Chapter 29: Ambition And Desire

The bed of a king felt good.

Violet woke slowly, stretching her arms out from under the blankets. One foot hung off the edge of the mattress. Pale light streaked the floor, skimming the curtain edges. She sat up, expecting to see Eden's lanky body in one of the chairs.

They were both empty.

But a hot breakfast rested on the table in between. She walked over on her tiptoes, avoiding the cool floor on her bare feet. Fresh bread and butter with eggs waited for her. The steam filtered through the morning air.

Violet tore off a piece of bread, wiping away the butter from her chin. She went to the window, pushing aside the curtains to open the glass. Below, some soldiers were already up, tending to their horses and eating outside. Two were practicing their sword skills. The familiar twang of a bowstring drifted up to her ears. Florian had set up a makeshift target and was coaching five soldiers.

More arrows found the target while Violet munched on her scrambled eggs. Two of the maids hovere