Page 19 of Queen of the Wicked
Ambroz led the way, corridor after corridor. After what seemed to be a ten-minute walk, when he reached the end of another marble hallway to theverylast door on the left, she decided Erebos had placed her the furthest away from him as she could be.
Good.
At least he didsomethingnice for her.
“Your Majesty has requested your presence at dinner,” Ambroz said. She was too busy staring at the way his mouth worked, wondering how he could talkwithout a throat or tongue to relay the information. “Isla will arrive to prepare you shortly.”
“Prepare me? For dinner?”
The skeleton nodded. “I assumed you would want to freshen up beforehand before seeing His Majesty again.”
Alessia scoffed. “He’s the last person I’m worried about impressing. I’ll just take a shower and make myself a grilled cheese. Thanks, though.”
Ambroz cocked his head to the side, studying her like she was a foreign object. “I do not know what ashoweris, but if you request it, I can bring it to His Majesty’s attention. I assume he will be delighted to provide you with what you require.”
Oh, God. Ofcourse,they didn’t have showers here. The last thing she needed was for him to bring up to Erebos what an insufferable diva she was being. As much as she wanted to anger him, she was exhausted, and she’d much rather get some sleep before having to interact with the lord again.
“Never mind,” she told him. “I’ll just take a nap.”
The skeleton bowed to her. Hebowedto her. “As you wish. Isla shall wake you up to prepare you for dinner.”
When he disappeared out of thin air, her mouth gaped before she stomped her foot stubbornly on the ground, continuing her rampage a tad bit longer. “I didn’t say I was going!” Alessia called out to no one.
She’d return to being a grown woman tomorrow.
Chapter 9
Alessia
Alessia had been surprised that her room wasn’t in a dungeon. She expected Erebos to put her up in the least comfortable space for the time being until she left, but instead, he had put her in a room fit for a queen. With its lavish four-poster king bed, the fluffy duvet, and the Egyptian cotton sheets, she was inheavenand slept deeper than ever.
She awoke to a young woman ripping the curtains back, that red sky burning into her eyes. “His Majesty requests your presence at dinner,” she reminded her. “It is time to get ready. Come.” She extended her hand and dragged her from the bed, ushering her into the bathroom. “He doesn’t like tardiness,” she supplied. “We must begin now.”
Alessia eyed the steaming porcelain tub of water she pointed to. “Okay, I’ll be out in a few minutes,” she said, but the woman, whom she assumed was Isla, still stood there with wide, expectant eyes. She couldn’t be much older than her, so it was ridiculous to be waited on as ifshe were royalty. “You’re going to watch me?” Alessia asked.
“I am to bathe you,” Isla replied. She propped a hand on her curvy hip and pointed at the water.
Alessia snorted. “Absolutely not. I will bathe myself, and when I amdone,you can do whatever you want to me. Sound good?”
Isla blinked repeatedly. “His Majesty likes his women to be?—”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not hiswomanthen, isn’t it?” she snapped. Isla’s brows knitted together deep in thought, but finally, she dipped her head and exited the room to allow Alessia some time to bathe.
She immediately felt like shit when her muscles hit the hot water. It wasn’tIsla’sfault that she was instructed to do these things. Alessia shouldn’t have taken her irritation out on her. Being at this castle had put her on edge, and she was releasing it on those who had been nothing but kind to her so far.
Alessia ran a tin of lavender-scented shampoo through her hair and over her body. When she felt content with herself, she climbed into the robe beside the tub and sauntered back to where Isla awaited like a statue perched beside the vanity chair. “Sit,” she instructed, brush already in hand.
Alessia did as she was told and, despite herself, appreciated the feeling of the brush gliding through her thick, black mane. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. Isla bristled behind her but quickly recovered and resumed the brushing. “I’m trying to settle myself here, but it’s…a lot. I want to go home. I need to find my mother.”
Isla cleared her throat. “And home is where?”
“Brunwick,” Alessia replied. She didn’t know how much Erebos’s staff was allowed to learn, and she didn’t want to get into more trouble than it was worth, so rather than confide in her about her mother’s disappearance, she kept her mouth shut about therealreason she was here. “I didn’t expect Hell to be so…kind.”
“Kind?”
“Yeah. I expected Erebos to be this person everyone feared, but instead, it’s as if everyone likes him.Loves him,even. Isn’t the Lord of Hell supposed to torture those who have done wrong? Aren’t we supposed to repent for our sins?”
Isla laughed softly to herself. “You have not been here long enough. The Lord of Hell is certainly one to be feared. It is not all sunshine and rainbows, but we are grateful to serve His Majesty as we await our calling. We respect him.”
