Page 7 of The Rat King
I gave a quick once over to my room, which I had a feeling was going to become my safe space and followed Leviticus out into the hallway leaving April and Alice to finish their work. Exposed cords draped down the stone wall and every so often a light bulb in a little metal cage illuminated the corridor. It was like they had gotten the technology, but hadn’t taken the time to run the electrical wiring through the old building, or try to disguise it like I had seen in some of the old castles I’d visited during my study abroad course a few summers ago.
Leviticus ushered me into the first open room. Like my suite, it was on the exterior wall and had huge windows, some of which were cracked open to let the breeze come through. There was a fireplace twice the size of mine with soot and a few extinguished black coals in it. It looked like it hadn’t been used in some time.
“This sitting room is available for you to use whenever you like. Just notify your attendants and they will order a fire to be readied for you. Go on, look around,” he said, nudging the small of my back so I had to take a step forward into the room.
Mirroring my rising dread, raindrops pattered on the thin glass. I noticed there was a guard shadowing us and neither he nor Leviticus bothered to close the windows. Water droplets ran inside them and pooled on the wooden planked floor below, which was already stained dark from previous rains. If Leviticus noticed me staring, he didn’t let on.
I made my way around the room, running my fingers across the wing back chairs which sat in front of the fire, their upholstery worn at the edges and much of the hunter green brocade rubbed away.
The red and cream handwoven rug at my feet also had dark stains, burgundy in color, and places that looked like they had been stomped with muddy boots and only haphazardly cleaned. I made my way across the room to the wall, which had full floor to ceiling cabinets and shelves. A thick layer of dust coated everything on the shelves, including the shelves themselves.
The objects which sat upon them were interesting, however. A clock which no longer ticked and had two big arms coming out from either side of it that held half melted candles, a ceramic figure of a red-eyed bull looking creature which seemed like something out of a Roman myth, a glass vase dotted with all the colors of the rainbow that started out fat at its base and came to a delicate point at its opening. In it was a single dried hydrangea stem, its large flowering head dwarfed its container.
It was like after the curse they’d given up and that made my heart ache. Turning to Leviticus, who was waiting patiently at the doorway, I said, “Where to next?”
He gave me a pleased smile. I decided if I was going to live in this castle, the first thing I was going to do would be to see this room getting a thorough cleaning, even if I had to do it myself. Maybe I’d even get some new furniture. I was queen, after all, and from what the witches had told me, the crown wasn’t lacking in funds.
As we moved through different rooms, the rain increased, and I could hear it pounding down onto the roof of this sagging building. I caught glimpses of the gardens outside through the windows. They were another thing in this castle that was unkempt, but they seemed unruly in their beauty, and I was dying to get out amongst the blooming flowers. I never had much of a green thumb, but considering I had to give up my cell phone coming here, I needed a new hobby. Surely somebody here knew how to keep a garden and could teach me.
Leviticus ushered me in through another room. “You will take breakfast in your apartments, but your other meals will be had here.” My eyes widened, and he seemed pleased by my reaction. The room was enormous. Ridiculously enormous for a dining room for me alone or even me and the king. At least it was clean. It was probably the cleanest room we’d been to so far.
A long table sat in the center, and a heavy red tablecloth ran down the middle. At the far end there were two place settings and a knot of dread cinched tighter in my stomach. A doorway stood open behind it and when I allowed my eyes to rest upon it, he was there. Xavier Helicanus, the rat king.
My feet had a mind of their own as they took a step backwards. Then another. I bumped into the hard chest of my guide. His hands caught my shoulders, and he urged me forward. “I will leave you with His Majesty. If you should need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.” He paused, frown returning as he turned toward his king. “I promised Miss Plath to recommend she be introduced to the library. She wishes to learn about our plane.” Leviticus gave Xavier a pointed look, then bowed before exiting the room, leaving me alone with the man I was meant to marry.
Chapter 4
Avery
SeeingXavierforthefirst time in the daylight I was able to get a good look at him in this form. His fur, including the hair at the top of his head was a medium brown-grey and pulled into the same man-pony he wore the night before. Without the heavy cloak, I saw he was softer than I perceived initially. He didn’t wear a suit like Xavier. Instead, he wore slacks that sat low on his hips and a thin grey sweater that clung to his wide shoulders and concave chest.
His expression, like it was last night, was bright as he took me in. “Very well. I will make it my first order of business once we’ve finished lunch. I see you’ve recovered from your shock last night. How are you feeling?” He leaned forward clasping his hands in front of his chest putting his eagerness on full display as he made his way from the doorway to the table.
“Hello, Your Majesty. I’m fine, thank you.” My voice cracked feebly. My strong inner goddess was fleeing again, damn the bitch, so I grabbed her by the hair and demanded her participation before she could fully make it out the door.
He gestured to the place setting at his right at the head of the table. “It’s only Xavier between us, my bride. Join me,” he said.
I forced my legs to move though the wordbridewas currently clogging my thoughts. I wanted this, I reminded myself. Not exactly this, but still it had been a dice roll regardless. I forced a grin and sat in the chair he held out for me. An uncomfortable silence blanketed the room until attendants brought out dishes laden with decent smelling food, dishing out multiple heaping servings onto our plates. As I sat with the unfortunate reality of my situation twisting my stomach, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to eat. Normally I wouldn’t turn down a meal, but I hadn’t geared myself up for eating with this rat creature in my periphery so soon. And I was doing so well up until this point.
Xavier cleared his throat, pushing up the sleeves of his sweater as if he were preparing to dig in. “I want to apologize about my brother. It was cruel of him to expose you to our curse like that. I hoped he would deliver you from the meeting point sooner so I could have prepared you before the reprieve ended.” He shook his head as he picked up the knife and fork which sat on either side of his overfilled plate.
“It was our fault. We were running late because I wanted to make a good impression. I took too long to get ready. What is the reprieve?” I unfolded my napkin, placing it in my lap. I supposed I needed to force myself to at least attempt to eat.
Xavier seemed to get lost in his thoughts for a moment. “The hours of the full moon where everything goes back to normal. The warlocks get their power back and we become human again. I look forward to our time together on those nights, and I assure you, I’ll treasure the memory of the first time I saw you stepping down from that carriage.” He hesitated, and a guilty expression sprouted across his rat-human features. “The truth is my brother could have used his power to deliver you to me directly. He had no need of the enchanted carriage to get you to Ravsted.”
My attention snagged. “Oh?”
“He can be ratherchallenging. Brutal really. I only keep him around because he’s… useful,” Xavier explained, carefully selecting his words.
“But he’s your brother,” I said.
Xavier frowned. “I was seventeen the first time I saw Nighval slit someone’s throat. Eighteen when he used his power to exercise hisjustice. When our father died and he took the throne, the power went to his head.” He leaned toward me conspiratorially. “I cautioned him to rule with a gentler hand, but he was so bloodthirsty, no one could control him.”
“If he is so dangerous, why did you send him to collect me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. Based on what he said it was a terrible judgement call.
“I’ll admit that was my mistake. And I didn’t mean to worry you. I assure you that you are perfectly safe here. He wouldn’t dare hurt you. Now, why don’t we enjoy our lunch and move on to lighter topics?” he asked. “Have you thought much about our wedding?”
I didn’t know what to think. My future husband had permitted me to ride alone through a dark forest with a maniac capable of Goddess knew what only to call it a mistake and brush it under the rug. A chill of what might have happened swept over me, and I had to suppress a shiver. Now he expected me to talk about our wedding as if I shouldn’t be rattled by what I heard seconds ago.
