I was in a washroom constructed entirely of tile. There was no curtain dividing the room or cubicle to keep the water from running all over the floor. The second half of the room was lower than the first; two steps lower, in fact. By the door, there was a full-length mirror, a counter and sink, and five hooks along the wall with different colored towels. I undressed and walked across the room. Three spouts and knobs pointed at me from three different directions. I turned them all on and stepped into the water. It was as if I were standing in a torrent of rain.
Looking down, I watched the water gather around the drain at my feet like a miniature whirlpool. The wall was lined with bottles of soaps, oils, and perfumes. I couldn’t enjoy any of this, however. I had to hurry or I was sure Dagmar would bite my head off.
Once I was finished washing, I wrapped my hair and body in towels, and stepped into the bath slippers under the sink. I checked the hallway to make sure it was clear before sneaking into the room next door on the right. A lively fire crackled in the hearth. The wooden four-poster bed was high enough to need a stepping stool and was adorned with a dozen pillows. The chest at the foot of the bed had a vase of roses on the lid’s flat surface. A dressing table and stool sat in one corner, a tea table with two plush chairs sat in another, and a closet door was in the third. The peach walls gave the room a warm and comfortable glow. The floors were wooden in here also but two rectangular rugs lounged on opposite sides of the room.
Dagmar stood by my dressing table with a comb in one hand and an eye on the clock, which sat on the mantelpiece. “You’re late.” I opened my mouth to object but she waved a hand at the stool before her. “Never mind. Sit.”
I obeyed. She combed my auburn hair without mercy. I winced and complained whenever she yanked at a knot, but that didn’t slow her down. Once she’d finished combing it, she sectioned off certain parts of my hair and began to braid it. I don’t know how long I sat there and watched her work through the mirror, but my bottom was sore by the time she was finally done. She’d given me an amazing side bun, with the shorter hairs pinned neatly.
“Now, into the dress,” she said.
I looked over my shoulder to see a satin blue dress with silver trimmings and a plunging neckline. A pair of silver elbow-length gloves sat beside it along with a corset and a hoop skirt.
I leapt up. “I can’t wear that!”
Dagmar’s eyes narrowed. “And why not?”
“It’s much too revealing. Have you no modesty?”
My handmaiden folded her arms across her chest and stood at her full height. “You listen here, Lady Isa. If we are ever going to get along, you must learn that my judgment is best. And you won’t learn that unless you trust me. Until your dresses are delivered, we are going to have to borrow a few from the royal family’s storage. This is the only one I could find in your size that was fine enough for this occasion.” She lifted the corset. “Shall we begin?”
I could hardly breathe, and the shoes pinched my toes. But I looked beautiful. I stared at my reflection in quiet wonder while Dagmar adorned my ears and neck with jewels. My face felt heavy with makeup for the first time in a very long time. It was going to take some getting used to. I was showing more cleavage than I was comfortable with, but the jewels drew the eye to my throat. Now I understood why my previous dress had been inadequate.
Dagmar’s eyes softened when she stepped back to admire her work. “You are indeed a sight to behold, my lady.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. “You were right.”
Dagmar nodded. “Of course I was. Now hurry. Down the stairs, past the drawing room on the left, to the dining room. You must arrive before the master. Sit wherever you like. I believe the young princes and princess are already seated.”
“You’re not coming with me?”
“No, my lady. I eat with the other servants. You go on ahead and enjoy your evening.” She caught my elbow before I could leave. “But remember your manners, don’t speak unless spoken to, and don’t you dare ruin that dress.”
I gripped the railing with one hand and lifted my skirt with the other. Slowly but surely, I made my way down the stairs. Fortunately, I would be sitting for most of the evening and wouldn’t need to grow accustomed to walking in these shoes. But I did need to get to the dining table without falling or tearing my dress. I inched along the hallway and past the drawing room, hearing the voices of children.
“I hope we have potatoes tonight,” one squeaked. “I will devour them like a sea monster!” The proclamation was followed by a series of guttural snarls and growls.
“Haskell,” a maternal voice softly chided. “Stop that, my son. It’s not gentlemanly.”
The giggles of a little girl made my mouth curl upward. “Haskell, you have spit on your chin.”
A slightly older male voice grumbled, “Wipe your face. You act like such a fool.”
“Raoul,” his mother chastised. In an embarrassed whisper she added, “I’m so sorry, Helka. He has no manners.”
“It’s quite all right, Bodil. I don’t believe Haskell took offense.”
“That’s Prince Fool to you, Raoul!” Haskell said with a laugh.
The sensation of someone’s eyes on the back of my head made my neck prickle uncomfortably. Movement disturbed the air and I turned to grip the hand that stretched toward me. I came face to face with a barrel chest covered by a silk shirt and a waistcoat. I looked up. A man with flaming orange curls and a matching goatee leered down at me. “Well, she’s quick at least.”
“We’re all quick, Gabor,” said a man at the foot of the stairs. “It means very little.”
I released the meaty hand of this Gabor, recognizing his name as one of the Defenders’. I couldn’t fathom how I hadn’t heard his approach. He was a bear of a man, even burlier and taller than Viggo. His counterpart, whom I assumed was another Defender, was his opposite in every way. He was lean and about my height, with an angular face and copper eyes that danced with laughter as if he had recently made a joke at my expense. His straight blond hair was long and pulled back with a cord. He dressed just as finely as Gabor, with his silk shirt, waistcoat and trousers, only he also wore a tailcoat.
He pushed off the wooden railing and sauntered toward me. “I suppose we should say welcome. It’s not every day Dotharr sends a miracle to the royal hilltop.”
“Thank you,” I said slowly, waiting for the insult.
He extended his hand when he was near enough. “Lennart, at your service.”
I shook his hand before he could kiss the top of mine. “Pleased to make your acquaintance. I understand I’m to work with two others?”
Lennart smiled, like a hunter amused by the struggles of his prey. “Hemming is delivering the king to the hill as we speak. They should be here any moment. Gabor and I will take over guard duty then. Finley is dining with his family but will relieve us at midnight.”
I released his hand. “Very well. What am I to do?”
“You are to dine with the king,” Gabor said with a sneer. “Become acquainted with his family, his home, his movements. Did you learn nothing at the academy?”
“I learned not to expect any special treatment simply because I’m a woman,” I said. “I learned how to use my opponent’s strength against them because, let’s face it, every enemy I encounter is going to be bigger and stronger than I am. I learned not to trust anyone who seemed to dislike me, even remotely. And, most importantly, I learned to rely on no one but myself.”
Gabor blinked.
Lennart chuckled. “Didn’t learn much, did you?”