A Wicked Game [The Crown Saga II] (Under Editing)

Tale of the Evergreens

The loud noise of someone drilling into the wall near my room jolted me awake from the most wonderful dream I'd had in a long time.

My eyes refused to open, yet I could already sense the dim sunlight shining through the white draperies.

I stopped breathing.

Why was the Sun shining? It was winter, and the shortest day of the year was just around the corner.

Faye was usually so meticulous regarding everything related to the Crown Trials, so allowing me to sleep beyond sunrise at this time was out of character for her. Where was she?

I forced my feckless body up from my comfortable pillow, rubbing my heavy eyes to prepare them for the burning light. Then, slowly cracking them open, I turned my head to look at the clock above the door. Then they opened wide.

Breakfast had been served almost an hour ago, and no one had been here to get me.

I jumped out of bed and pulled the delicate nightgown over my head, nearly tearing it in the process. Breathless, I searched my closet for a dress proficient for the assignments Evie could've planned for us today, and my eye caught a dark green dress that looked easy to manage.

The fabric was soft, and all it took to fit my size was one button in the back of its neck and a string around the waist. It was perfect — plain and straightforward, but that was what I needed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't recall the details of today's agenda. I could only hope that it wouldn't necessitate overly formal attire. Evie would kill me if we were scheduled to participate in another etiquette lecture and I showed up like this.

I quickly found a pair of matching flat slippers and put them on before I tossed a light shawl across my shoulders to keep my body warm from the chilly halls.

The door unlocked as I pressed my crystal against its wooden surface and carefully pushed it open. They were still drilling in the walls, so I peeked my head outside to ensure I didn't accidentally interrupt anything I shouldn't. However, my eyes weren't met by the dull white walls I was used to seeing.

Instead, little lights were hanging from the ceiling like a series of stars, and the amour statues from the battle before the Great Escape had been replaced by evergreen trees, saturating the air with the familiar scents of the forest.

The drilling that had awoken me had indeed been people tampering with the walls. Four men, each with a drill in their hands, were filling the holes with screws and hanging round decorations of evergreen branches to hang on the wall.

It was bizarre to sense the forest inside this pristine place, but what was even more unnatural was the decorations they had bestrewn the evergreen trees with.

Colorful spheres, shiny and matte, hung from their branches, mixed with golden ornaments of the Iridis symbols.

What was going on?

I politely said good morning to the workers as I gracefully passed them, carefully observing everything that had changed as the night had turned into day. And it wasn't just the air wing. Everything had been redecorated with some sort of evergreen designs, and small lights, which I could imagine would create a cozy atmosphere when the daylight slipped.

Following my growling stomach, I first went to the dining hall to see if I could find any familiar faces, but the suitors were nowhere to be seen. Only the cleaning crew remained, and I thanked the spirits when I noticed they hadn't cleared the entire breakfast table yet. I said good morning and quickly grabbed a couple of toast and eggs to survive the morning.

Next, I headed toward the Parlor, which was the most logical place for them to be if they weren't in the dining hall or their rooms.

I swallowed the rest of my breakfast and wiped my hands in the napkin I'd brought, but before I grabbed the handle to enter, my eyes glimpsed of the door on the opposite wall — the door that hid the enormous library.