I suck in a deep breath. "Ahhhh. Do you smell that? No manure."
Only the delicate perfume of the exotic flowers stains the air. Walking through the palace feels weird today, the way it feels odd when you start your second year of university in another dorm building. The pathways feel somewhat unfamiliar, although I march across them with a confidence that I don't feel inside.
"There was no need to ruin your boots. We could have brainstormed another way to bait the empress," I say to Emma when the silence becomes too much.
"Brainstorm?" Emma asks.
"Erm, we could have thought of another way," I quickly correct.
Emma shakes her head. "Not on such short notice, your highness."
She's right, but I don't want to admit it. We continue to walk in silence, the matching footsteps of the six attendants who follow me everywhere echoing in tandem.
