The servant girl produced a key and freed me from the shackles I'd grown accustomed to wearing. I rubbed my wrists and savored the absence of the added weight. 

As I exited the room with her, I noticed that the knights who had previously guarded the door were strangely absent from their posts. I looked around the empty hallway, half expecting them to jump out from somewhere and punish me for leaving the room, but they were nowhere to be found. 

My confusion must have shown on my face, because the servant quickly explained to me, “You will no longer be under the purview of His Highness, the Second Prince. His Highness, the First Prince, has decided to look after your situation personally and does not believe the guards to be necessary for you.”

I stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what she was saying. The First Prince was looking after my situation? Had I done something wrong already? Doubt and anxiety began to creep their way into my thoughts.

“Forgive me, my Lord,” the servant girl said, bowing her head in apology. “I did not mean to trouble you with what I said. His Highness is very concerned with the matter of the treaty and your marriage with General Rastari. He only wishes to meet with you to ensure that you are acting in accordance with your own will and that we can look forward to a fruitful union between our two nations.” 

Her words did nothing to alleviate the anxiety that gripped me. How did a servant girl know all that? Something about the situation just didn't feel right. Finally, I thought to wonder about who she was, frustrated with myself for being so trusting. 

Why had I just blindly followed her? Was it because of what she’d said to me the day before? What if those comforting words were meant to trick me into trusting her? What if she worked for the Second Prince? Panic welled up in my chest, as I realized, Ah! I’m an idiot. How could I be so-

“Perhaps I should introduce myself first,” she interrupted my thoughts as if she could hear them. “My name is Amelie, and I am the personal maid of His Highness, the First Prince, Elantro de Vray, heir to the Golden Throne. I assure you that you needn’t doubt my intentions.”  

Though her words didn’t alleviate my doubts entirely, I realized I had no real choice but to accept them for now. My options were limited, so I needed to stay calm until I could get a better understanding of the situation. 

I gestured for her to continue and proceeded to follow her through the labyrinthine Golden Palace. The halls were surprisingly empty of servants, considering how many I had encountered the day before. It seemed odd that there was no one around this time. The incongruity was unnerving. 

“They’re busy preparing for the banquet,” she suddenly explained, “The beast delegates arrived last night, and tonight’s banquet, which is also your engagement banquet, will mark the beginning of our peace treaty. All hands are required to ensure the success of the event, and the banquet hall is located on the other side of the Palace.”

Again, she answered my thoughts as if I had spoken aloud. Her ability to understand my expressions and body language was simply incredible. 

We continued walking for a short before she stopped in front of a set of glistening silver double doors in a hallway decorated to be reminiscent of the ocean. I stood on the velvety dark blue carpets and admired the blue and white wallpaper that evoked the image of waves crashing against the shore. Opposite the doors was a large window with sheer green curtain strips that looked like seaweed, and the silver doors sparkled in the natural light.

When Amelie opened the doors, I saw they led to a small room that was covered from floor to ceiling in blue and green tiles. In the center of that small tiled room was a large bathtub filled with steaming water. Next to the tub was a dark wooden table with a neatly folded set of towels and a robe. 

“I will leave you to wash yourself, my Lord,” she said, indicating that I should go in alone. “When you are finished, I will bring you to a dressing room where you can finish preparing yourself.”

With that said, she ushered me inside and closed the doors.

All my life, I had washed in either lukewarm or cold water and no one had ever filled a huge tub with hot water just for me to bathe in. I quickly stripped off my travel worn clothes and carefully climbed into the steaming tub. The feeling of slowly submerging myself in the hot water immediately relaxed me, and I leaned back to soak my shoulders in the warmth. However, knowing that the First Prince was waiting for my arrival, I didn’t let myself get too carried away. I focused on scrubbing away the dirt and grit that had seeped into my pores while simultaneously trying to appreciate the luxury of a hot bath.