“I’ll just draw you a bath and lay out a nice gown for you,” she said.
Great. Just what I wanted. To play dress-up for Jasper. He was probably already plotting who he was going to marry me off to so he could get me out of his home as soon as possible.
The maid bustled into the attached bathing chamber, and my gaze strayed to the bed, molded out of clay and attached to the ground, with a feather-stuffed mattress and a heavy quilt. I’d had a bed right here, in front of me, and I’d chosen to fall asleep on the hard stone floor. I stretched out my neck, the achein it throbbing. I wanted to crawl into that bed and spend three days there. Maybe a whole week. But I didn’t have that kind of time. Knowing Jasper, he wouldn’t waste any time in his plans to punish Penn, possibly execute him, and I couldn’t let that happen.
Not when the thief had the mirror, not when he was now the only one who could help me defeat my stepmother.
The maid bustled back out and tsked when she looked at me. I must’ve been a poor sight. Hair askew, dress crumpled and wrinkled. At least my hair wasn’t knotted now that it was so short. I’d never admit this out loud, but it had grown on me. It was so much easier to care for now that it was short. Blood and earth, if only Driscoll and Jillian could see me now.
They’d probably find this situation far too amusing—if they were still alive, that was.
The maid led me into the bathing chamber, the metal tub full of steaming water. She helped me undress, and I sank into the warm bath, dunking my head underwater, then emerging over and over and over. I scrubbed myself clean, knowing this might be the last time I had a bath like this for quite a while. I had to get Penn out today, and if—when—we escaped, who knew how long we’d be traveling. Jasper would have his people searching for us, scouring every part of Gilraeth, so it wouldn’t be as straightforward a journey home.
Home. The word seized my heart. Mosswood Forest wasn’t my home. I didn’t know when I’d see my home again. That all depended on Penn and his plans for me.
“Princess Liliath?” The maid stood in the doorway, holding up a golden dress that sparkled and glimmered in the sunlight. This was going to be so impractical, and I could hear Penn’s voice in my head.
I guess I should’ve included a training session on what to wear when going on a mission.
The dress was lovely, though. It was a shame that I was likely going to ruin it.
I stepped out the tub and wrapped a fluffy, warm towel around my body, steeling myself for what I was about to do.
I stoodbefore Jasper in his lavish room, the adobe walls painted a navy blue and decorated with gold leaves and vines that stretched around the room.
He sat at the same table where we’d eaten dinner last night, this morning a spread of what looked like lizard eggs, curried emu, and roasted prickly pear sitting out. He gestured to the silver tray that sat across from him.
“Ah, Liliath, have a seat.”
I stayed at my spot by the door. He sported a swollen nose from the night before, which gave me immense satisfaction. He’d deserved it. I wondered if Penn would be proud, then I threw that thought from my mind. I didn’t want Penn to be proud of me. That would be a new low that even I didn’t want to experience.
“Liliath, really, can we be civil?” Jasper dotted his mouth with his cloth napkin. “Just because we’re no longer betrothed doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
“Friends?” My nails dug into the palms of my hands. “Friends don’t let each other rot away in prison. Friends don’t force each other into marriage. Friends don’t imprison each other. Friends don’t?—”
Jasper held up his hand. “Enough. I can see you’re not going to be reasonable about this. What do you expect me to do,Liliath? I can’t just have an exiled princess living in my manor. My father wouldn’t allow it. Even if I wanted to keep you here, he’d insist I use you as leverage to gain allies, money, a sword for the army I’m going to need to defeat this sorceress and take the crown.”
“I’m glad I’m so disposable,” I said. “I thought I knew you better.”
He slammed his hand on the table. “I’m doing what I need to survive.”
“You’re doing what you need to gain power. This has nothing to do with survival.”
He threw up his hands. “Well, I was going to let you choose who you wanted to marry, but now I’m not feeling so charitable. Especially after what you did to me last night.” He pointed to his nose, and I couldn’t help the smile that came to my face.
“That’s what makes you smile?” He shook his head. “I don’t even recognize you. That horrid haircut, the way you’re speaking to me. It doesn’t suit you.”
“I could say the same about that nose. Wonder what your betrothed will think of that? Will you tell her you got hit by a princess?”
His upper lip curled into a snarl.
“Anyway.” I walked toward the table, thoroughly famished now that I’d gotten under Jasper’s skin. I tucked the napkin laying on the table onto my lap and used my fork to take a bite of the curried emu. Delicacies like this were only served in the fire court. The last time I’d eaten this dish had been at Princess Seraphina’s castle, her mother and father still alive, all of us feasting, dancing, drinking wine. All the royals had been present, from every court in Arathia, though I wasn’t as close with the princesses from the frost or sky court. I mainly had spent my time with Seraphina and Gabrielle, the princess of the water court. We’d laugh and gossip about our love lives andtalk about what it might be like when we would rule one day. Gabrielle wanted nothing to do with her throne, but I’d often be jealous of Seraphina, of the way her parents took the time to listen to her ideas in a way my father would never listen to mine.
Sometimes, doubt would creep in, a small voice that said maybe my father didn’t listen because my ideas weren’t good enough, because I wasn’t good enough.
I realized Jasper was still talking, prattling on now about Seraphina and how foolish she’d been.
I couldn’t believe she’d gotten cursed, that the shadow court was behind it all. But I had to focus on one problem at a time. I raised my gaze to Jasper as he took a sip of water from his goblet.
