Chapter 24
Dovea’s throne room was a large, stately affair with gray stone columns, a white stone floor, and blue tapestries that exuded power and wealth. In contrast, the room where Annalise currently stood was much cozier with its wooden panelling, floor strewn with sweet rushes, and a ceiling that was half as high as the one in Dovea.
While the throne room itself may have felt smaller, the throne was anything but. Made of burnished chestnut wood covered in ornate carvings that rose nearly ten feet tall, the throne spoke of hours of meticulous work by master craftsmen.
A woman with golden hair swept back into a braided crown and a thick bear belt slung around her shoulders sat on the throne. As Annalise drew closer, she noted the laugh lines around the lady’s bright blue eyes and judged her to be in her mid-forties.
As she reached the area in front of the dais, Annalise dipped into a small curtsy. “Greetings. Please forgive my indiscretion, but Captain Padrin referred to you as Lady Telimary, while my maid said that you are chief of Murana. How am I to address you?”
The woman watched her in silence, her face impassive save for one long finger that tapped her lips. Annalise held her curtsy, watching from underneath her eyelashes. There may have been no love lost between her and her governesses but she’d become well-versed in court etiquette of all kind, and if put to the test, she knew she could hold the position for far longer than any sane person would let the silence at introductions stretch.
Her legs had just started burning when the woman spoke. “In times of peace, I am Lady Telimary. In times of war, Chief Telimary. Right now, you may call me the former. Welcome, Princess Annalise of Dovea. I understand that you have travelled a long way to our humble valley.”
Annalise stood, grateful for the reprieve, and folded her hands in front of her. “Yes, it has been quite the journey, but I am exceedingly thankful for the help of Captain Padrin and his men. I fear that without them I would still be in the company of the bandits.”
“So I’ve heard.” Lady Telimary leaned back on her throne, her finger still on her lips. “I’ve also heard of your curse. Tell me, why is it you insist on wearing your mask, even when it’s broken such as it is?”
Annalise’s fingers went to her white mask, tracing over the sharp edge where it had broken as she chose her next words carefully. In many ways, it felt as necessary as her shoes or her gown. She hated her mask but suddenly wondered when she’d last considered going without it.
“I…I’ve had it for so long that I didn’t think about not wearing it. It started out as a safety precaution, but now it feels like a part of me,” she finally said.
“Is it something that you enjoy?”
“Not particularly, no.” Annalise paused, but something in the older woman’s features made her feel brave and outspoken. “Actually, to be honest, I hate it.”
Lady Telimary nodded as if she understood. “I see. In that case, would you consider removing it so that I can see your face?”
With fingers that were steady despite her thudding heart, Annalise undid the ribbons of her mask.
After she revealed her face, the lady stood from her throne and stalked forward. They stared at each other for several seconds before the older woman’s expression crumpled. “You look just like her. Your eyes, your nose, the structure of your face are more familiar to me than my own. Looking at you now, I see your mother staring back at me,” she whispered.
Annalise’s eyes filled with tears at the unexpected mention of her mother. “You knew her?”
“Elvira was my younger sister. We were as close as peas in a pod, and when I heard of her death, it was the saddest day of my life.”
“If what you say is true that means…”
“Yes.” She took Annalise’s gloved hands in her own and squeezed them tightly. “Princess Annalise, I am your aunt. As I said before, you may call me Lady Telimary, but I would prefer that you call me Helene. Welcome, my dear niece, to Murana, the hidden kingdom in the Valley Between the Walls.”
Annalise stared at her aunt as her mother’s final long-forgotten words rang in her ears.
“One day, if you make it to the Valley Between the Walls, my home kingdom of Murana, my people there will teach you our ways and our language. That is your birthright, as much as any plans your father may have for you. In Murana, you will always be welcome.”