Emer stopped in front of the door, taking a deep breath before reaching for the handle. He barely noticed the guards on duty, standing with their eyes cast to the floor, or Nykka, who followed him like a shadow.
Stepping into the guestroom, his eyes immediately went to search for her. He found Lydia sitting with her back straight on one of the stools while the two maids he had assigned to watch over her were arranging her hair and buttoning the back of her dress. All three women were awfully quiet, so the moment the floorboards creaked under his foot, the two maids turned.
They stared in surprise, then rushed to greet him, falling to their knees and lowering their heads almost to the floor. All of his servants at the castle did that—no matter if they were peasants or nobles, once they to
