As soon as we were out in the corridor, I pulled on Elsie’s arm, ushering her into an alcove to one side of the thoroughfare.
“What is it?” I asked. “What’s happening?”
After a year of living in close quarters with the servant girl, I knew she wouldn’t have sought me out in such a manner unless it was something urgent.
She had regained her breath, meeting my eyes now with earnest concern. “Someone’s been talking. I don’t know who. But one of the servants knows about—” she dropped her voice before finishing the sentence, “Conall and his army.”
Fear gripped me. “You mean a servant with a position like yours? Someone’s trusted personal servant?”
She bit her lip. “If a senior mage trusted them enough to tell them, then their trust was misplaced. Oscar is a notorious gossip. He must have only just found out, or it would be all over the palace by now.”
I slammed my palm into the marble wall behind us, groaning in frustration. But a moment later, I straightened, my mind racing.
“It sounds like we don’t have any time to lose. Can you take me to him?”
She nodded, already starting to move down the hall. I hurried to keep pace as we raced along several corridors and down two flights of stairs. We crossed into the servants’ back halls, Elsie only coming to a stop when we reached a wooden door that failed to hold back the loud babble of many voices.
She looked at me uncertainly. “This is the dining hall for the upper servants. We don’t usually get visits from any of the royals.” She grimaced. “In fact, I suspect we’ve never had such a visit.”
I bit my lip. If the news was about to spread, we didn’t have time to waste. But, on the other hand, if he’d already started to talk about what he knew, would my appearance lend credence to the story?
“Who has he already told?” I asked. “How many of the servants in there will have heard the story?”
A look of discomfort spread over her face. “I don’t think he’s told anyone else. At least, I’m hoping he won’t until after he gets a drink or two in him later tonight.”
I stared at her in horror. “He talks freely when he’s in his cups?” That was even worse than I had been imagining. We would have no choice but to lock the man away.
“Oh no,” she said quickly. “He’s just a storyteller. He likes to have an audience once he’s had a drink of an evening. But he’s not out of control or anything. He wouldn’t be a senior servant if he was.”
“Oh good.” My shoulders slumped in relief, before I gave her a curious look. “So how did you come to find out about the situation if he hasn’t spread the story yet?”
Her look of discomfort returned. “Last year I didn’t realize…it all happened so quickly…”
I continued to stare at her in perplexity, her confused words doing nothing to explain matters. With a wry look, she spoke more clearly.
“It’s just that there aren’t many members of the royal family. It turns out that despite my age and inexperience, being your personal servant has raised my status immeasurably. Lots of servants who wouldn’t have given me the time of day before are friendly now.”
I narrowed my eyes, reading between her words. “Just friendly? Or do you mean they try to ingratiate themselves with you?”
She grimaced. “Both. Oscar clearly assumed I already knew, and I got the impression he was wanting to impress me by showing he had inside information as well.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, is Oscar by any chance young and single?”
Elsie flushed. “Yes, he is.”
That explained a lot. Elsie said the other servants now flocked to her despite her youth, but I suspected her age might actually be exacerbating the situation—given it was paired with remarkable beauty. I frowned.
“This Oscar has never harassed you, has he? Or any of the other servants? You’d tell me if they did?”
“Oh no,” she said quickly. “They wouldn’t dare given I’m your personal servant. They would be too scared of my reporting their behavior to you.”
My frown remained. “What about before you were my servant?”
She shook her head. “Her Majesty doesn’t have patience with such goings on. There’s a reason there are rigid hierarchies among the servants. Even the most junior servants have someone they can go to if they have any complaints. I don’t know how it used to be, but in the first year of Her Majesty’s reign, a mage was forced to conduct a sealing ceremony and seal his power because he attacked a kitchen maid.”
Her eyes were enormous as she told the story. “Queen Lucienne insisted Duke Soren use a truth composition on the mage to prove his guilt. I wasn’t here then, of course, but I’ve heard the tale told often enough. The servants still remember it, and its message is clear. The royal servants are under Her Majesty’s protection—no matter who you are.”
I raised an eyebrow. Somehow I had never heard this story about my aunt. “I’m guessing the servants are fiercely loyal to Her Majesty,” I said, keeping my voice neutral. I was pleased my aunt had acted in such a way, but I also knew she never did anything for only one reason.
Elsie nodded.
“We need to talk to my aunt about this rumor getting out,” I said. “But I also can’t risk leaving this Oscar on the loose where he might decide to try to impress someone else with his knowledge.” I drummed my fingers against my leg as I considered my options. “We need to isolate him until I can gather more information.”
“Do you want me to go in and bring him out?” Elsie suggested.
I narrowed my eyes. “No, I have another idea. You said he wanted to impress you, and that he’s a storyteller who likes to have an audience. He wants to be important, so I think I’ll give him a chance to be just that. You wait out here.”
I pushed open the door and swept into the large room beyond. The men and women lining the long wooden tables inside fell silent, the hush spreading out in waves starting with those closest to the door. I had expected my arrival to be greeted with curious whispers, but instead I received total silence.
I kept my back rigid, and my expression haughty.
“I am come in search of Oscar on important crown business.”
Now the whispers did break out as people twisted in their seats, all looking toward a table in the middle of the room. A surprised looking young man, attractive enough if you liked the smooth, slick type, rose slowly to his feet.
“I’m Oscar, Your Highness.” He bowed deeply.
I looked him over from top to toe. “Excellent. If you would please come with me.”
A tremor of nerves crossed his face before he squared his shoulders and pasted on a confident smile. He kept his gaze on me but didn’t actually meet my eyes as he crossed the room to meet me at the door.
I smiled at the astonished crowd. “I apologize for disturbing your meal. I trust I will only need to borrow Oscar for a short time. As always, the crown appreciates your loyalty and discretion.”
I swept out of the room, Oscar trailing behind me. He started slightly when he saw Elsie waiting for us, a nervous crease appearing on his brow. But he didn’t speak.