Pressed by D. Hale Rambo

Author:D. Hale Rambo [D. Hale Rambo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiercewood Press
Published: 2024-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

Fiona knocked for the third time on the historian’s door. She couldn’t hear him through the thick wood, but a guard said he had gone in not an hour ago. She pulled lock-picking tools from her scarf and opened the door easily. It was all quiet. Nothing moved within the darkened candleless room. Perhaps the guard had been mistaken?

“I’ll simply wait for him here. There’s no reason to run around the entirety of the palace for him.” Fiona slid her hands over the stacks of paper on the desk. The pages were mostly blank except for a few beginning drawings that looked like a forest. Or at least the symbology of a forest.

She walked through the bookshelves and to the two arches. She hesitated on the threshold of the bedroom. What little she knew about Richard told her he would be upset if he caught her snooping within. She would hate it as well if it were her. As she reasoned with herself that she was simply looking for him, she hovered at the entrance and poked her head into the chamber. The understated bed was large, taking up most of the room. A fire crackled in the hearth, giving off light and warmth but no smoke. The whole fireplace construction was from Copper, no doubt. Expensive to be in the room of a historian. Only the Queen had one other Fiona had noticed.

It was a room with little in it. No personal objects at all really. No portraits or tapestries. Fiona ran her hand across the inside of the doorframe. It was quite dusty—he didn’t let servants come in here either.

“What are you doing?” Richard said behind her.

Fiona was pleased with herself for not jumping and turned to face him. “I came looking for you and figured I’d wait here.”

“In my bedchamber? Alone?” Richard said quietly. He raised an eyebrow, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

Fiona felt her face grow warm. She crossed her arms. “Of course not. In the archives. I was curious if you had a privy I could use so came toward your bedroom,” she said, trying to put him ill at ease.

He tossed his head and laughed, golden curls shaking. “Likely story. Well, come back to the main room, Investigator, and try to keep your hands to yourself.”

“I’m not going to throw myself at you.” Fiona rolled her eyes.

“I meant my books.” Richard smirked. He turned sharply away from her and strode back into the archives.

Fiona took off after him. “If you’re done being rude, I was hoping to speak to you about our cases.”

Richard nodded, all smirking aside. “Yes, how fared your simpering morning at the Hawkports?”

“It was not simpering,” Fiona said. She turned away pointedly and ran her fingers across the spine of one of the books on the table. “It was quite lovely actually. The grounds are beautiful and the manor intriguing.”

Richard snorted and sat in the wooden chair. “Probably more interesting than the big-nosed chap you were with.

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