Free Out of the Mountain by Violet Chastain

and we all could turn into tigers. Ha! Just thinking it sounded insane. Still no parents, though . . . but at least I knew who they were now. My mother and father may have been royalty, but even more important than that is that they were good. My parents were good people.
    I looked at the pictures lining the hall that must have been my ancestors. It was odd to feel like I should know them when I didn’t. Crown moldings fitted to the ceilings and the floors were shiny marble. Everywhere I looked in this palace was covered in intricate detail.
    I followed Briony up another much smaller staircase that opened up to a long, arched gallery framed in mirrored glass. There was a door at the end of it, and she opened it with a smile, nodding me forward. The room opened up to a high domed ceiling; a huge bed was draped with a light-blue sheer canopy in the far corner. I took note of a few arched doorways on each side of the room. There was a huge mirror atop a desk in an alcove, and I groaned as I took in my appearance. I looked exhausted, hair and clothes rumpled, bags under my eyes. I sighed, looking away.
    “Take your time freshening up,” Briony said with a soft smile that I returned.
    I entered the door across from the foot of the bed and found a bathroom with a huge tiled tub that I couldn’t wait to sink into. Sadly, I had never had a hot bath and nothing would make me happier at this moment. The wall opposite was lined with a countertop and mirror. I didn’t look at myself any closer in the mirror and made use of the first toilet I’d seen in too long. I washed my hands and then stripped off my clothes in a hurry.
    I climbed into the bath while the water was still running and eased my aching body into it. There were glass vials of lotions and soaps, and I used many of them. I scrubbed my skin until it felt raw, and by the time I was finished, I smelled like an orchard. I could have stayed in that bath forever; I wasn’t exactly sure how I had survived this long in my life without it. I groaned as the water started to cool, and I knew I had to face the rest of this night.
    I pulled myself out of the bath and wrapped up in a robe that was hanging on the back of the door. My clothes were disgusting, dingy, and sweaty. There was no way I was putting them back on my freshly clean body. I braided my still-wet hair down my back and walked into my room to find it empty. A note was left on the desk telling me someone would come to retrieve me for dinner soon. I wandered into the other arched doorway on the left of the bed and found the dressing room. It was already stocked with clothing and shoes, all of which looked to be my size. All of this with hardly any notice? I wish I knew how conjuring magic worked.
    I found clean underwear and an amazingly comfortable bra before I pulled on a lightweight long dress that was similar to the style that I was used to wearing. It fit a little more snugly and hugged my curves nicely. I wasn’t used to showing my body so blatantly, but it felt freeing. I would be lying to say that I didn’t like it. I found a simple pair of sandals and walked to look at myself in the mirror.
    I had seen the way the girls in Velia dressed and the way boys looked at them. I had even seen them easily touch and kiss one another. While I was fascinated by it, it had never occurred to me that I could participate; I didn’t, beyond reading about it in books, that is. The thought of Rowan’s lips on mine came in a flash, and I blushed.
    There was a knock at the door, and when I opened it I saw Farran smiling widely. I frowned.
    “You tricked me,” I said, still mad over his ruse.
    “Don’t take offense at it, Vivi. I trick everyone at some point. I can’t help myself.”
    “Vivi?” I asked, liking the sound of it.
    “Yes, Vivienne is too formal. You’re young! You should have a fun name! A new start with a new name,” he said with a wink, and I smiled.
    “I like that,” I said truthfully. No more