Part 17 (1/2)

She turned to me.

I continued, ”We haven't discussed it, but I'd like for you to share how you knew to awaken Noctorno and take him to the b.u.t.tery.”

Her inquisitive look turned guarded and it took a moment for her to answer.

As this moment pa.s.sed I sought patience, something of which I'd once had a profuse amount at my disposal. Patience was important when one engaged in plentiful amounts of intrigue.

Something I'd found slipping of late.

When I was on the cusp of prompting her, she declared, ”I sleep light.”

”This is not quite an explanation,” I noted when she said no more.

”I've been in service almost all my life. When my employers have need of me, night or day, I'm trained to be awake and aware.”

”You're an excellent maid, Josette. Are you saying something woke you, you found my bed empty and went in search of me?”

”Actually, you woke me, closing the door to your room. I worried about you, your...well, state of mind being...well...” She shook her head. ”That doesn't matter. The thing is, I was worried so I followed you.”

How curious.

I hadn't heard her. I hadn't even sensed her.

Then again, my mind had been on other things.

”And thus you saw it all,” I remarked. ”Or heard it, when you weren't bustling to go tell Master Noctorno what was happening.”

She visibly swallowed.

I studied her and as I did so I watched her anxiety escalate.

As noted, she'd been an excellent maid for some time.

The past several days, however, she'd been more.

Therefore, I found myself a.s.suring her softly, ”I'm not angry with you, Josette.”

”He was...” she shook her head again, ”Master Noc was the only one I was certain would...help,” she finished feebly.

”I'm certain you're quite right,” I replied.

She took a step toward me and stopped. ”I'm very pleased you're not annoyed with me, Lady Franka. I thought...when the subject came up, you'd...” she trailed off and didn't continue.

There was much about this to consider and I'd most a.s.suredly considered it over the last few days.

Namely, the filthy secret of Nils, Anneka, Franka and Kristian Drakkar being out.

And the end of the domination, fear and torment.

It was unexpectedly not easy to come to terms with.

Considering my mother's magic, and the life I'd led where memories started with suffering in a way I knew nothing else, I'd never pondered a life without Nils and Anneka meting out their brand of ruthlessness. A life not living under the cloud of it happening again, doing my best to escape it and finding ways to keep safe from the minute I could.

I should have been relieved. Even joyous.

And yet I was not.

I felt a good deal of humiliation, but more of shame with an underlying uneasiness.

Kristian, I'd learned (from Finnie during one of her many visits), wanted to settle his wife and child after the fright of Mother appearing, and then they were journeying to the Winter Palace to see me. Valentine had offered to bring them there much quicker, that was to say in an instant, but Kristian had declined, fearing his young son's reaction to such a happenstance.

Though mostly, I'd decided, it was probably that this offer was extended right after Valentine interrupted my mother's preparations so my brother was likely more concerned about the state of mind of his family than travel plans.

It was highly unusual (and if they were to journey by sleigh, which it seemed they were going to do, meaning I'd be at the Winter Palace even longer than the queen decreed) but I was keen for my brother's visit.

It wasn't unusual because I wished to see him and ascertain if he was indeed well in mind and spirit.

It was unusual because I wished to talk with him about his reaction to our lifelong misery coming to an abrupt, unantic.i.p.ated end.

Discussing my feelings was not something I was adept at doing. That was to say, since I put a stop to Kristian and I whispering together as children because we were repeatedly punished for it, I'd never done it, not even with Antoine.

Therefore looking forward to such discourse was farcical.

But it could not be denied I did.

”My lady, is there aught else?” Josette called, and I started, losing track of our conversation and even forgetting she was there.

”I'm so sorry, Josette. My mind wandered. No, thank you. Nothing else.”

She did not move.

All she did was blink.

I found that odd until I realized what had come out of my mouth.

Dear G.o.ddess, I'd apologized.

And...

I peered closer at my maid, squinting my eyes across the distance...

It appeared she was on the verge of tears!

b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.

I wasn't an ogre but she'd been with me for five years.

Five years with someone who was distant, respectful, but not kind.

Not to mention, the very idea of living a life at the beck and call of anyone was revolting.