Chapter Eleven

WEST CONTINENT

(The Palace)

THE STACCATO CLACKING OF HIGH HEEL SHOES echoed off the brick floor and the granite walls of the long, shady corridor leading to the oratory.

There were no servants to be seen for they had been instructed not to disturb the princess in her private worship of the moon goddess, therefore the high-pitched beat slowed and came to a complete halt in front of the sacred room.

A lady in her late fifties, dressed in a fitted blouse under a coat and skirt, ironed her clothes before raising her hand and knocking discreetly. Although the hallways were isolated and only lit by dim lights, the lady's demeanor was cautious.

It took a few seconds for silent movements inside the oratory to be heard, and then the door cracked open.

A girl wearing a long-sleeved blue dress and a veil that covered half of her face exited the room.

"Please accept my apologies for the unexpected disruption, her highness," the lady said, bowing and curtsying