Page 11 of A Broken Throne of Bronze

I have no choice but to follow.

There is no turning back.

Lifting my skirts so I don’t trip over them, I climb the small set of stairs and enter High Keep. A bitter laugh coats my tongue. I know so many girls back home that would kill to be in my position. Who would give anything to be hand-picked by the Crown Prince to be his bride. To come live here, in Keuron, and wear lavish gowns and attend balls.

And I would give anything to trade places with any one of them.

Oh, how the Lady of Fate is cruel.

The stone walls swallow me as soon as I pass through the threshold, surrounding me with cool air. Perhaps everything—and everyone—here is cold. I long for the warmth of our hearth already.

Viridian leads us through a long hallway, lined with more of House Avanos’s bronze banners. A bronze colored carpet runs the length of the hallway, with actual bronze metal lining the edges. Tall, stone arches make up the walls on either side, with large open spaces that let me see into the adjoining rooms. Through the arches, I see an array of decorative suits of armor—made from metals from each of the five Courts—standing neatly in a row along the far wall.

Viridian turns a corner, taking us up a flight of stairs. Above us, hangs a steel chandelier, its circular rows of lit candles giving off a warm glow. We reach the landing and continue beyond an intricately carved stone railing, decorated with twisting copper vines and roses, into a large open space. More carpet lies beneath my feet, and to the right, is a corridor adorned with glorious paintings unlike anything I’ve ever seen before—all depicting portraits of people I assume to be members of House Avanos. The sight of them makes me long for my sketchbook.

One of the guards nudges me with her elbow, and I quicken my pace to match Viridian’s swift stride.

We enter another hallway, this one with a row of gold-rimmed windows. It’s the brightest place in High Keep I’ve encountered so far, and I close my eyes to bask in the sunlight while we pass.

It’s possible that I might not get the chance to do so again.

Turning left, into yet another corridor, I see this one is lined with heavy-looking wooden doors sitting on steel hinges. Approaching one, Viridian slows to a stop and waits for me with his hands behind his back. The female guard with him stands to his right, about a little less than a shoulder length behind him. Gray eyes focused, she stands tall, her blue-black hair seeming to reflect the stone surrounding us. She’s young-looking, too—her tan face shows no sign of age. Then again, she could be older than she seems. The fae age slower than humans.

Still avoiding my eyes, Viridian turns his head to the female guard. I take note of the twin, steel short swords that hang sheathed at her hips. “This is Lady Lymseia Wynterliff, second-born daughter of Head of House Wynterliff, and Captain of the High King’s Guard.”

Lymseia bows her head. “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Thurdred.”

I try to release the tension in my shoulders before responding. Though, I don’t succeed. “The same to you, Lady Wynterliff.”

“Lady Wynterliff will stay to assist you in getting settled in,” Viridian tells me, sounding distant. “Should you need anything, call on her.” After that, he starts down the hallway, and thankfully, the cluster of guards—except for Lymseia—leave with him.

Lymseia holds her hands out toward the door. “Shall we?”

I nod, taking a deep breath.

Lymseia opens the door for me and waits for me to pass. I do, and then she comes in after me, leaving the door open.

I pause, taking it all in.

A large, four-poster bed sits in the center of the room. Thick, bronze colored bedding hangs over a huge mattress. A collection of long, fluffy pillows is neatly arranged by the headboard. Matching bedside tables sit on either side of the bed, with silver candelabras placed atop them. An oval-shaped rug covers most of the stone floor, with bronze metal woven into the threads. There are two windows on the far wall, both clothed with heavy-looking cream drapes. On the opposite wall, closest to where I’m standing, is a mahogany wardrobe and a vanity table with a mirror and padded chair.

Lymseia moves ahead and leads me to a doorway opposite the bed. “The washroom is right over here.”

I follow her deeper into the room and peer through the open threshold.

A massive copper tub sits inside, with a stack of clean towels on a shelf beside it. There’s another mirror in here, hanging in front of a small table with a washbowl set down on top.

“The main areas of the castle are free for you to explore,” Lymseia tells me, leading me back to the room’s center. Her tone shifts, becoming more authoritative, like a general laying down the law. “The Crown Prince’s only request is that you stay inside High Keep. So don’t get any ideas.”

I press my lips together, hardening my expression. My mind translates the words.

I’m not allowed to leave the castle.

“If you ever need anything,” Lymseia continues, her voice relaxing again as she looks at me, “just ask. The Crown Prince’s first priority is your comfort.”

I snort. “Of course it is.”

Lymseia’s expression softens. “I know you must feel alone here. Please, know that I’m here for you, whenever you need me.”

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