Page 20 of Stars May Burn

The two of them glanced at each other with tightly pursed lips and barely contained excitement before busying themselves with hair clips and ribbons and lace. I let them dress me but was in a state of half shock as I tried to find the meaning of their behavior. Did they think we were actually in love? That our previous relationship consisted of more than a few awkward sentences in the carriage?

I could see why somebody might infer that from all the flowers, but it was clear we weren’t talking or spending time together.

Slowly my appearance transformed in the mirror before me. My maids might be excitable and childish, but I had to admit, they were good at this, and the general had provided beautiful hair clips and necklaces. Yet another thing I had to thank him for.

I stood and turned as they finished, admiring the deep blue silk and sheer white chiffon that shimmered in my reflection. They had left the corset looser than I was used to, yet I didn’t feel self-conscious with the gorgeous cut of the material. “You don’t think this is too grand for a tour of the house when we don’t have guests? I was planning on wearing one of my old gowns.” I touched the large sapphire at my throat that highlighted the blue of my eyes.

The maids shook their heads, showering me with enthusiastic praise that made me smile. They really were kind and sweetly innocent. Their secretive looks and answers couldn’t change that.

But what was happening that I wasn’t meant to know about? There was the man in the carriage that the general didn’t mention again and the careful way people spoke around me. Something was going on.

They opened the door, and I was surprised to see Meena standing in the exact same place as yesterday. She bowed. “Good morning, my lady.”

I blinked. “Have you been out here long?”

She gave me a small smile. “Since dawn, my lady. My job is to guard you from dawn till an hour after dusk. Then Dame Tara, the night guard watches your room.”

That seemed a little excessive. I didn’t want people being forced to stand around in silence all day on my behalf. “That’s very kind of you, but is it really necessary? Surely, I’m not in danger in my own home?”

She bowed again. “These are the general’s orders. You’d have to discuss any changes with him.”

I sighed, folding my arms with annoyance. “I would if I could find him.” The words were out before I could hold them back. The maids’ informal attitude was starting to loosen my tongue, and I needed to be careful before I said something I regretted.

Meena shared an awkward look with the maids—that was really starting to get on my nerves—and Lucy was quick to distract me by pointing out the paintings in the corridor and telling me their stories.

The women showed me room after room, introducing servants and soldiers, including the housekeeper, Mistress Rose, who was not as intimidating as I had feared. Everyone smiled and replied politely which calmed my nerves. This place was very different from Frederick’s house. Maybe things would change as they got to know me, but the goodwill of the household was palpable. They seemed to believe I would be the start of positive change. Nervous pressure built inside me.

Other things were different here; the kryalcomy lamps were brighter, some rooms cool, others hot. The kitchen had a pulley system, but nobody turned the wheel to make it move. It had to be kryalcomy, but why hadn’t I seen the same mechanism back home?

As we walked to the ground floor, I tried not to be too distracted by the windows into the garden. This far east, the warmer climate was bound to encourage interesting plants, and I felt them calling me, tugging me toward them. Hopefully, he would have a big herb garden. The castle and staff were big enough to assume that the kitchens would be self-sufficient from the grounds.

The atmosphere was so relaxed that I wondered if I would have the freedom to make my own small garden patch and grow what I wished. Out of the way of the main grounds, of course. I wouldn’t want to bother the gardeners or disrupt the general’s view.

Lucy had barely stopped talking, and I guiltily realized I’d lost track of what she was saying. I stepped closer to her and refocused on her ramble.

“…beautiful, don’t you think? And I would highly advise you to take lunch every day in this morning room. It gets the most sunlight and we can open the glass doors onto the gardens to get the breeze. The roses around the door smell lovely every summer, don’t they, Bea?”

Beatrice nodded. “Oh, yes. And we can change any of the decor to your tastes. Kasomere has plenty of talented craftsmen. If needed, we can even send for materials from Adenburg. Or Tyrazastan, Nibawae, or Cerith if you prefer.”

I frowned. “Wouldn’t the general mind?”

Lucy shook her head. “He doesn’t really use the ground floor. He just wants you to be comfortable and make it your own.”

I frowned, my curiosity peaking. “Which floor does he use?”

“Well, his office is on the third floor in the south wing. But nobody is allowed to disturb him there without an invitation,” Beatrice said, her voice dropping low as if she was telling me a secret.

Lucy nodded, copying her hushed tone. “Then there’s the men’s drinking room next to it. Only the general and Callum use that. They’ve completely destroyed the tables in there by stabbing them, so it wouldn’t be suitable for anyone else anyway.”

I blinked, sure I had misheard, but the casual way Lucy said it could only convince me that such behavior was accepted as normal here. Why would anyone stab a table?

Lucy continued without noticing my shock. “The east wing of the third floor is closed off due to unsafe flooring. The general hasn’t gotten around to the renovations yet. West wing, third floor consists of meeting rooms for the guards and Mistress Rose’s office. The fourth floor is smaller with no wings. That’s where General Batton’s private quarters are—his bedroom, dressing room, and private lounge—though he spends little time there. He’s mostly in his office below. The rooms you need are just on the first and second floors.”

Meena cleared her throat as if to warn the maids to use caution. Both girls resumed the tour without looking too guilty. In fact, they had a bright gleam in their eyes which made me think they were plotting.

I frowned. My rooms were on the second floor. Had Kasten chosen them so far from his on purpose? Maybe our marriage was purely contractual after all: Father had promised him something, and the general had no real interest in me on a personal level. Well, if that was the case, at least he was providing generously for me. He certainly wanted me to be comfortable.

Still, the thought of being completely ignored by my own husband made me feel transparent and weightless, like a ghost. Here but never fully here. The effect was disorientating.

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