It was two days ter, and I was feeling pretty good. I had run home quickly enough, and managed to make the potion in the empty kitchen before going to sleep. The other girls had made a bit of fun of me, and started asking if I had a boyfriend somewhere in the pace staff. They ughed about the little hickeys which had formed on my neck. I just chuckled and brushed it off, silently cursing Jarion for not being careful.

  Then work had gone on as usual. I wondered if I should ask to meet Jarion again. I was struggling to find any other ways to get in to the castle, and I felt like I had exhausted all my leads with the staff. If I could learn the High Tongue, then I would be able to listen in on people’s conversations a lot more easily, and hopefully find out what happened all those years ago.

  The keys he had given me, one to the undry entrance and the other to his room jangled together in my pocket, tempting me to go to his room and meet him again.

  I was mulling it all over as I was filling my cart with the dirty linens from the castle. It was my afternoon run, and the summer heat was killing me. I was sweating through my mother’s red dress. I had still not had time to buy a new dress to repce the one Jarion had ripped.

  My father, Izzy, and the queen, all conspired to kill the king with magic, but I can’t tell anyone about this. Not that I would want to. Then the Prince Plinius saw my father kissing the queen, and ter he turned out bisected in the harbour. Then something happened the night my father left Medora. They say he used magic to try and kidnap the queen, that there was a dead body involved, or maybe Plinius was even there. It’s all so vague! How did Titius even find my father? Where has he been hiding all these years? These two men in the castle were talking about it like they know something.

  If only I could speak the High Tongue, then it would all be so much clearer.

  I thought back to my night with Jarion and blushed. He had offered to teach me. Maybe I could learn from him, and who knows maybe he knew something about the matters I was concerned about.

  I was deep in thought when Cato came walking up to me. He was a bit harried, but he was trying to look casual. He sauntered over to us.

  “Keep up the good work,” he said casually as he walked past us.

  The scullery maid next to me blushed bright red, and giggled nervously.

  His hand rested very quickly on my cart as he walked by, and when I looked down I saw that there was a small folded piece of paper sitting on it. I quickly swept it into my pocket.

  He walked into the stables and started petting one of the horses, trying to look like that was what he had come out for. Maybe it looked convincing to the other girl.

  I finished putting the dirty undry on the cart and then rode away in a hurry. I waited until I was a little bit out of the castle until I read the note.

  Ria, I need your help. It’s about that thing you’re so obsessed with. Meet me at midnight at the pce near your house where I dropped you off. If you do not come I will come to the undry and scream your name until you come out.

  - Your friend

  Stupid cocky Cato. That thing I’m so obsessed about, did he mean the events of the past? Or did he just mean Jarion? If he was pnning to drag me out of my bed just to talk to Jarion I would kick him.

  I drove home to the undry, offloaded the dirty undry and loaded the clean undry for the next morning on to my cart. One good thing about the summer heat was that everything dried so quickly now.

  I washed my hands and then I went into the dining hall, where Amira and Una had already begun eating. They had put aside a pte for me next to them.

  “How was washing today?” I asked them.

  “Horrible,” Una wailed pyfully. “I was sweating so much I felt like I was being washed myself.”

  “Yeah, I wanted to jump in the river,” Amira concurred.

  I ughed.

  “The road must not have been very nice, either,” Una said. “I’m sorry but you look very dusty.”

  It was true. There was dust all over my body except for my hands and face where I had washed myself.

  “Yeah,” I said. “But it’s not too bad.”

  We ate for a bit in silence, the stew was too heavy and hot for this hot day, but it was good to have some food. Then I lifted my head and whispered:

  “Hey girls, I’m going to have to sneak out tonight.”

  To maintain the reputation of the Royal Laundry, Lena had instated rules about curfews. However, it was generally accepted that as long as you didn’t get caught or pregnant, it was fine to slip out every once in a while.

  They looked at me excitedly, just as I had feared they would do.

  “Who is he!” Una squealed.

  “Hush!” I whispered. “No-one. Just a friend.”

  I took a beat. It would probably be more suspicious if I insisted that it was not romantic.

  “Oh, just a friend, sure,” Amira said smugly. “What are you going to wear to go see your friend? Your other dress is still ripped, and this one is dusty.”

  “I could lend you something,” Una grinned. “If you tell me his name.”

  “It’s fine, I’ll wear the dusty dress.”

  “So you like this guy enough to sneak out at night to see him, but not well enough to want to wear a decent dress?” Amira asked, baffled.

  “Maybe she’s going to take the dress off as soon as she sees him,” Una giggled.

  “Is that what you did when you sneaked out to see your baker friend st week?” I said.

  “Oh shut up!”

  We finished eating and went to our rooms. I shook the dust off my dress as well as I could and changed my linen underwear. At least I wouldn't be stinky. Kind Amira almost forced her dress on me, but I refused. Then I y awake until I felt like it must have been midnight, then I crawled down from my bunk and tiptoed out of the building.

  The girls were already asleep when I went. Maybe they wouldn't have noticed me leaving if I had just sneaked out without telling them. The path from the hallway to the dormitories was retively empty, and I was able to walk through it unnoticed. I went out into the street.

  The neighbourhood where the undry stood was very quiet. The streets of the city centre were usually lit up by the light coming out from various inns and taverns. In some pces there were even street lights. Here it was just dark, and the night was pretty cloudy. I wondered if I should have brought a candle.

  The night was still, warm and dry. Only the occasional sound of crickets could be heard. Then I heard the soft whinnying of a horse.

  I walked in the direction, whispering:

  “Hey, it’s me.”

  “Ria, finally you’re here!” Cato’s deep voice was unmistakeable.

  As I approached I saw his shadowy figure holding the reins of his big piebald mare.

  “What is this all about Cato?”

  “Are you ready to hear something crazy Ria?” he sounded frenzied.

  “Yeah sure,” I replied.

  “Sir Alvar might still be alive.”