Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury #1)(8)
They finally came to a set of double doors carved with huge peonies and twisting vines, guarded by a man in a black uniform. He swept open the doors for them, his expression blank.
Inside, golden light warmed a circular room, edged in gilt and ivory. Marble archways gave hints at the labyrinth beyond. Each was framed by spidery ferns set in painted urns. In the center of the room, cream divans were piled with crimson velvet pillows. One of the new Graces, Cassia, sighed and clasped her hands at her chest.
“We meet here before events,” Ines said. “And this is where the Heir’s emissary will wait for you if you’ve been summoned to see him alone.”
Nomi swallowed hard. Lending elegance to functions at the palazzo was not a Grace’s only job. She and the others would be expected to please the Heir privately as well.
Nomi fought back a wave of nausea. She was supposed to serve Serina, not the Heir. That’s what she’d prepared for, all those years Serina was learning to dance and play the harp.
She hadn’t prepared for this. She didn’t want this.
“Our chambers are extensive,” Ines continued. “You are allowed to enjoy the gardens and beaches of the palace, but you’re not to wander beyond these rooms without an escort. I can arrange such excursions for you. Once in a while, we venture into Bellaqua, but only on special outings that the Heir or the Superior has arranged.
“As Graces, it is our job to please, but it is also important to lift each other up. We need each other here. You’ll see that.” An odd undercurrent ran through Ines’s words, but Nomi was too overwhelmed to decipher what deeper message—if any—the woman was trying to give.
Ines led them into a maze of sitting rooms decorated in pale yellows and pinks, with heavy damask curtains and delicate furniture. Arched doorways led to tiled bathing areas, wide balconies with marble balustrades, a large dining room, and massive walk-in closets full of the most beautiful gowns and negligees the textile workers in Lanos could create. Nomi knew just how precious these clothes were; her mother, and others like her, had worked themselves to the bone to make them. Serina had told her that the Graces lived in luxury, but this was beyond anything she had imagined.
In each room, groups of Graces played Saints and Sailors or embroidered, silently overseen by men in white livery. Nomi had no doubt these men listened, watched, and reported back to the Superior. Some of the Graces walked along the terraces, or spoke quietly over tiny cups of steaming espresso. Despite the dozens of women she saw, the endless rooms remained quiet and serene, unmarred by laughter or raised voices.
Nomi hated it all. The excess. The silence. The fake smiles the women wore, even here. She could have survived in this world as a servant—invisibility had an element of freedom to it—but she would never be able to school herself to serenity the way these Graces did. The way Serina could.
By the time Ines showed each Grace and handmaiden to their respective rooms, Nomi was wobbling with exhaustion, overfilled with questions that threatened to spill out into the silence.
“There are refreshments in your rooms,” Ines said. “Someone will wake you for breakfast. Handmaidens, I’ll introduce you to our Head Maiden in the morning. She’ll explain your duties.” Her eyes narrowed on Nomi. “I assume your sister will become your handmaiden? Otherwise, a handmaiden can be assigned by the palace.”
Nomi’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, dry as sand, but she managed a choked “I want Serina.”
At last, the sisters were alone. Their bedroom was cool, a steady breeze slipping in from the open window. A feather bed had been set underneath it, its thick golden drapes doubling as window curtains. Candles flickered on the dressing table, scenting the room with rose and vanilla. A plate of fresh fruit and bread rested beside the candles. Outside, the crescent moon hung near the horizon, its reflection dancing along the restless ocean. On this side of the palazzo, only the endless water was visible, instead of the city’s gleam and glitter.
Nomi turned to her sister. She had so much she wanted to say, but it was all trapped in a tight knot in her throat. She sank to the edge of the bed.
“What happened?” Serina bent down and yanked her sandals off, pulling savagely at the straps.
Nomi’s eyes filled. “I was in the hallway… and the Heir and his brother rounded the corner. They were right there, right in front of me, and—” She broke off, took a deep breath, and then continued haltingly. “They caught me off guard, and I—I didn’t mean to—I said something I shouldn’t have.”
“Oh, Nomi. How could you?” Serina’s reply was harsh.
And of course she was angry. Nomi had never gone this far before, never put them so much at risk. Nomi punched her fist into the soft bedding. “I wish I’d never seen him. It was just such a shock. Especially, well, especially because…” Reluctantly, she retrieved the book of legends from their bag. Serina would be furious, but it was better to lay everything out now so they could work through it. Come up with a plan. “There’s this too.”
Serina’s whole body stilled. Her sandals dangled from her fingers, forgotten. “Where did you get that?”
“There was a library near the lavatory. I saw it, and I just… I went in. It was amazing. There were so many books, bookshelves to the ceiling.…” Nomi’s eyes glazed over just thinking about it.