asked.
“This is the Lady D’Aniela,” said a flustered Dashrael, who was obviously not pleased with her outburst.
“Call me Dani, please,” she quickly added.
“I believe you should show the princess to her chambers,” Dashrael huffed.
“You got it, Dash,” replied Dani.
He gave her a cold hard look. “Call me that again, and I will have you deboned like a fish.”
Ignoring his threat, she hooked her arm around mine and steered me towards the back. R’Agan and N’Tasha fell in behind us.
“I love your outfit. Very survivalist chic,” said Dani. “You’re not a real survivalist are you?”
“No,” I said.
Dani prattled on. “Okay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Unless you’re like all ‘let’s blow up the government tomorrow night.’ But that wouldn’t be you anyway because you’re from Vancouver right? Which is Canada. Of course maybe Canadians want to blow up their own government too.”
“I don’t want to blow up anything,” I said.
“Well anyway I’m glad you’re from the Pacific Northwest. That’s cool we’re both from the left coast. I was afraid we’d have an East Coast versus West Coast thing here. But no worries, right?”
I answered with nods and shrugs as we walked, unsure of what to say to this strange woman anyway.
I looked back and saw two guards fall in behind R’Agan and N’Tasha as we headed to our rooms. None of the other guests merited an escort. There was no doubt. I was more a prisoner here than a guest. Not that I had expected anything different.
Chapter 9
Dani took me behind the great hall where a cross hall led to the royal chambers. I glanced over my shoulder and saw my mother and the queen shuffling off in the opposite direction.
“We have this entire wing to ourselves. Isn’t that cool!” Dani exclaimed.
I nodded politely but silently I thought, there went my chance to corral my mother and get some answers. The guards were still following us and there were even more of them in our wing, a pair for every door. The doors at the end of the hall were ornately carved and made out of the bone white wood.
Dani spun around to address R’Agan and N’Tasha. “I got it from here, guys. Go do what you do,” she said. “Which is nothing,” she added under her breath.
The other two of my ladies in waiting left without a word. They both looked relieved to be out of my presence.
Once they were in their own rooms Dani said, “Now that we’re rid of Lady Bitch and Madame Buzzkill, Ta Da!”
She threw open the doors to my chambers.
In spite of everything, being a prisoner in a hostile court, Severin being locked away in a tower, not knowing where my father was, when I saw my chambers I gasped. How could I not? The ceiling was high. The walls were covered with fine tapestries. There was a four poster bed next to a fire place. Light flooded in from two large glass windows. It was the fairy tale bedroom of my young fantasies. I ran my fingers over the sheets. They were silky soft under my touch.
“Gorgeous,” I said.
Dani sat down in a large, cushioned chair. “It’s definitely easy on the eyes,” she said. “The bathroom is in the corner.”
I felt a little trepidation as I opened the door considering the rest of the medieval theme going on. But what was inside looked decidedly modern.
Dani explained, “Count yourself lucky. I prodded and pleaded until they finally installed something close to modern plumbing in here. We have running water, hot baths, and most importantly flush toilets.”
“Oh that’s a relief.” I had been dreading that I would have to use a chamber pot or something worse.
“You can thank me later,” Dani continued. “There’s no TP but the toilet does have a bidet function, which is divine by the way. The banquet is a long way off. I suggest you take a hot bath and relax.”
“Thank you. You’ve been very kind,” I said sincerely.
“Don’t mention it,” Dani returned with
“This is the Lady D’Aniela,” said a flustered Dashrael, who was obviously not pleased with her outburst.
“Call me Dani, please,” she quickly added.
“I believe you should show the princess to her chambers,” Dashrael huffed.
“You got it, Dash,” replied Dani.
He gave her a cold hard look. “Call me that again, and I will have you deboned like a fish.”
Ignoring his threat, she hooked her arm around mine and steered me towards the back. R’Agan and N’Tasha fell in behind us.
“I love your outfit. Very survivalist chic,” said Dani. “You’re not a real survivalist are you?”
“No,” I said.
Dani prattled on. “Okay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Unless you’re like all ‘let’s blow up the government tomorrow night.’ But that wouldn’t be you anyway because you’re from Vancouver right? Which is Canada. Of course maybe Canadians want to blow up their own government too.”
“I don’t want to blow up anything,” I said.
“Well anyway I’m glad you’re from the Pacific Northwest. That’s cool we’re both from the left coast. I was afraid we’d have an East Coast versus West Coast thing here. But no worries, right?”
I answered with nods and shrugs as we walked, unsure of what to say to this strange woman anyway.
I looked back and saw two guards fall in behind R’Agan and N’Tasha as we headed to our rooms. None of the other guests merited an escort. There was no doubt. I was more a prisoner here than a guest. Not that I had expected anything different.
Chapter 9
Dani took me behind the great hall where a cross hall led to the royal chambers. I glanced over my shoulder and saw my mother and the queen shuffling off in the opposite direction.
“We have this entire wing to ourselves. Isn’t that cool!” Dani exclaimed.
I nodded politely but silently I thought, there went my chance to corral my mother and get some answers. The guards were still following us and there were even more of them in our wing, a pair for every door. The doors at the end of the hall were ornately carved and made out of the bone white wood.
Dani spun around to address R’Agan and N’Tasha. “I got it from here, guys. Go do what you do,” she said. “Which is nothing,” she added under her breath.
The other two of my ladies in waiting left without a word. They both looked relieved to be out of my presence.
Once they were in their own rooms Dani said, “Now that we’re rid of Lady Bitch and Madame Buzzkill, Ta Da!”
She threw open the doors to my chambers.
In spite of everything, being a prisoner in a hostile court, Severin being locked away in a tower, not knowing where my father was, when I saw my chambers I gasped. How could I not? The ceiling was high. The walls were covered with fine tapestries. There was a four poster bed next to a fire place. Light flooded in from two large glass windows. It was the fairy tale bedroom of my young fantasies. I ran my fingers over the sheets. They were silky soft under my touch.
“Gorgeous,” I said.
Dani sat down in a large, cushioned chair. “It’s definitely easy on the eyes,” she said. “The bathroom is in the corner.”
I felt a little trepidation as I opened the door considering the rest of the medieval theme going on. But what was inside looked decidedly modern.
Dani explained, “Count yourself lucky. I prodded and pleaded until they finally installed something close to modern plumbing in here. We have running water, hot baths, and most importantly flush toilets.”
“Oh that’s a relief.” I had been dreading that I would have to use a chamber pot or something worse.
“You can thank me later,” Dani continued. “There’s no TP but the toilet does have a bidet function, which is divine by the way. The banquet is a long way off. I suggest you take a hot bath and relax.”
“Thank you. You’ve been very kind,” I said sincerely.
“Don’t mention it,” Dani returned with
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