Free Woman of Silk and Stone by Mattie Dunman Page A

exhaustion and the need to sob hysterically
for several hours, I determined what my role in Solis would be. I
was clearly brought here to help this poor boy-king and keep
Jafar's evil twin from taking over the throne. For the first time I
could see a glimmer of hope in my new situation. I might not have
gotten to be a campaign manager for the next president back home,
but I could be a powerful force of change for a fledgling king in
this world.
    "Honey, you are staying in the Halqu chambers, just down the hall from my own. Hili
will help you adjust to court life, and will oversee the servants
in getting you proper attire. I'm...I'm glad you're here, Honey,"
Tam said, blushing.
    I smiled warmly at him, feeling comforted by
his honest statement of welcome, and gave a little bow. "Thank you Ensi Tam. I hope we speak again soon."
    With that, hesitant little Hali straightened
her shoulders, bearing the importance of her new position with
grace, and she gestured for me to follow her. The crowd parted,
nodding heads at me in greeting as I passed by. I managed to return
the nods and keep my head held high, though all my bravado was
beginning to bleed away, leaving me feeling hollow and exposed. I
followed Hali through one of the many doors in the honeycomb room
and down a hallway, up some stairs, and down another hallway,
listening to her chatter nervously the whole way, pointing out
various rooms and their uses. I hoped she was going to show me
around again when I was more aware, or I would never find my way
again.
    At long last we paused at door and Hali
bowed her head respectfully. "These are the chambers reserved for
the resident Halqu . They were prepared for
you the moment your presence was reported, Honey Sullivan of
Earth," my guide said proudly.
    "Call me Honey," I said absently as she
opened the door.
    Now this was worth waiting for.

Chapter
VIII
All I Want Is a Room Somewhere
    I sat on the edge of the bed, running my
hands over the glossy strands of the blanket beneath me. It was
made out of something similar to angora; most likely a product of
the silky grass on which I had landed upon my arrival. Closing my
eyes, I sank my fingers into the luxurious fabric, allowing the
lavishness of my surroundings to ease some of my stress.
    The room was gorgeous. It was twice the size
of my tiny apartment back in D.C., with a tiled mosaic fireplace;
giant, couch-sized pillows huddled together before the inviting
warmth. Thick, sumptuous rugs were scattered about the room, and
glimpses of warm mahogany floors made the bright colors of the
rugs' weaving stand out. The entire room followed a color scheme
reminiscent of the landscape; stunning blues and purples were
countered by gold and green accents, and tapestries depicting Halqu
being welcomed to Solis adorned soft butter-hued walls.
    Bookshelves covered one entire wall, and to
my delight, I was able to read the few books I had picked up as
though they were written in English. Some of the phrasing was
unfamiliar, and there were words I didn't understand, but I could
read enough to appreciate the books' subject material. They seemed
to be journals written by previous Halqu, many of the spines worn
and pages turned down. It was kind of reassuring to think that I
was only one in a line of many individuals who had been dropped
unceremoniously into this world, who had sat on this very bed,
feeling the same overwhelming sense of displacement as I did now.
Some of the entries I had glanced through detailed months of
painful recovery from the journey between worlds, so I counted
myself lucky that, for whatever reason, I had been healed from the
trauma so quickly.
    There was a small pantry-like room off on
the far side of the bookshelves, and I was delighted to find a
store of crackers and pale, thin cookies that reminded me of
rice-cakes, as well as jugs of wine and water. Clearly I wasn't to
eat my meals in this room, but I wouldn't starve if I didn't come
out either. The bathroom was