Page 39 of A Frozen Pyre
It was the longest day of her life. She’d woken up naked beside Dwyn, then suffered through a summit, a clandestine meeting in the gardens with Zita, the discovery of six withered husks in the kitchens, and an encounter with her sister’s ghost. She wanted to tell the woman that no, she didn’t have it in her to suffer any further. Then again, perhaps it was better to compile all of the unpleasantness into a single unbearable day rather than draw it out.
“When is dinner?” Ophir asked.
“One hour, Princess. Would you like me to lay out fresh clothes?”
Ophir looked at the bed. “No. I’m going to lie down until dinner.”
“In that case, I’ll knock when it’s time to head to the dining hall.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes,” the attendant said, “I do.”
The woman departed without further argument.
The attendant had been right. Ophir had promptly fallen asleep in her clothes without bothering to crawl beneath the covers. If it hadn’t been for the incessant knocking, she would have slept through dinner. The attendant let herself into the room after a minute of relentless pounding only to roll her eyes at the deep red lines of evidence that the creases in the decorative pillow had left on Ophir’s cheek. The attendant had a brush in her hand and began smoothing out the stray hairs before Ophir was fully awake.
“And your companion is where?” asked the attendant.
Ophir yawned as she looked around. She remembered with a jolt of alarm why she’d gone looking for Dwyn in the first place. Her meeting with Caris had had a drugging effect, wiping her memory of the unpleasantness of the day as she focused only on the rip in her chest that her sister had left behind. The servant’s hands stilled in their urgent tugging as she sensed Ophir’s breathing change.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Ophir lied. Dwyn knew. Dwyn had killed six servants. Dwyn knew about Tyr. Dwyn was furious, and she was loose in the castle. Dwyn was—here.
“Firi!” Dwyn said brightly from the door. She smiled sweetly at the servant. “May I have five minutes with the princess?”
“She is needed at dinner.”
“It’s only five minutes. I promise on the All Mother’s honor. Step into the hall, count to three hundred, and let yourself back into the room. Then you can escort our fair princess to wherever it is that her royal obligations have taken her. Okay?”
The servant glared. She looked between Dwyn and Ophir before making a small, defeated noise. She closed the door behind her as she stepped into the hall.
“Dwyn, I—”
“I was angry, but it’s over now. We’re all on the same page,” Dwyn said. “I definitely tried to kill Tyr. I may have overreacted.”
Dwyn flattened her palms at Ophir’s wide eyes.
“I was unsuccessful, obviously! We exchanged. I yelled. He explained why it was his stupid idea in the first place, and that you were not to blame. I was hurt, Firi, but I understand. I am sorry for killing… How many was it?”
“Six.”
Dwyn bit her lip. “That’s right. Sorry about that. I know they’ll be your subjects soon.”
“The castle is freaking out, Dwyn,” Ophir hissed. “Everyone’s on the fritz. I was nearly forced back to my chambers on lockdown for my own safety. I can’t imagine what the other ambassadors are facing. I assume this dinner I’m about to attend will be surrounded by a dozen guards.”
“A lot of guards?” Dwyn chewed on the consequences. “That can be difficult to get around, but I’m sure I can manage them.”
“The answering guard is not the problem!”
“Oh, right. The security is a challenge, and I’m sure it’s made the summit more difficult. But the problem is because…”
“They were innocent people,” Ophir said through clenched teeth.
“Right.”
“If I may.” Tyr’s deep voice sounded from near the door as he stepped into sight. Ophir’s heart lurched. She resisted the urge to run to him. Though he’d been with her, she hadn’t seen his strong arms, his broad chest, his sly face in weeks. “I’m sorry for putting you in the position to keep my secret, Firi. Dwyn understood that I thought it would be easier to hide my presence from Ceneth and the castle if I wasn’t making both of you lie.”
