When we got close to the top, Donovan put his invisibility cloak on. His image winked out, and we slowed our footsteps, quieting them.
The princesses had left the door open. I was glad for that. I snuffed my lamp, put it on the shelf with the others, then went into the sitting room. The fire had gone out, casting the room into darkness. Only pale slivers of light escaped the edges of the curtains—not enough to illuminate the couches. I supposed that was the reason the princesses hadn’t noticed that Donovan was gone.
I gave the hearth a shove, and it slid back into place.
Slowly, I made my way toward the bedroom, hands out to keep myself from bumping into chairs. Once I reached the room, it was easier to see. The shutters across the windows let in more light. Each bed was occupied except for one. Mine. I could hardly wait to lie down in it.
Unfortunately I needed to change out of my filthy chemise and wash the dirt off my arms. I would use the pitcher of water that sat on my nightstand to clean up the best I could. My hair would take some work. Parts were twisted into coils, the rest hung damp and tangled around my shoulders.
I went through the closet trying to remember where I’d put my nightgown. Were there extra ones somewhere? There had to be, but it was hard to see what was hanging on the pegs.
I heard the faint sound of bolts scraping across wood on the outer room door. Someone was unlocking it. No. The king couldn’t be here already.
A knock removed any doubts. “Unlock the door,” King Rothschild called. “’Tis morning.”
Only for overachievers. It was just past dawn.
“Coming!” Madam Saxton answered, with a half-startled, half-sleepy voice.
I had no time to change, no time to do anything but hide and hope for the best. I ran to my bed, jumped in, and pulled the covers over my head. It took effort to slow my breathing, to lay still.
I heard footsteps. The bedroom door swung open, and the queen’s voice trilled across the room, “Rise and shine, girls. A new day is upon us.”
One of the princesses let out an exhausted groan. “It can’t be morning already.”
“I’m too tired to get up,” another protested.
I huddled farther down into my bed.
“Nonsense,” the queen insisted. Her footsteps tapped across the room to the windows. “You must be well-rested. Two chaperones attended you last night to ensure you went to bed early.” The queen opened the shutters, flooding the room with light. “Madam Saxton, did the girls sleep well?”
Madam Saxton didn’t answer immediately. “I never heard any of them stirring.”
“What a relief,” the queen said. “King Rothschild will be so happy.”
“I feel unwell,” one of the princesses murmured. “Perhaps I’m ill. Let me sleep longer.”
Several voices joined in, agreeing that they were ill too.
Heavier footsteps strode across the room, making their way between the rows of beds. “Why are my daughters lying about like lollygaggers?”
I pressed my eyelids together and willed him to go away.
“Arise at once,” the king boomed. “All of you.”
The princesses moaned in complaint. I heard the sound of their covers rustling and their feet hitting the floor. I couldn’t join them, not dressed like I was. I feigned sleep. With so many daughters, perhaps the king and queen wouldn’t notice me missing.
“Line up and show me your slippers,” the king ordered, heading toward the outer room.
I stayed huddled underneath the blankets. A rumble went through the room, girls retrieving their shoes from underneath their beds. Surprised exclamations flooded the room. “Why, my slippers were fine when I put them under my bed last night!”
“Mine as well.”
“I don’t know what’s happened to them.”
The whole group was awash with astonishment. Totally overacted. After going through the same thing night after night, wouldn’t everyone expect their slippers to be worn out? A patter of footsteps filed out of the room. Apparently the inspection took place in the outer room.
“Present your shoes,” the king barked, and then a moment later added, “Where is Sadie?”
I pressed myself into the bed. Be one with the mattress, I told myself. Stay hidden.
Heavy footsteps marched back into the bedroom. “Sadie, out of bed! Line up this instant.”
So much for mattress Zen. I had to face the king, face everyone. I sat up took off my slippers, and slunk into the outer room. The princesses were standing as stiffly as soldiers in formation, six on one side, five on the other. All were primly dressed in clean white nightgowns and caps, their hair braided down their backs.
I was dirty, bedraggled, still wearing my corset, and my hair looked like it had endured a natural disaster. Everyone stared at me as I took my place at the end of the line.
Donovan stood by the queen and housekeeper, making a show of stretching and yawning. Madam Saxton pursed her lips and wrung her hands in worry.
The king took slow, heavy steps down the line of princesses, checking each pair of slippers they held out. “Worn, worn, worn, worn, worn, worn, worn, worn, worn, worn, worn.” He stopped in front of me. “And damp.”
The queen glided over to inspect my slippers. They weren’t just damp. Their pale yellow had turned into dirty, ground-in brown. She turned them in her hands. “My heavens, child. These look as though you strolled across the bottom of a lake.”
Close, actually.
The king looked me up and down, glowering, then pulled something from my hair. He showed it to me. “What is this?”
“Um, a twig.”
He plucked a piece of limp green seaweed from my shoulder. “And this?”
I blinked, and tried to match the shock in the other princesses’ voices. “I can’t say . . .” because it would get me in a lot of trouble. It’s amazing how much you can lie without lying.
“I see.” The king’s grip on the seaweed tightened. “Can you perhaps say how you went to bed last night and rose up this morning wet, dirty, and covered in plant life? How exactly does one accomplish such a feat?”
I gulped. “I . . . I can’t explain it, Father.”
He leaned closer. The fine lines around his eyes seemed to deepen, and a vein near his forehead bulged. “You will tell me, or you’ll have nothing but bread and water for the rest of your days.”
I lowered my head. Anything I said now would cause my nose to grow.
“Still all of you remain silent.” The king’s voice filled the room. “Shall your sisters have your diet as well?”
Beside me, a couple of the princesses whimpered. Several others said, “T’isn’t fair, Father. We know not how Sadie soiled her clothes.”
The queen put her hand on the king’s arm. “The girls clearly remember nothing. They’re victims of some curse or spell. We mustn’t punish them for someone else’s devilry.”
The king flung the seaweed to the floor and strode over to Donovan. “Well, what have you to say about this? What transpired in this room last night?”
Donovan ran his hand through his hair. I wondered if he was checking to see if it was damp. Considering my state, that would have been especially bad. His hair fell back into place, mussed but dry. Donovan’s vest and pants were dark colors, hiding the dirt that was certainly on them. His boots were most likely wet. They were black too, though, so it wasn’t apparent.
“My journey yesterday must have tired me out.” Donovan shook his head sheepishly. “I fell into a deep sleep last night—so deep I don’t remember anything from the moment I sat down until this morning.” He rubbed his jaw in thought. “But don’t worry. I have two more nights to discover the secret of your daughters’ activities. Certainly I’ll solve the mystery tonight.”