The Wise Women

Chapter 28

Nesta had never taken a bath before. It felt like the height of luxury. She lay back in the bronze tub and soaked in the steaming rose-scented water, letting it dissolve the knots in her shoulders.

'I thought your emerald brocade gown for today, my lady, with your ermine-trimmed velvet cloak and ruby jewellery,' said Lady Lettice.

Her nostrils flared with barely suppressed disapproval when Nesta refused the proffered impossibly high heels and requested a pair of riding boots instead. I'm not risking falling flat on my face today.

Shortly afterwards, Nesta found herself walking through the Great Hall once again, her ladies-in waiting following behind, their footsteps on the black and white tiles echoing as they went.

The double doors next to Queen Celestria's portrait open onto the Throne Room.

As Nesta stepped past the Imperial Guards into the Throne Room, her eyes were drawn upwards to the ceiling. Involuntarily her mouth dropped open in wonder. It was painted with an exact replica of the night sky, the stars, planets and constellations picked out in gold and silver against a deep blue background. She snapped her chin back up.

I am the Empress. I live here. I see this room every day.

High vaulted windows looked out onto a vast stone courtyard bordered by a high wall. An oak table ran down the centre of the room. On one side, on high backed oak chairs, sat King Otto surrounded by his men. His forehead was lined with worry beneath the silver circlet crown. He fiddled nervously with his cloak's rose-shaped clasp.

On the other side sat the Empress's advisers, Lord Alaric in the middle with his distinctive high forehead, thick black eyebrows and beard. His fearsome lurcher lay sphinx-like at his feet. Alaric fingered the leather chord around his neck as he surveyed the Frailing men opposite, his hooked nose turned up in a hateful sneer. At the sight of him, Nesta shuddered. Cold fear ran down her spine.

Goddess go with Ada. Please, please let my plan work.

Everyone stood when the Empress entered. Nesta gritted her teeth and nodded. Hiding her trembling hands in the folds of her skirt, she processed down the left side of the room, past a particularly gory tapestry depicting the legend of King Rudolf the Fierce's defeat of the giants.

At the far end of the room, red-carpeted steps rose to a platform, on which stood an ornately wrought gold throne, studded with rubies and upholstered in red velvet. Swathes of red velvet draped the wall behind. Nesta ascended the steps as regally as she could manage with trembling knees, and lowered herself onto the throne while Lettie and Kate spread her train out over the steps.

The assembly took their cue to sit down, the Empress's ladies-in waiting taking their seats at the edge of the room. As Nesta turned her eyes to the company seated before her, she noticed Lord Alaric extract the Shade Bottle from beneath his robes. Terror gripped her insides like icy fingers. Eyes wide, she watched him close his eyes, mouth an incantation and pull out the cork stopper.

At once, the black cloud, invisible to all but her, tumbled out. It spun, whirlwind-like next to Alaric's head, leaning in as if taking instruction. Straightaway, Nesta knew that something was different this time. The cloud was rotating faster than before, more frenetically, and now as well as malice, Nesta sensed something else.

Fury.

Raging, boiling, lacerating fury.

Like an upside down tornado, the black cloud spiralled up to the ceiling, briefly obscuring the constellation Orion. Then it turned and dived straight towards Nesta, as fast as a hawk descending on its prey. Transfixed with fear, with no time to react, she watched it hurtle towards her and engulf her in an ocean of darkness.