The Next Day
Carissa shuffled through her sheets of paper. Today was Lady Rita’s birthday celebration, and the woman had made a point to invite the most influential nobles. And she’d invited Carissa to make the celebratory speech.
A black smear drew her gaze to the page. She’d been so intent on her speech she hadn’t noticed it before; there were inky fingerprints dotting the paper. Carissa lifted a blackened hand and grimaced. Perhaps it’d happened when she’d been composing the speech. Or maybe her clammy palms had smeared the words.
There wasn’t any time to clean them. She’d just have to avoid touching anything.
“Would you like me to clear the table, your highness?”
Carissa slowed and glanced around. A nearby door was cracked open.
“No, thank you. I’ll wait a few more minutes.”
“Of course. If you need anything else, your highness, you only need summon me. You needn’t clean up yourself; it’s a servant’s job.”
“But isn’t that what I am? A glorified, well-dressed servant?”
Both men laughed.
Carissa crept towards the door. It sounded like Elon was talking to someone.
The other man finally sighed. “Your attitude closely resembles that of your adoptive father, you know. And you’re just as stubborn.”
“Yes, Barry, I know.” A smile lightened Elon’s tone.
Carissa placed her hand on the doorknob just as someone began to open it. She stifled a gasp and plastered herself to the wall. The servant strode down the hallway without looking back; he hadn’t seen her. She glanced to her right. And he’d left the door partially open.
She padded towards it and peered through the crack. Elon was seated at a table. It was of similar size to the great hall—where she’d eaten with the nobles her first morning in the palace. But it was smaller, with five seats at most. Only one seat was occupied—Elon’s seat.
Elon had his cheek propped on his fist, staring out the window. The food spread before him looking delicious—with a rainbow of jams, lush loaves of bread, slices of meat—but it appeared untouched.
And then she realized who he was waiting for: her.