Page 9 of I Ran Away to Evil
“No!” He coughed. “I have to finish my current golem and clear the workroom.”
That was technically true, just not what he was going to be doing immediately following this conversation.
[You have 00:53:28 until Death byMana Burn.]
“Alright,” she agreed.
“Good.” Keith ordered one of his automata to ring in the guards’ room, and they waited a bit before Chikli came running. The guard seemed anxious until he spotted Henrietta drinking tea with Keith.
“My liege.”
“Show my new test subject—I mean,guestto the Nightshade Rooms. She has free reign of the kingdom except for my inner sanctum. Also, she has a sweet tooth, so plan accordingly.”
The castle kitchens were barely satisfying his desire for desserts, so a royal princess probably wouldn’t be satisfied either. Then again, he didn’t know what she had been allowed to eat during her hero training.
That was everything settled.
“Good day, Princess.” Keith nodded regally and swooshed dramatically out of the room …
… and straight into bed.
CHAPTER 5
Geran Grim’s Ode to the Lace Kerchief
Henrietta
Chikli, the dark-green lizardman with the short gray mohawk, escorted me to my rooms on the second floor.
“Those rooms are out of bounds,” he said, pointing across the inner veranda. “They are where His Viciousnesss residesss. Be warned, an alarm will sssound if you try to enter.”
“I’m staying across from King Keith?!” I shot a look at the door to his room.
“Of course. These are the finest roomsss in the castle, Princesss,” Chikli boasted. He opened the door to my rooms and ushered me inside.
I had not been expecting the beauty that I beheld once I walked into the Nightshade Rooms. The floors were covered in lush green-and-gray carpets embroidered in forests with a burbling stream stitched end to end. The bed lay in the middle of the room, headboard against the right wall. It was an elegant canopy-style bed with a silver inlaid leaf motif and green canvas pulled back by light silver tassels. A double bookcase took up the left wall, and a pair of vanities hugged the window to either side.
That’s right, there weretwovanities—one for jewelry, and one for hair and makeup. Jewelry hung on wire hooks on either side of the mirror, and trays of rings, brooches and jewels were delicately arrayed on the desktop.
EvenifI knew how to wear makeup outside of “put this on lips,” the cosmetics were old, crusty, and unusable. The place had recently been properly dusted, probably in the last month or so, and it wasn’t too stuffy. Chikli scratched his cheek awkwardly. He assured me that a maid would be joining us shortly, and I could stay in one of the side rooms while they freshened things up.
“It’s lovely, Chikli, really,” I assured him. “But where am I supposed to hang up my sword and armor?”
“You can hook your sssword on the bed frame by your pillow, Princesss,” Chikli replied.
I walked over and hung up my sword where he’d recommended. Just then, there was a knock, and we turned to see a young lizardkin maid in the doorway. She was tall, far taller than Chikli, with green-and-gold scales. Her eyes were also gold, and she carried herself with grace and poise.
“This is Lilith; she’ll help you get sssettled in,” Chikli explained. To the maid, he said, “The princesss wishesss to ssstore her armor. I’ll leave you to it.” Then he bowed and excused himself.
“We can put your combat attire in the wardrobe, Your Highnesss.” Lilith curtsied primly, daintily holding the tip of her long tail as she did so. She spoke as her kind always did, with a love for the letterS. And I loved listening to it. “I’ll go through everything as sssoon as possible and set aside thingsss that will fit you. Rinrin should be back next week to fix the master’s buttonsss again. We can have her alter the dresses then.”
“Dresses?” I asked in confusion.
“Through here, Your Highnesss.” Lilith partially pulled out a copy ofGeran Grim’s Ode to the Lace Kerchieffrom the double bookshelf, and the whole shelf swung open into another room teeming with articles of clothing. “These are all well out of date, I’m afraid; no one has touched them since the Mistresss passed.”
I stared at the collection before me: from pantsuits to ball gowns, hats to shoes, and fans to gem-studded purses. There were even sports clothes catered to fencing and hunting and riding, all in a variety of colors and fabrics.
Even while distracted by the finery, I remembered to stop and offer my condolences. “I’m sorry for your loss. Is King Keith really alright with giving me his late wife’s room?”
