21 4.4

I wasn't sure where my stepmother was staying so I found myself grateful for the guidance Probably Joseph provided, even if his attitude annoyed me. Her usual rooms in

the castle were currently under renovations and the guest wing was a poorly designed maze. It wasn't clear if it was a flaw in the mind of the architect or a clever ploy to drive potential assassins crazy enough to simply surrender to the first sign of intelligent life they found. Either way, finding my way around without help would be an impossible task.

We walked for a short eternity before coming to a large wooden door. It was identical to almost every other door in the hallway, and I failed to find anything about the construct unique enough to inform the steward that he was at the right door. Despite this, he gave a confident, professional knock and opened the door to usher me in.

I took several steps into the room before pausing. The lighting was poor, and I had to let my eyes adjust before I could progress. All of the guest rooms set aside for nobility were made up of several rooms, usually an entryway, a sitting room, a dining room, and a bedroom. The entryway didn't appear to have any lit lamps and it was a jarring shift from the well-lit corridor I had been in only moments before. After I regained my ability to see, I walked to the end of the short hallway and walked into the sitting room where I assumed my stepmother awaited me.

The lighting where she was wasn't much better. There was a lamp over the queen's shoulder that gave her enough light for whatever she was currently knitting but not much else. She was sitting in a comfortable looking high-backed chair with a thick blanket warming her lap and her cat purring on top. The sound of her needles clicking together mixed nicely with the sound of her cat, creating a beautiful portrait of contentment, and her glasses were on the tip of her nose and in danger of becoming lost to obscurity.

I leaned against the doorframe for a minute to just watch with a smile until she noticed I was there.

My stepmother's glasses almost fell off of her face as she glanced up and she gave me a small but welcoming smile. She raised one of her hands and gestured to something next to me, and I watched as a small ball of light glowed on her fingertips before splitting off into four and floating to the oil lamps located in the corners of the room. The room was almost immediately flooded with light, forcing my eyes to rapidly adjust in the opposing direction. I quickly squinted to prevent my head from being overwhelmed by the sudden change in lighting and waited several moments until I could see again.

My vision adjusted, and I took a few seconds to look around the room, noting that it was decorated beautifully in greens and browns that were not standard for the guest rooms in this wing. As far as I knew these rooms were usually set up in white and light blue, and while it would be easy enough to change the sheets and decorations, I imagined it would take much longer to repaint the walls and redo the floors to match. The effect was quite lovely, but I did have to wonder if there were rooms set aside specifically for the queen in every guest wing rather than just this one.

The cat on her lap fit right in with the decor, a large tabby that was primarily black and brown with accents of grey and cream. He had long fur and a fluffy tail and was willing to sit on any lap that stayed still long enough. I was not typically fond of felines, but there was a special place in my heart for this one. He was sweet, quiet, and big enough to take out a small dog if he ever mustered up enough energy to do more than sleep his days away.

The one flaw that could be pointed out was that he shed half his weight in hair what seemed like every week, and I had heard several maids complain about cleaning up after the mess he made.

I moved my gaze up to her face and stopped, stunned. She looked tired, with noticeable bags under her blue-green eyes, limp hair, and none of her usual delicately applied makeup. This was a severely abnormal state of affairs; she had always impressed on me how important appearance was for those in positions of authority, and it was practically a sin to her to appear less than perfect no matter the circumstances.

I had to wonder what she had been doing while she was gone, and if this clear state of exhaustion could be my fault somehow. She needed a break, and I doubted I was helping any.

Still, guilt would not stop me from trying to get out of trouble. I began to pull together a defense, grasping for anything to use no matter how weak when she started to talk.

"I heard what happened, Haven."

(This chapter is dedicated to my feline companion who I have subtly added to the storyline.)