important dinner to attend with the royal family. Shaking out her limbs in an effort to reset, she set about exploring her new room.So very pink.
Her massive bed looked plush, but pink. There was a tower sitting area—yes—with two pink chairs, and a private bathing chamber, with a tub that hadtaps—not pink.
Don’t lose yourself to the glitz.Nes recalled her papa’s proverb as she knelt beside her bathtub, eyeing the rushing water with reverence. A familiar pulse of curiosity bled through her veins as she studied the technology. Papa had told her about the palace’s indoor water, but she could not comprehend how it might function. It must be the work of watercoursers. Making a mental note to learn more to share with her mother, a watercourser, she left the tub filling, gave the spigot a little pat, and went to unpack.
She wasn’t getting lost, she was learning.
With her finest dress drenched from the rain soaking through her bag, Nes settled for second best: a deep blue one with a wide neck that dipped below her collarbones. It was an affordable plaid wool, it traveled well, and the style was acceptable, if not the newest fashion. None of her clothes were from the current season, so it didn’t much matter what she picked.
When Papa unexpectedly passed, income came to a near standstill. The money from Mama’s work as a laundress didn’t offer much, and what they did have went toward his funeral expenses and their mourning attire. Black and lavender filled her meager closet for a full year. And although Nes had been out of mourning for another year since, she hadn’t been willing to spend the coin on anything new when her old dresses were functional. That was before the summons from the king. Now, she wished she’d bought at least one or two new items.
For a brief moment, she considered creating a gown. It would be easy to pull one together with her magic. She had a few styles memorized for the odd formal occasion, and this fit the bill. But it wouldn’t be wise to split her focus, not when her own clothing was perfectly acceptable.
With that settled, she set off to impress the royal family.
Afamiliargolden-hairedguardstoodby the door outside the king and queen’s private dining chamber.
With a decidedly flirtatious smile, Rihan stepped forward, his voice barely a whisper as he said, “Sorry to have missed you earlier. We rotate shifts every few hours, to cover breaks.”
She nodded, hoping her blush hadn’t climbed past her neckline. She hated when that happened.
