Queen of the Beasts *Sample*

Chapter 10

Griffin left after a short time and I was both thankful and disappointed. It was clear he took Selene's warning seriously and didn't want to push me too hard too soon. They viewed my hesitations as fear and hesitation from being thrown into such a new life, but it was not the reasoning at all. Bit by bit he was unraveling my plan, my purpose. And each touch, each word only made it worse.

After his sweet words were left hanging in the air and I said nothing in response he quickly dismissed himself. there was a flicker of something on his face, but it didn't last. He was still beaming brightly when he told me that it was getting late and I needed rest. As he left he kept looking over his shoulder, almost like he couldn't believe I was real.

When the door shut behind him I didn't hear the click of a lock.

Agatha returned moments later. She was as quiet as she had been before, but I deeply wished she had continued the brief, secret conversation we had had before. When I met her eyes she glanced away quickly and indicated that I should get ready for the evening. She helped me into a nightgown silently and I wasn't brave enough nor did I have the vocal strength to push her. She left after I had climbed into the large bed and was tucked under hundreds of blankets.

The sun had gone down and I was slowly feeling the exhaustion set in. My body was still working very hard to heal all of the injuries that had been inflicted on my flesh and I had been nothing if not restless in the underground cells. In addition to this, trying to synchronize to a human body was very time consuming and draining. I knew that I should at least try to unravel the mysteries that were hidden within the palace walls, especially since the door had been left unlocked, but the warmth surrounding me and the soft feel of the sheets on my skin made my eyes drift shut ever so slowly.

I was so fatigued I slept soundly until a soft rustling woke me up. As I sat up I saw Agatha kneeling by the large fireplace, carefully stacking wood before she started a small blaze. It took me several seconds to remember that this had become my life, at least for the time being I wouldn't be sleeping on a pile of pine needles in the woods.

"Mor-" my voice let out again, irking me endlessly.

At least my small sounds caused Agatha to turn around. Her thin lips turned up in a small smile and she bowed her head respectfully before rising.

"Your voice will get stronger with time, my lady, I've seen this before." Then, very quickly she changed her tone, "I have a seamstress coming shortly to take your measurements."

It seemed that every time she opened her mouth and spoke to me the maid that I assumed was treated as little more than a piece of furniture shifted into a wild mystery. But I had no way of pressing her for more details and I knew that she would only reveal what she wanted to. Though she seemed gentle and passive at first glance I could now see a light in her eyes, a fire of stubbornness that many didn't have. But my mother had had it, as had my brother. And now Agatha.

The seamstress came soon after I awoke. She was kind and bubbly, seeming to be deeply enthused about dressing someone young. She babbled on endlessly about all the colours that would make my skin look exquisite, the tones that would bring out my freckles. When I looked at her gown I could tell she had raised and lowered her waist line a handful of times, added and removed trim from the sleeves, and adjusted the neckline. I knew that I would be dressed in the latest fashions whether I liked them or not. Still, the idea of having something made just for me at such a high quality was enticing.

But for today I was stuck into another ill fitted dress and soft slippers that were a little too big. Thankfully my seamstress made some quick fixes to the gown that allowed me to walk in it without tripping over the excess length and it hugged my small breasts a little more. It wasn't perfect, but at least it was comfortable to exist in.