Princess Elodi's Arc

Chapter 4 of 55

The handle turned. Elodi moved before she could think. She rolled off the bed, snatched the letter from the pillow, and grabbed the packed bag by the door. She shoved both under the bed frame just as the door swung open. Opal darted after them, her jeweled collar clicking against the stone. A lamp lit the doorway. It was her handmaid, the young woman who had dressed her since childhood. She carried a plate in one hand and the lamp in the other. Steam rose from a fresh danish beside a wedge of cheese. "You're awake, Princess," the handmaid said. She frowned. "Why are you on the floor?" Elodi's heart pounded. She pushed a loose strand of hair from her face and made herself smile. "Opal knocked something down. I was reaching for it." The handmaid crossed the room. She set the plate on the desk, near the spot where the letter had sat an hour before. Her eyes swept the floor. Elodi held her breath. One corner of the leather bag stuck out past the bed skirt. "There," Elodi said quickly. She stood and stepped in front of the bag. "She's fine now. Thank you." The handmaid studied her. For a long moment she said nothing. Then she looked at the danish, and at Elodi's boots, still laced tight though it was the middle of the night. "You should sleep," the handmaid said at last. "The Queen asks after you each morning. She worries." "I know she does," Elodi said. Her voice stayed steady. The handmaid nodded slowly. She turned toward the door. But she paused with her hand on the frame. "Whatever you're planning," she said, not looking back, "be careful. These walls have more eyes than mine." Then she was gone. The door clicked shut. Lamplight faded from under it. Elodi did not move until the hall went silent. Then her knees gave, and she sat hard on the floor. Opal climbed into her lap. The little otter pressed her wet nose to Elodi's chin. She had not been caught. But she had not fooled the handmaid either. The woman knew. She had chosen not to say. That was a gift, and a warning. If one servant had guessed, another might not stay quiet. Elodi pulled the bag from under the bed. She could not wait for tomorrow night. She could not risk another visit, another pair of eyes on her boots and her packed things. She had to go now, while the castle slept and the handmaid held her silence. She wrapped the dark cloak around her shoulders and lifted the heavy bag. She tucked the letter into her belt. Opal scrambled up to her shoulder. Elodi opened her door and looked down the empty hall. The forge waited below, and the hammer she needed. She stepped out and pulled the door shut behind her.