All of that sounds much better than cooking or cleaning the kitchen.
My response surprises both of us. “I want to get the hell out of this castle for a bit.”
Five
Oryx
I try to appear unbothered as we slip out the servant door, though my nerves are beginning to surge. It wouldn’t be the worst thing if we were caught—I could probably come up with a story on the spot if needed—but having Lizette escort me out of the castle would probably raise a few eyebrows.
I typically don’t require an escort anywhere, especially not a female.And definitely not the only human servant in the entire kingdom.
Warm sunlight hits my skin as we hurry across the short stretch of grass between the castle and the forest that borders it. Neither of us says a word until we’re a few steps in, out of eyesight from anyone peering down from the castle windows. My pulse settles, and my gaze drifts over to appraise Lizette’s excited expression.
“This is beautiful,” she says, her head whipping around to take in the greenery.
She’s right. The thick tree trunks stretch far overhead, meeting in a tangle of branches that block out the blue sky.Flowers that can survive without much sunlight grow among the underbrush, their vines tangling over the soil.
Best of all, it’s a nice reprieve from the stone walls of the castle. Everything is fresh, vibrant,alive.
But right now, all of the scenery I typically enjoy pales in comparison to the woman beside me.
“I can see why you come out here to get away.” Her eyes snap to me, and I quickly force mine forward. She doesn’t need to know I’ve been staring at her.
“It definitely beats being indoors.” I nod. “Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can hear birds singing far off, but they’re rare.”
“Are there any poisonous plants I should know about?” Her eyes drift to the colorful flowers growing just off the path.
“I don’t think so.”
She doesn’t miss a beat before stopping to bend and pluck one of the blooms from its place. It’s a tiny purple flower with countless petals and an orange center. She twirls it between her fingers, looking at it like it’s the prettiest thing she’s ever seen, and keeps walking without a word.
“How far are we going?” she asks, staring down the long path winding through the trees ahead of us.
“Not very far,” I assure her. “There’s something I want to show you.”
I keep it vague, giving her just enough info to keep her interest piqued. We could keep walking all day, venturing to the mountains at the far edge of the kingdom, but I have someone else in mind. Besides, her floor-length servant dress is hardly the right attire for an intense trek through the woods.
Maybe another day.
Today, I have something special planned.
After following the trail for a little while, we come to a much smaller one that branches off, barely visible through the underbrush. I gesture to it, and she shoots me a curious look.
“You’re not going to get us lost, are you?”
A laugh rumbles in my chest. “Would being lost with me really be the worst thing in the world?”
I don’t miss the pink that explodes over her cheeks before she looks away. Another laugh, and I lead us onto the path.
“No, I know exactly where we’re going,” I say, trying to reassure her.
I know because I’ve already been out here once this morning.
I’ve been considering bringing Lizette to the forest since our first conversation when she said she’d never been hiking, but I didn’t just want to wander through the trees with her. I wanted to do something special, so I stewed on it for several days before coming up with my idea.
I just hope she likes it.
She might say it was a total waste of time.