Ageless

Chapter 36

"Second floor please," I said to the lift operator.

He looked at me for a second and gave a sheepish smile. "Going to pay the King a late night visit, are we?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna surprise him. Don't tell anyone."

Malcolm's room was on the far end of the second floor. Like the night previous, the halls of the King's apartments were empty and silent. This time, even the torches circling Nadia's room were dark and extinguished.

I wandered around the empty halls a bit, relying less and less on my crutch as my legs recovered. At the very end of the last hall were two large imposing doors inlaid with the symbol of a crown. I took the large brass knocker in my hand and gave the doors a few clanging knocks, to no response, before testing the handle and finding them open. They led me to a large open foyer with high vaulted ceilings and somber silver curtains, although strangely there were no windows. Rows of chairs lined the room, of all different shapes and sizes, each with a uniquely ornate carving pattern. I guessed it was some type of waiting area for those that wished to attend the King. I slipped through the room to find a second set of closed doors at the far end.

The shadows cast from the chairs were large and daunting as I stood before these doors. They were smaller than the first, but looked to be made of pure silver. "Malcolm?" I called out meekly into the closed doors.

No answer.

I grasped the brass handle of one and gave it a shove. To my surprise, it gave with a groan.

The next room looked to be some kind of private dining area. A long oak table was set with an elaborately patterned tablecloth, with polished silverware and dishes set for one at the far end. This room had a window at least, which extended all the way to the floor, letting the moonlight cast pale white strips against the varnished wood.

Wonder why he never invites me to have dinner here with him, I thought, watching my long shadow extend the length of the room.

The doors at the end of this room were painted gold, and slightly ajar. I could see candle light flickering from within. "Malcom?" I called out again. Still nothing.

Where is he?

I couldn't say why my heart rate increased as I moved towards the final set of doors. It was only my husband's bedroom, after all. Still, it was ludicrous that I had stayed here for over three weeks and felt afraid to enter it. But as I stumbled awkwardly through the doors into the bedchamber, I was acutely aware of the blood pumping through my wrists, and could feel my breath coming faster and more shallow. I didn't feel welcome here.

The bed chamber was empty. There was a four-poster bed in the center, dressed in delicate silk sheets the color of cherry. The covers were ruffled and balled up at the foot of the bed, as if he had slept there recently. The stone-walled room had no windows, and was otherwise bare, except for a heavy copper bed-stand and a tall mahogany dresser on the opposite side of the room.

My gut told me to leave, to go come back and find him in the morning, but as I studied the room, something on the front of the bed-stand caught my eye. Something sticking up out of the smooth surface, pale yellow, clashing with the dark bronze of the furniture.

I walked over to the bed-stand to get a better look. It was a corner of a piece of parchment, sticking up out of...well...nowhere. At first glance, it was not apparent that the bed-stand had any drawers at all. I set my crutch down against the wall and ran my fingers across the top and sides, looking for any grooves or a handle. If there was a drawer, it was imperceptible to the human touch.

My legs were starting to grow weak from sustaining themselves, so I dropped to my knees and stuck my arm between the legs of the piece, exploring the underside of the table with my fingers.