Page 54 of Insolence
Sideboards have been brought out from the dining hall. They line one side of the atrium, groaning under a variety of glazed pastries, sugared fruits, cured meats, and sliced cheeses.
Imogen and Kiera are attending to the drinks and shooing the odd, bold bird away from the food. Imogen calls out when she sees us, and they both congratulate us on our new positions.
“Did you enjoy the lottery?” I ask.
Imogen claps her hands. “Yes! I want to do it again!”
“It was her first one,” says Kiera.
“I thought as much,” I say.
“You’re a bundle of energy, aren’t you?” Sadrie smiles at Imogen.
“You have no idea,” sighs Kiera, looking very put-upon. “She’s beentooexcited all day long.”
Cordelia squats to be closer to Imogen’s level. “I was excited for the lottery, too.”
Giggling, the little girl flashes her gap-toothed grin.
“So I’ve been wondering.” I lean closer to Kiera and lower my voice. “Where did the betrothed girls go this afternoon? I saw them being led away right after the lottery. Now it seems like the three of us are the only ones in the whole building, but that’s clearly not the case.” I gesture around us.
“Underground,” says Kiera. “From now on they’ll sleep in their private quarters below the atrium.”
Below the atrium?I look to my friends, but they’re just as confused.
Imogen nods emphatically, pointing toward the ground. “They have their own guards down there, and the guards havedaggers.” Her brown eyes twinkle, as if she thinks daggers are the best thing ever.
“Might we be able to speak to the Five when they get here?” asks Cordelia.
Kiera snorts. “Oh, they’re not attending.”
“They’re tooimportantto stick around with the likes of us,” says Imogen in a way that makes me think she’s repeating something she overheard.
“Well, what are they doing tonight?” asks Sadrie. “I’m assuming the prioress is here somewhere.”
“She is!” chirps Imogen. “Ijustsaw her…” She rises on tiptoes, glancing around.
Kiera says, “They’re well on their way back to their homes.”
“That’s it?” says a perplexed Sadrie, hands on her hips. “They traveled so far to spend only a few hours?”
“Seems awfully inconvenient,” agrees Cordelia, rising to her full height.
“No, that’s silly,” says Kiera, filling three tumblers with lemonade from an impressive glass dispenser. “If you’rethatrich and powerful, there’s no such thing as inconvenience.”
The three of us exchange looks and laugh.Fair enough.
We accept our drinks as Ghisele and Lady Maida approach, deep in conversation. Cordelia breaks off from our group to join theirs, leaving Sadrie and me to continue our rounds.
The air is humid from lush plants and uncomfortably warm from too many bodies packed in. It soon becomes stifling, and I fan myself, sweat prickling my scalp.
“Let’s find some fresh air.” Sadrie lifts my almost-empty glass from my hand and sets it down along with hers.
I trail her through the crowd, pausing when we arrive at the mouth of a hallway to cast one last long glance at the atrium.
Handmaidens bustle between groups of attendees, carrying trays laden with treats and drinks. Ghisele, Maida, and Cordelia are near the fountain now, nibbling and talking. To my surprise, Cordelia breaks into a fit of laughter at something Ghisele says.
And here I thought that shrew was incapable of humor.
