Page 39 of Monster's Bride

How could he be so rude?

Lizette sighs beside me. “That was a little hard to watch but try not to jump to conclusions. He might have good reasons for being that way.”

“He has audacity, that’s for sure.”

My feet keep moving, carrying me without a destination in mind. My only wish is to get as far away from the dining hall as possible before any of the royal family members excuse themselves as well.

“Maybe it’s customary?” Lizette presses. “Maybe he’s just shy?”

I snort a laugh. He pinned my naked ass six feet in the air in the middle of a hallway. I know he’s not shy.

“Or maybe he’s just a bigger dickhead than I gave him credit for.” My irritation is quickly turning to anger, and if we don’t change the subject soon, I might go on a rampage.

Lizette knows it too because she quickly drops it. “Do you have any idea where you’re going?”

“Nope,” I answer without hesitation. “I don’t even know where we are.”

She laughs, throwing her head back as her shoulders shake, and the sight quickly puts a smile on my face. Seeing her happy, even at my expense, is a relief after the turmoil of the last few days. It takes me back to our daily treks through the castle in Hyatt, when the only things we were concerned about were the dinner menu and our outfits for the evening.

Our lives may have changed drastically, but moments like these remind me that some things will never change. Come what may, Liz will always be in my corner.

“Well, we could turn around and go back the way we came,” she says, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. “Orwe could take a self-guided tour and see what we happen upon. What will it be?”

I’m surprised she even asked. The absolute last thing I want to do is turn around and head back to the dining hall, so self-guided tour it is.

“If we’re lucky, we’ll get lost until lunchtime,” I say halfheartedly. At least that way, I won’t have to talk to anyone besides Liz until then.

“And if we’re unlucky, we’ll get lost until dinner,” Liz jokes, nudging me with her elbow. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

With a chorus of laughter, we continue down the hall, set on discovering the secrets of the castle.

I knew the castle was enormous judging by the outside, but it only got bigger after my walk with Nor and the journey to breakfast this morning. Now, I’m almost convinced there is magic within the castle walls that creates new corridors. Every turn takes us down a new hallway, adorned with elaborate artwork and beautifully decorated doorways. We slow down to admire the craftsmanship of the statues in every corner, to ponder over the history of the gilded war images. I never realized how much I didn’t know about Ulleh until I got here.

Now,I realize I knew nothing at all.

“There has to be a library around here somewhere,” I say, eyeing the doorway to our right curiously. We’ve passed dozens of closed doors, but as curious as I am, I’m too afraid to go snooping. What if we stroll into a minotaur’s bedchamber who mistakes us for assailants and impales us on his horns?

I’m not tempted enough to risk it yet.

“There is,” Lizette assures me as we round a corner. “I was talking to some of the servants last night, but they didn’t have time to show me where it was.”

Bummer.

I’d love to dive into some of Ulleh’s history books to learn what I can about my new kingdom. My new home. I could always ask Nor about it, but I’d rather not speak to him if I can avoid it. Maybe Queen Torria could show me, since she’s clearly the most accepting of my presence.

A blue-paned door comes into view, and Lizette immediately points it out. “Look how pretty,” she says, eyes wide as we draw closer.

It only takes me a second to realize I’ve seen it before.

“I know where we are,” I gasp, heart skipping an excited beat. “Well, not exactly, but that leads to a little garden.”

“A garden?” Liz looks at me curiously, eyebrows raised. “How do you know?”

“Nor and I went there after the wedding last night,” I say, firmly shoving the thoughts of us sitting together under the stars out of my mind. It sounds way more romantic than it was, so I decide to leave my explanation at that. “I can’t tell you what kind of plants there were because it was dark, but there may be things you can use in your potions.”

Her eyes brighten. “Really? Do you think it would be okay to take a look?”

I shrug. “I don’t see why not.”

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