“I wouldn’t go near the closet either,” said Souhi who stood nearby, looking at her meaningfully. “It doesn’t look stable.”
Lannahi assumed a cool expression and turned toward Ashared who was waiting at the doorway.
“Did you know this room was in such a state?” she asked, though she already knew the answer. The man seemed puzzled, and when their eyes met, he was clearly uncomfortable. He shook his head in denial, and Lannahi looked around at the mess again. “Advise me, then. Should I visit Lizaar right away or would it be better if I spoke to the stewardess first?”
Ashared clenched his jaw. Lannahi knew that by ordering him to betray one of his fellows, she wouldn’t gain his affection, but she couldn’t let the matter pass unnoticed.
“As you have experienced,” he said reluctantly, “Lizaar expresses her displeasure directly. I don’t think it was her idea.”
Lannahi nodded as if she expected such an answer. “I don’t see any servants around so I have to ask you to lend me one of the guardsmen. Please send him for the stewardess.”
Wordlessly, Ashared bowed and left.
Lannahi followed. “Dallal and Akammu,” she turned to her personal guards. “The captain will give you both a tour of the palace and the surrounding area. Start in the kitchen and tell the cook to prepare dinner for seven people in two hours.”
Both men nodded, but Ashared, who had swiftly returned, interjected, “Your Highness, if you don’t mind, I will send my deputy with them. I would prefer to stay to personally watch over your safety.”
I want to keep an eye on you.
Or,I was told to keep an eye on you.
“So be it,” she said, holding his gaze.
After Ashared delegated a fair-haired man named Kalahadd to escort her guards, a tense silence fell in the corridor. Esau glanced around, acquainting himself with their surroundings. Erril was staring brazenly at the palace guards as if he was tempted to provoke them. Blann was shifting from one foot to the other with a miserable expression. Only Souhi, who was finally forced out of the room by the unpleasant smell, seemed unfazed by the situation, as if an act of open defiance half an hour after the coronation profoundly fitted into her schedule.
Lannahi was ready to move on to her second plan, but after a few minutes, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Like the guards, the stewardess was dressed in white and gold, but her pants clung to her body, the upper part of her outfit resembled a tunic-long jacket, and the ornate embroidery replaced the stripes. What made her stand out the most, however, were her horns. Unlike most of the landshapers Lannahi had seen today, the woman’s horns didn’t grow from her temples, but from the sides of her head, and were not directed backward but upward. Lannahi couldn’t help but think of a bull.
“Did you call, YourHighness?” Gannar asked, looking down at her with ill-concealed amusement.
“I believe there was a mistake,” Lannahi said calmly, ignoring the fact that the stewardess didn’t bow as expected. For now, she was content with the knowledge that the woman had marks on her ears suggesting that she usually wore earrings, which she probably had taken off for fear of the enchanter’s magic. “My companions claim that you assigned this room as my private chamber, but its condition doesn’t indicate that it is ready for usage. I’d like to hear your explanation or the names of the servants responsible for this negligence.”
“There are no servants in the palace,” Gannar declared in a tone that suggested she was puzzled by her ignorance. “The conditions are harsh in winter, and the humans are too weak for their breeding and training to be worthwhile.”
Lannahi contained her surprise. Gannar’s words reminded her of the hatred most fae had for humans, which she, having been raised in their vicinity, often forgot. However, the landshaper’s meaningful look suggested that the contemptuous note in her voice wasn’t directed against them.
No one will serve you, golden witches, her eyes said.You can intimidate humans, but we aren’t afraid of you.
Lannahi would have explained to her that in most enchanter’s cities, humans served voluntarily in exchange for basic necessities, which was exactly the same thing as exchanging favors between fae, but she swallowed the comment. She didn’t want to change how Gannar thought of her. At this stage, fear served her better.
“Then who is responsible for keeping the palace clean?” she asked.
“Volunteers,” Gannar replied without batting an eyelid.
“The kind that works without any compensation?” When the stewardess pursed her lips into a thin line, Lannahi fought back a smile. “Then tell all the volunteers that a new colleague is joining them. If they fail to do the job they so eagerly undertook, Lizaar will finish it for them.”
Seeing Gannar’s eyes widen in understanding, Lannahi smiled coolly. “While you’re here, why don’t you give me a tour and show me the other free rooms? Then you can spread the happy news. I suggest starting with Lizaar herself. I’m not sure if the news that she can’t go back to her own chamber until she cleaned this one will please her, but I assume that she’ll prefer that to cleaning the entire palace after all the volunteers are dismissed.”
Gannar clenched her fists but didn’t leave. “Your Highness,” she said through gritted teeth. “I don’t think the involvement of the previous queen is necessary. I’m certain that volunteers will clean the chamber today.”
Lannahi said nothing.
The stewardess dropped her gaze and in a voice trembling from humiliation said, “I apologize for this situation. Please allow me to fix it.”
The word “apologize” coming from the fae’s mouth was rare, and Lannahi let it hang in the ensuing silence for greater effect.
“I accept your apology,” she said after a while. “But this chamber doesn’t suit me. Show me the others. Then find someone to clean this one.”
This time, the stewardess made a proper bow.
