t h i r t y - t w o

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Meredith finally broke eye contact with Antony and turned to the cook. "Yes, Ramona? What can I do for you?"

"Get me two bowls, if you would please. And spoons. And coffee mugs."

"Of course."

She hurried around the corner, taking a deep breath. She told herself that she had no conceivable idea as to why her heart had suddenly beat faster when she entered the kitchen and saw Antony leaning on the counter, but she knew that wasn't the case. There was just something about Antony.

She quickly found the requested dishes and brought them to Ramona.

"Is that all," she said quietly, avoiding Antony's eyes.

"Yes," said Ramona. "That'll be fine, Meredith."

She nodded and was just about to leave when Kade cleared his throat.

"Actually...Meredith..."

She turned and faced him, her head tilted curiously.

"Isabella... told me about you," he clarified, glancing at Antony. "Anyways...Would you..." He took a few steps towards her and said quietly, "Will you tell her I'm back?"

She nodded, smiling slightly.

"Er, Kade..."

They both turned to look at Antony, who was watching them bemusedly from his spot against the counter.

"Do you perhaps...have something to tell me? About you and my cousin?"

Kade glanced at Meredith helplessly, but she merely smiled and left to fetch Isabella, chuckling a bit under her breath at his misfortune.

Later on, she went to Mrs. Murphy, the housekeeper, to ask if there was anything that needed doing.

"Yes," answered the housekeeper, her tone vaguely annoyed. "We have to do an entire deep cleaning of the palace because the Princess Olivya's incorrigible sister, Catherine, is paying a visit. It would be a great help if you could dust the portrait hall."

"Certainly, Mrs. Murphy," said Meredith, wondering what past experiences they must have had in the palace with the Lady Catherine.

She grabbed a dust rag and a bucket and made her way to the portrait hall. Sighing, she began to dust the portraits, paying special attention to their frames. It seemed that the entire hall was composed of scowling monarchs with only a few exceptions.

She came to the portrait of Rupert the Third.

"You were terrible," she whispered, angrily. "You ruined so many lives. You ruined the name Rupert; no one remembers the first king of Astoria anymore. They only remember you and your reign of terror. You killed people, hurt people, and cared nothing for anyone."

She sighed, realizing that it was stupid of her to say anything in the first place; Rupert was dead and he could neither hear her nor do anything in response to her words. She attacked the dust on his frame with vigor, trying to avoid the haughty eyes of the portrait of the man who had given her such grief.

She jumped at the sound of the creaking of the wood floor in the corridor outside the portrait hall.

Meredith turned to face the door, dust rag in hand, and waited, strangely tense, for the intruder to show him or herself.

Moments later, Antony rounded the corner, came through the archway and stopped, looking just as surprised to see her here as she was to see him. He was no longer wearing the chain mail of earlier, having traded it for a simple blue shirt and black pants, and his hair was wet, as though he had just bathed and changed clothes after his long journey.

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