“I am the king’s right hand.” The mention gives me pause, bringing back the memory of Rinni cupping his cheek. I can’t help but wonder if there’s more there. Harrow had mentioned something about the Elf King taking lovers… “But that’s precisely why he has me guarding you. There’s no one else he trusts to keep you safe.”
I barely refrain from asking if there’s anything she can do about Harrow.
“Well then, I’d like to furnish my room today. You said it was something the queens got to do.” I emerge from the closet. Rinni tilts her head in an uncanny mirror of Hook. I barely resist laughing at them both.
“Yes, but usually they do it after their coronation, when they can go into the city.”
“So I’m stuck without furniture for three months?”
Rinni purses her lips. “I have an idea—I believe the furniture of the past queens is stored somewhere in the castle. You could start with that for the time being?”
“All right, lead the way.”
We wander through the lifeless castle to a back room. It’s clearly being used as a storeroom, but it’s the size of a small ballroom. The only dancers are tarp ghosts propped up by furniture underneath.
“All this…belonged to past queens?”
“By my understanding.”
It’s like a graveyard. With morbid curiosity, I peel up the first sheet and reveal a chaise covered in supple brown leather. It’s just a piece of furniture, I try and insist to myself. But I can see the outline of where the queen sat.
I shiver and lower the sheet. The room is suddenly ten times colder.
“I think I want to pick out my own.”
“But—”
I turn back. “Isn’t there a way we could sneak out? I can cover my head, tuck my hair, and—”
“Your eyes,” Rinni interrupts.
“What?”
“Your eyes give you away. Elves have blue eyes.”
I curse under my breath. “I can’t use any of this…” I shake my head. “It’s a good effort, thank you, but I can’t… It’d be strange. As though I’m living with ghosts.” Rinni gives a sympathetic sigh. At least she seems to understand why her suggestion won’t work. “Are you certain there’s no way I can go into the city to get furniture of my own?”
She pauses, curling and uncurling her fingers around her sword.
“Rinni?”
“Perhaps there could be a way, if we’re very careful.” Rinni’s eyes are shifty, as if she’s doubting herself for saying anything.
“Oh?” I encourage eagerly.
“I’ll tell you as we walk.” Rinni motions for me to follow her and I quickly fall into step.
The plan is fairly simple.
Rinni takes me back to her room and there I change out of the gown and into some of her clothes. She has a modest apartment—the racks of weapons I expect. The painting supplies I do not. Rinni says nothing about her hobby, so I follow her lead. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be secret that the right hand of the king is also an artist. Either way, I don’t want to risk the peace we’ve found.
I carefully tuck my hair underneath a cap. Even though no one knows me yet, Rinni says the red is too distinct a shade to have flowing freely. Though a few red-orange sparks float stubbornly around my ears.
The final bit of my ensemble is a pair of green-tinted glasses. Apparently, elves all having the same eye color has given rise to some thinking it fashionable to wear spectacles of varying tints. It’s like I’m wearing one of the stained glass windows from the Keepers’ temple on my face, but I’ll accept it if this is the way I get out of the castle without issue.
“I think this’ll work.” Rinni appraises me one final time. She’s changed out of her usual military garb into plain clothes.
“It’ll be great.” I appraise myself in her tall, skinny mirror. “Shall we?”