Chapter 378: A Plan for the Day

Chapter 377: A Plan for the Day

Lyria’s POV

I paused in thought.

The question hung between us, deceptively simple.

What would I do for the remainder of the day?

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have had no difficulty answering. There was always something to occupy my time within the palace. Lessons, reading, drawing, and even the dates with suitors.

Today, however, was different.

"I r-really have n-no idea," I admitted. "I have t-to be careful m-moving about t-today. I had p-planned on v-visiting the l-library, just t-to catch up w-with my s-studying."

Bridget tilted her head in thought.

"What if you visited the indoor training grounds instead, Your Highness?"

I looked at her.

"Why w-would you s-suggest that?"

"The last time Earl Hawthorne taught Your Highness a little self-defence," she said, "you seemed rather pleased with yourself afterwards."

I stared at her.

Bridget’s lips curved faintly.

"And if there is one thing I have learned, it is that skills are not terribly useful if one never practises them."

I frowned.

"I h-have no one t-to practise w-with, though."

"You have Brayden."

Elara spoke up.

"Or Phineas," she added. "And Bridget as well."

Bridget nodded.

"I learned a thing or two from my brother," she said. "I may not be Earl Hawthorne, but I believe I could at least keep Your Highness from falling upon your face."

I narrowed my eyes.

"That was r-rather rude."

Bridget smiled.

"It was intended affectionately, Your Highness."

I could not help but laugh.

Kathryn, however, did not look amused.

She straightened slightly and fixed Bridget with a stern look.

"Whatever the three of you are contemplating, I must insist upon caution. Her Highness has only just recovered from her injuries. I would rather not return tomorrow to discover that she has acquired another collection."

Bridget inclined her head respectfully.

"We shall be careful."

Kathryn’s gaze shifted to me.

"I mean it, Your Highness."

"I k-know."

She seemed unconvinced.

Bridget, perhaps sensing that the conversation was becoming rather too serious, stepped forward.

"Are you up for it, Your Highness?"

I stretched slowly.

The movement pulled at the tender skin around my shoulder, though it was no longer painful. Still, the sensation served as a useful reminder.

I had been careless before.

I did not intend to repeat the mistake.

"I am," I said.

Bridget smiled.

"But there is j-just one i-issue," I told her. "How do w-we expect to r-reach the t-training grounds without b-being seen?"

The smile disappeared from her face.

I gestured vaguely towards the chamber.

"Even g-going to the l-library now s-seems risky. Servants are m-moving about n-now, and I do n-not doubt that someone would r-report even the s-slightest glimpse of us."

I paused.

"And if we w-wear cloaks, that may a-attract even more attention. People will w-wonder why I am h-hiding myself."

Silence followed.

The problem was painfully obvious.

There had been a time when moving about the palace unseen would have been effortless.

I had once been little more than a shadow within these walls.

People did not look for me.

They did not care where I went.

They did not wonder whom I spoke with or what I was doing.

But things had changed.

I was no longer as invisible as I once was.

Being unnoticed was no longer an option.

I sighed.

"D-Debbie."

She immediately looked towards me.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Please g-get some b-books from the l-library for m-me."

Debbie nodded.

"It shall be done."

"It will o-only be at s-sundown that I w-will be able to move about as I w-wish."

Bridget released a resigned sigh.

"I hate to admit it, but I believe Your Highness is correct."

"I am r-right quite o-often," I told her.

Bridget laughed softly, and I settled back into my chair.

"For n-now, it is b-better that I l-lay low. I do n-not wish to do anything that might a-arouse suspicion."

Kathryn nodded approvingly.

"That would be the wiser course."

She reached for her satchel and fastened the clasp.

"I must leave now, lest someone notice my absence," she explained. "I have already spent rather more time here than I ought to have."

I understood.

The Queen had eyes everywhere.

Kathryn could not afford to be careless simply because she had chosen to help me.

I nodded.

"B-be careful."

Kathryn inclined her head.

"I shall."

She moved towards the door.

Then she paused.

"Your Highness?"

"Yes?"

"Do try to rest."

I gave her a small smile.

"I w-will."

Kathryn gave a final nod before slipping from the chamber.

The door closed behind her with a quiet click.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Bridget sighed.

"She worries about you terribly."

"She scares me," Pippa said with a shudder.

We all laughed at that.

I had to admit, Kathryn was rather frightening.

Not because she was cruel.

Quite the opposite.

There was simply something about the woman that made even the most stubborn person think twice before ignoring her advice.

And I had a feeling I would rather not discover what happened when someone did.

The hours passed slowly.

Debbie eventually returned from the library carrying a small stack of books against her chest. She placed them carefully upon the reading table, dusting her hands together as though she had just completed some great expedition.

"T-thank you," I told her.

"You are most welcome, Your Highness."

I settled into the chair and opened the first volume.

I read for hours.

If I was going to survive among nobles, I ought to understand them a little better.

Their words, in particular.

There were so many ways nobles spoke without actually saying what they meant.

A compliment could be an insult.

An apology could be a warning.

A question could be an accusation dressed in silk.

And apparently, saying that one was delighted to see someone did not necessarily mean one was delighted at all.

It was exhausting.

I took notes whenever I encountered a word or expression I did not recognise, writing them down carefully in the margins of my notebook.

Every so often, I would pause and practise saying a particular phrase aloud.

Time passed and at some point, I realised I had read the same sentence three times without understanding a single word of it.

I closed the book.

I was tired.

Then I remembered Kathryn’s warnings. I was not prepared to incur her wrath. And perhaps it was time I started taking better care of myself lest I left before my mother regained consciousness.

I rose and made my way towards the bed.

I climbed into it, pulled the blankets over myself, and closed my eyes.

I had no idea how long I slept.

Hours, perhaps.

But when I awoke, the first thing that reached me was the sound of breathing.

My heart, however, immediately quickened.

Someone was in the room with me.

And I was a hundred percent certain it was none of my maids.

Nor was it one of the guards.

My fingers curled around the edge of the blanket.

I did not move.

I listened.

There was no hurried breathing.

No restless shifting.

No movement of clothing.

Whoever stood nearby was remarkably calm.

That did not make me feel better.

Quite the contrary.

My hand moved slowly beneath the blanket, searching for something—anything—that might serve as a weapon.

Perhaps the candelabra would do.

My dagger was beneath the floorboards.

I should have kept it with me at all times.

That thought came with rather unfortunate clarity.

I had just about decided that the candlelabra would have to suffice when the person spoke.

"It is a lovely day, is it not?"

I froze.

I knew that voice.

I blinked as I fought to clear my vision, which, for some reason, remained stubbornly blurred from sleep.

The figure moved closer.

Then I recognised the familiar lines of his face.

"H-how did y-you get in?" I asked in disbelief.