Free Betrothed by Jill Myles Page A

had seen in the downstairs halls, but a clear, bubbly glass that allowed the sunlight in and made her long to be outside. Thick carpets were tossed over the beautiful tiles on the floor, and scattered throughout the room were small tables and chairs and mirrors, as if one were supposed to loiter in this massive chamber.
    Was that what noble women did with their time, Seri wondered? Lie about in their bedrooms and fix their hair? She knew that Lady Mila had certainly not extended herself beyond this, but she had thought her a lazy exception to the rule, not the rule itself.
    No wonder they were all so hateful, Seri thought with a wry twist of her mouth. She’d be bored silly in a sevenday and imagined she’d be just as unpleasant to be around. Still, she couldn’t help but look in the mirror and grimace at her rumpled hair and clothing.
    “I see you’re awake, my lady.”
    The cheerful voice made Seri spin around abruptly, dropping her hands from her gold-smeared face like a guilty child. She hadn’t realized she was not alone in this monstrous chamber. A woman stood there, dressed in the typical gray robes of the servants, a warm smile on her face. She carried a tray in her hands, and the scent of warm bread caught Seri’s nostrils. She set the tray down on one of the spindly sitting tables and gestured for Seri to sit. “Break your fast, my lady, and then we can begin our day.”
    Seri dropped into the seat, cramming one of the sugared biscuits into her mouth. Delicate and fluffy, they weren’t the fare that servants were offered—honey was too expensive. The first one melted away on her tongue too fast, it seemed, and she stuffed another into her mouth, watching the woman as she puttered around the room, humming. She pulled on a cord in the corner, then turned back to Seri, smiling and waiting.
    Swallowing hard to clear out her mouth, Seri reached for another biscuit despite herself. “Begin… our day?” she asked. “Is there something I’m supposed to do?”
    “Goodness me, yes.” The woman looked surprised at Seri’s question. “We’ve got a lot to do. Once you’ve taken your bath, we’ll get you dressed in one of the gowns that Prince Graeme sent for you. Then we must get you fitted for the official betrothal ceremony in the next few days. Then you must have your midday feast with the Prince to go over your schedule for the rest of the week—”
    Mid-bite into her third sugar-biscuit, Seri lost her appetite. The sweet stuck to the roof of her mouth like glue, and she had to use her tongue to pry it off the roof of her mouth. “Wait,” she managed around her full mouth. “When do I get my money?”
    The servingwoman’s mouth puckered. “I’m afraid that I don’t deal with details like that.”
    Seri crossed her arms, mulish anger taking over. This was getting ridiculous. Part of her began to dread that she wouldn’t receive the money at all, and that wouldn’t do. She hadn’t gone through all this to return home empty-handed. A deal was a deal. She focused on the woman in front of her. “Then take me to someone that does.”
    The woman stared as if not believing Seri’s bad manners. “But, my lady,” she said, then stopped when the door opened. Both of them turned as servants trooped in with buckets, and one carried a beaten copper tub on his back. One of the washerwomen carried in a set of fluffy towels. “Won’t you bathe and dress properly first, at least?”
    Well, she supposed she could do that. Somewhat mollified, Seri nodded and watched as they filled the copper tub. She’d never had a hot bath before.
    It turned out to be a lovely, relaxing experience, marred only by the overwhelming presence of the sticky gold powder that got on everything, and the fact that she had to dress in the clothes brought for her after she was done with her bath.
    Athoni clothes were a torture not to be borne , Seri thought to herself as the woman laced her into a stiff contraption that hung around