62
The afternoon sun streamed into the large, high-ceilinged, stone room on the third floor of the western tower, illuminating ancient tapestries, even as it faded them. A huge, ornately carved four poster bed was the central piece of furniture. A chaise longue under the window was currently occupied by an enormous iron trunk. The Queen sat in one of two padded armchairs watching as her dresser, a stern middle-aged woman, and a young blue-eyed maid, with bouncy black curls held under a white cap, presented possible gowns from the wardrobe for packing. Both were dressed in deep blue shifts with white collar and cuffs,
It had been a long, tedious process. Toriana kept changing her mind.
Finally, as the maid placed the last finely embroidered woollen gown carefully into the trunk and close
