Page 14 of North Queen
“Rebecca,” the regent called to her, “start a bath.”
The woman stood for a moment, then her eyes widened. “Princess Norah!” she exclaimed, and bowed quickly.
The title still unsettled her, and Norah shifted under its weight. Rebecca beamed as she stared, then she caught herself and broke away to prepare a bath.
The regent turned to another servant. “Something to eat for the princess. And wine. And water.”
Norah didn’t think she could eat; her nerves had the best of her, and her stomach, but the servant left before she could refuse. She let her eyes comb over the room with its fine tapestries and ornate furniture. Light spilled through the tall windows on the west wall. It was beautiful and overwhelming. A castle, the finery, the servants—surely she didn’t belong here. She glanced back at Alexander, who remained at the door, not stepping inside. He gave her a reassuring smile.
The queen regent stopped and took her hand. “Are you all right, child?”
She pushed out a breath, fighting an unexpected wave of emotion with all the strength she could muster. “I’m sorry. This is all a bit much,” she managed to get out.
“I’m sure it is, but we’ll sort everything out. It will come back to you.”
Or itwouldn’t.She didn’t want to think about that possibility, though. Not right now.
“What do you remember?” Catherine asked.
Norah shook her head—what did she remember? “I woke in the forest, like this.” She motioned to herself. “I was lost for a time.” How much detail to share? She didn’t have the energy and didn’t want to relive it. “Then Alexander found me.” She looked back at him.
“Of course he did,” the queen regent said, letting her gaze rest on him with a warm smile.
He gave a bow. “I’ll leave you, Queen Regent.” To Norah he said, “Welcome home, Princess Norah.” He was more formal now, and more serious. She didn’t like it.
“Thank you,” Norah said. “For everything. And don’t tell me it’s your duty.”
He lingered a moment longer, a silent confession he didn’t want to go, then he gave a small nod and left her to the queen regent.
“Lord Justice,” the regent called, “one more thing.” She swept out of the chamber and into the hall after him.
Norah heard their voices in the hall but couldn’t make out what was being said. She stood, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. Perhaps she should just wait, or…
The woman named Rebecca stepped back into the room from the side chamber. “Your bath is ready, Princess Norah.”
A bath. A bath would be good. Her mind reeled with the increasingly likely possibility that she might truly be a princess—she just needed to focus her mind on one task to hold herself together. She turned toward the bath chamber.
“By the gods, child,” her grandmother said as she came back into the room.
Norah paused and turned back to her.
“I know you must be tired, but let me look at you.” She clasped Norah by the shoulders and gave a smile that trembled with emotion. “How I wish Aamon were here. You’re the image of your mother.” Then she caught sight of the pendant around Norah’s neck, and her eyes welled. She brushed it with her fingertips. “He gave this to you on your last birthday that we celebrated. The winterhawk belongs to Kelos, god of protection and vanquisher of evil. It’s the sigil of the Andell crown. Your crown.”
Norah brought her hand to the pendant and glanced down as she tilted it between her thumb and forefinger. Perhaps it had been Kelos watching over her. Alexander had found her in the middle of a forest—seemingly unbelievable, without some divine intervention. And the matching winterhawk on his breastplate was the only reason she’d agreed to go with him.
Well, themainreason.
The other being… there was just something about him…
The woman let out an emotional breath, snapping Norah back to the present. “Let’s get you washed,” her grandmother said, “and then we’ll see you fed.” She and the maids shuffled Norah into the bath chamber.
Before Norah could protest, they stripped her of her cloak and dress. She barely had time to squirm from her undergarments as she was shooed into the tub. Despite the initial feeling of invasiveness, a strange familiarity at being bustled about hit her, and the warmth of the water washed any remaining objections away.
“Rebecca, Serene,” the queen regent said to the maids, “I’ll take it from here.”
The two women curtsied and left as Catherine draped a robe over a settee and sat beside it. “I still can’t believe you’re home.”
Norah couldn’t either. Why couldn’t she remember? How could twenty-five years of her life have been taken from her? Would her memories come back? A slight panic welled again at the thought of them not.
