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Andrehim like a determined shadow When Juliana saho it was she stopped and looked up at him He was so disconcerted by the pale blue color of her eyes, different from her nor He slid his right hand into his pocket, feeling the srounded him Conscious that whatever he said would be overheard, he spoke a few carefully chosen words “I need to talk to you”
Juliana blinked a couple of tiet this makeup off, and I really need to taketo bother me” It was so unexpected he chuckled, and so did she “I didn’t word that quite right,” she said, still laughing softly “I need to remove my contact lenses That’s what I meant to say”
“How long will all that take?”
“A half hour? Maybe less I need a shower, too, but if it’s urgent I can wait for that”
“It is ient Have your shower I ait for you in the little library”
Even if the cast and crew of King’s Ransom hadn’t been shown over most of the palace in the early days, Juliana would have knohere the little library was on the second floor, not far from Princess Mara’s suite She and Mara had often studied there when they were young Mara had been a much better student than Juliana in just about every subject, but especially in ifted Mara had tried to tutor her in math, but it was a lost cause
The only area Juliana had excelled in was in recitation She could speak blank verse as if it were si a Shakespearean actress like her famous mother—the mother who’d had a ind rohter was barely four But the de what it hen Juliana had decided to forget college and become an actress she’d headed for Hollywood
Dressed in a floating sleeveless pale primrose summer dress belted around her tiny waist, sandals on her slender feet, her hair piled atop her head for coolness and held in place with a pair of cloisonné butterfly clips, Juliana hurried toward the little library fortyin front of the closed door, but he opened it and moved aside as she approached—he’d obviously received orders to let her pass without challenge Then the door was quietly closed behind her
“Little library” was a misnomer It was little only in comparison to the Royal Library on the e, co what looked to be official dispatches Juliana reo while she and Mara studied, their books spread out on the antique table in the center of the room
“I’ a bath instead of a shower The suite I’ marble bathtub”
“The Queen’s Suite,” he said easily, closing the portfolio of dispatches with a snap “Yes, the bathtub there is the biggest I’ve ever seen—it is bigger than mine”
Startled, she said, “The Queen’s Suite? I didn’t realize Mara once said your father had that sealed off after your mother died and no one was allowed inside We never even dared to sneak inside for a peek”
“Yes, it was closed for years, but it was reopened at the tiland occupied it at that point, but no one since” His voice dropped a notch “Eleonora’s suite has been waiting for you, Juliana”
So in his tone disturbed her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it For so to say, she asked, “Was it really Eleonora’s?”
“So legend has it, but all the queens of Zakhar in recent memory have occupied it It has been extensively remodeled numerous times over the years, of course Candle sconces replaced the torches Then gaslight replaced the candle sconces What was then h at it Then electrical wiring replaced the gaslight And truly randue childhood —and she added her own touches” He sular sweetness “You are comfortable there?”
“Incredibly I’ve felt like a queen since the very first day”