Dead Suitors Tell No Tales

9: Fires and Other Inconveniences

Dax left the ballroom early, seeing no need to stay at the function when the girl he was supposed to impress hated his guts. He had to remember that he wasn't there for her, anyway. He had more important things to do.

It wasn't like anyone would miss him when he was gone.

He traced his way back to his room easily, without having to stop and ask for directions. He'd memorized his surroundings in his spare time before the ball and had all the exits marked in his mind just in case he needed to run.

The castle was huge. There were a lot more stairways and open ended halls and ambiguous rooms than he had imagined, and though he had a general idea of where all the important areas were, it would still take time to note where he could and could not go.

The King and Queen's chamber wing, of course, was off-limits, and so was Alistair's private study, although you could ask for a private audience with him and be whisked inside. Dax didn't fancy meeting the man face-to-face again, but he'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant a chance at glimpsing some important documents in the king's office. He didn't expect there to be any information on the vial, but it never hurt to check.

Dax turned down the hall he was in and reached one of the spiral staircases that would take him to the West End of the castle, where all of the suitors' rooms were located. It also happened to be the same area as the Princess' quarters, which did not go unnoticed by several of the suitors. Her suite was in a separate hall, in the uppermost tower, a few levels above the suitors. Dax was surprised that Alistair allowed the men to be in such close quarters to his daughter. Surely if one of them was to be found in the Princess' hall, tongues would wag and reputations would be questioned.

But he wasn't one to question the king's decree, so Dax ventured back to his room at the end of the hall. He was almost to the door when it suddenly opened, and a maid's head appeared.

Upon seeing Dax, the girl started and hastily dipped into a curtsy.

"Pardon, m'lord," she said. "I didn't know you were going to be back so soon! I only just finished the new room, you see, and your things have only just been sent up--"

"New room?" Dax frowned. "Why the hell would I need a new room?"

The maid looked aghast at his words, and he silently made a note not to curse in front of the women here, lest they be shocked for life. The maid seemed to gather her courage before she answered, "There was an accident, m'lord. One of the girls accidentally dropped a candle inside, and the room caught fire."

Dax's brows lifted in surprise. "Why was no one told of the fire?"

"We managed to put it out within a few minutes, m'lord," the maid explained. "We didn't want anyone to panic, and everyone was at the ball so it would've taken a long time to warn them if the fire was still going." She bit her lip nervously. "I hope the mistress won't sack us. 'Twas the rug that burned, and the room smells of smoke, but it isn't all bad. We moved your things before they could get damaged." The maid gestured towards the staircase at the end of the hall. "Just up there."

"I see." Dax watched as the girl took a last glance at the damaged room. From what he could see, there were long scorch marks on the rug and traces of smoke wafting around. He wrinkled his nose at the smell and stepped aside so the maid could close the door.

"Follow me, m'lord," she said, and led him up the spiral stairs into the next hall above the suitors. The Princess' wing was very large, with fewer rooms to take up so much space. There was a single purple carpet stretched down the hallway to signify royal quarters, and along the walls were various portraits of past kings that had ruled Ester, and their families.