Azurite (Daughter of the Mountain Book 1) by Megan Dent Nagle Page A
Authors: Megan Dent Nagle
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responded. “It’s not as though I can clean up your mess in the darkness anyhow.” With that, she was out of Zora’s chamber, doing her bidding with complete loyal obedience. The young princess smiled to herself.
***
Within the hour, Zora laid immersed head to toe in a lavender scented steam bath.
Milo wasn’t too happy about her oversleeping their lessons, but he would rather meet with the young noble later than never. The clapping of the thunderstorm seemed to have traveled further away from Mizra, over the rolling hills in the distance. Zora made it a priority to take advantage of this time to herself since it gave her a chance to analyze the events that had occurred that morning.
Her scar began to ache deeply, and the woman groaned in pain. She had to get control over whatever unnatural sickness was plaguing her. She looked down at her toes floating in the water and couldn’t help but linger on the pinkish scar that covered a portion of her midsection right above her hip. It was a perfectly proportional scar, with two separate concave curves set atop an elongated circle. Sticking out of the circle were three triangular prong shapes that faded away into her skin. To Zora, the injury didn’t look so much like a scar as it did a branding. Some days the damaged skin was red and searing hot, while other days it was almost flesh tone and barely noticeable. Gingerly, she moved her thumb over the scar and held her breath in anticipation of pain, but she felt nothing. As she lounged there in the cloudy steam, she was unexpectedly interrupted by a dainty rapt at the washroom door.
“Lady Zora?” a voice asked through a crack in the door. “It’s Ashley, Queen Evangeline’s maidservant.” Zora sat up quickly in the iron tub, sloshing a bit of soapy water over its side in an attempt to rapidly cover her nakedness. The servants of Mizra had no discretion when it came to privacy, and she half expected a parade of her mother’s servants to enter the bath chamber.
“Yes, Ashley,” she answered quickly. “What is it?” No one entered, but the servant spoke through the door.
“Queen Evangeline requests an audience with you as soon as possible. Shall I send a response?”
Zora paused in surprise, not expecting the Queen to have any sense of urgency to speak with her. She never had before. Zora prematurely concluded that nothing positive could result from this.
There was another rapt at the door, this one more persistent. “My Lady?” Zora sighed, bringing her hands to the nape of her neck and massaging lightly as the trepidation of seeing the Queen was already causing her tension.
“Tell her I’ll be there right after sunset,” Zora replied curtly. Sighing, she laid back in the tub, slowing drooping into water until it completely submerged her. Closing her eyes and blocking out the world around her, she let the feeling of weightlessness coil around her. Hopefully the Queen’s servant had heard her reply; Zora didn’t wait for a confirmation if she did.
***
After her bath, Zora felt much more refreshed and mentally alert. Arianna had laid out a simple dress for her and combed the knots from her hair before sending her to her lessons. Her scar still ached like a thorn in her side, but Zora had learned to push through it rather than let it inhibit her daily activities. Milo was already waiting inside the library for her when she arrived, and his look was serious but not angry. On the table were several books, maps, an astrolabe, and a star chart. Her instructor had even taken the liberty of bringing in hot coffee and sweet biscuits for them to munch on before dinner. Zora slinked into the chair at the table, feeling herself
***
Within the hour, Zora laid immersed head to toe in a lavender scented steam bath.
Milo wasn’t too happy about her oversleeping their lessons, but he would rather meet with the young noble later than never. The clapping of the thunderstorm seemed to have traveled further away from Mizra, over the rolling hills in the distance. Zora made it a priority to take advantage of this time to herself since it gave her a chance to analyze the events that had occurred that morning.
Her scar began to ache deeply, and the woman groaned in pain. She had to get control over whatever unnatural sickness was plaguing her. She looked down at her toes floating in the water and couldn’t help but linger on the pinkish scar that covered a portion of her midsection right above her hip. It was a perfectly proportional scar, with two separate concave curves set atop an elongated circle. Sticking out of the circle were three triangular prong shapes that faded away into her skin. To Zora, the injury didn’t look so much like a scar as it did a branding. Some days the damaged skin was red and searing hot, while other days it was almost flesh tone and barely noticeable. Gingerly, she moved her thumb over the scar and held her breath in anticipation of pain, but she felt nothing. As she lounged there in the cloudy steam, she was unexpectedly interrupted by a dainty rapt at the washroom door.
“Lady Zora?” a voice asked through a crack in the door. “It’s Ashley, Queen Evangeline’s maidservant.” Zora sat up quickly in the iron tub, sloshing a bit of soapy water over its side in an attempt to rapidly cover her nakedness. The servants of Mizra had no discretion when it came to privacy, and she half expected a parade of her mother’s servants to enter the bath chamber.
“Yes, Ashley,” she answered quickly. “What is it?” No one entered, but the servant spoke through the door.
“Queen Evangeline requests an audience with you as soon as possible. Shall I send a response?”
Zora paused in surprise, not expecting the Queen to have any sense of urgency to speak with her. She never had before. Zora prematurely concluded that nothing positive could result from this.
There was another rapt at the door, this one more persistent. “My Lady?” Zora sighed, bringing her hands to the nape of her neck and massaging lightly as the trepidation of seeing the Queen was already causing her tension.
“Tell her I’ll be there right after sunset,” Zora replied curtly. Sighing, she laid back in the tub, slowing drooping into water until it completely submerged her. Closing her eyes and blocking out the world around her, she let the feeling of weightlessness coil around her. Hopefully the Queen’s servant had heard her reply; Zora didn’t wait for a confirmation if she did.
***
After her bath, Zora felt much more refreshed and mentally alert. Arianna had laid out a simple dress for her and combed the knots from her hair before sending her to her lessons. Her scar still ached like a thorn in her side, but Zora had learned to push through it rather than let it inhibit her daily activities. Milo was already waiting inside the library for her when she arrived, and his look was serious but not angry. On the table were several books, maps, an astrolabe, and a star chart. Her instructor had even taken the liberty of bringing in hot coffee and sweet biscuits for them to munch on before dinner. Zora slinked into the chair at the table, feeling herself
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