Page 50 of Bound By Wishes

The guard bowed his head once, leading me down the hallway toward the servant’s quarters without any moreargument. “That will be all,” I said, dismissing him once we reached the door. As he disappeared around the corner, I eased the door open and stepped inside. My senses were on high alert, and every muscle in my body was tight with tension.

The nauseating scent of human waste and unwashed bodies hit me full force, making tears well up in my eyes. I quickly closed the door behind me, my breath catching as I turned around. The chamber was crowded with servants, and their startled faces turned toward me in a mix of shock and fear. Gasps rippled through the room, as they threw themselves to the floor.

“It’s okay,” I said soothingly. “You can get up.” I stepped forward, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Arwa,” I called, venturing deeper into the servant’s quarters.

No one moved. Their wide eyes followed me, as I pressed on. Time was definitely against me. I had no doubt that the guard was on his way to inform the king about what happened. I needed to find Arwa before it was too late.

Arwa’s head popped out from behind a makeshift curtain, a flimsy piece of material that offered little privacy. The moment she saw me, she bolted toward me, falling to her hands and knees. “Forgive me, princess,” she wailed, her voice trembling with fear.

I bent down and pulled her to her feet. “Shh. We have no time for that.” I dragged her along behind me. “And stop trembling,” I scolded. “You’re not in trouble. I need your help.”

Arwa’s eyes rounded in astonishment before answering. “Anything, princess.”

“I need a cloak or something to cover my clothes,” Iinstructed her, and her gaze ran down the length of my torn outfit.

Arwa disappeared without another word, returning moments later with a cloak that smelled faintly unpleasant and looked as though moths had been feasting on it. “It’s the only one I have,” she said with an apologetic shrug.

My throat tightened with emotion as I took the only source of warmth she had. I vowed to myself, if I lived through this ordeal, I would ensure she had a brand-new cloak, one that would rival that of a queen’s.

I gripped her hand, and she gasped at the unusual contact. “Thank you.” I smiled at her. “I have to leave the palace,” I explained, glancing around uneasily before stepping toward the door that led to the kitchen.

“By yourself?” Arwa gasped, her eyes widening in horror. “If the king finds out, he’ll skin us alive.” Her voice shuddered as she clutched the edges of her ragged cloak.

I pulled the cloak from her shaky hands, throwing it over my shoulders and pulling the hood over my disheveled hair. “I don’t have a choice,” I said firmly. “If the king asks, you or anyone else never saw me.” I locked eyes with her as I prepared to slip through the kitchen and out into the garden.

Arwa pranced nervously, shifting from one foot to the other as I tugged the hood further over my face to conceal my identity. Without another word, I slipped through the kitchen. I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact to ensure no one else would recognize me.

The rich, tantalizing scents of the kitchen filled the air. The aroma of spiced lamb, mingled with the heady fragrance of cumin and coriander and freshlybaked flatbreads, wafted around me. My stomach grumbled in protest, but hunger was the least of my concerns right now.

My hand shook violently as I reached for the doorknob. I hurried across the garden, ducking behind fragrant-smelling shrubs and melding with the shadows of the tall citrus trees. Every rustle and creak sent my pulse into a frenzy, amplifying my urgency to escape.

Thankfully, I reached the stables without being stopped. Might as well add horse thievery to my ever-growing list of offenses. I ducked inside, the fresh, earthy scent of hay and horse manure hitting me full force. Dim light beamed from above, and warm air wrapped around me, making me feel safe for the time being.

I paused in the doorway, appalled that even the horse stable was nicer than the servant’s quarters. The high arched ceiling was supported by intricately carved wooden beams, their dark hues contrasting with the pale walls that were lined with delicate tiles in shades of turquoise and gold.

The floor was covered in a thick layer of fresh straw that rustled under my feet as I stepped forward. Each stall was spacious and clean and lined with plush, straw-filled bedding and a brass water trough that glistened beneath the sunlight that filtered in through the skylight above.

The air was thick and humid, with the aroma of freshly baked bread from the nearby kitchens occasionally wafting through the space. I glanced around as curious horses stuck their heads out of their stalls to see who was disturbing their leisure time.

They were all magnificent creatures, and I could only imagine how much animals like this would cost. Their coatswere sleek and well-groomed, ranging from deep lustrous blacks and rich chestnuts to shimmering grays and dappled whites. I walked over to the closest stall, my hand just brushing the brass handle. The world tilted as I was harshly yanked away, throwing me off balance. My heart raced as I struggled to catch myself before tumbling into a pile of hay.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” a guard roared in my face, his breath hot against my face and his words sending a spray of spit across my skin.

I adjusted my hood, drawing it tighter over my head as I kept my eyes fixed on the ground. “The princess sent me,” I answered him, my voice shaking. “She wishes to go for a ride, and I was asked to ensure that a horse was saddled and ready for her.”

Blessedly, the guard’s grip loosened as he eyed me up and down. “You smell worse than one of the horses,” he sneered, dropping my arm with a look of disgust. At the moment, I was grateful for Arwa’s dirty cloak. It masked the scent of the fine oils and soaps I had used just that morning to bathe.

“Stable boy!” the guard thundered. A scrawny young boy who looked as though he could use a good meal scurried into the stable. “Ready a horse for the princess.”

He nodded once before rushing to obey the guard’s order.

“I’ll just stay out of the way and wait until the horse is ready before fetching the princess,” I said barely above a peep before leaning against the stable wall.

“You stay over there," the guard growled, pointing at a pile of hay that nearly reached the ceiling. “And don’t touch anything in here, you might taint it withyour filth.”

He turned and walked away, leaving me seething with anger. I had to physically bite my lip to keep the words of anger from spilling out as he disappeared out the door.

I watched the servant boy as he quickly saddled a stunning gray with a speckled rump. The horse's coat gleamed in the dim light, its powerful muscles shifting as the boy worked. The care he took in preparing the steed was a testament to the animal’s worth.

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