Now that Aria had chosen her grandmother"s rooms to be the new royal suite in the palace, she began to think about emptying and cleaning the king"s quarters. She wanted nothing of Ikajo"s presence to remain. Somehow they must clean the walls and floors and ceilings of the evil of the Desert King. Aria could still feel it seeping out whenever she went to see how the work progressed.
Meanwhile, her rooms in the queen"s quarters were bright with laughter and the early morning sun. Aria slept deeply each night in a simple bed that had been her grandmother"s.
The marble floor from the throne room was long gone, and the crystals and chains that had hung from the ceiling were carted away. The room looked airy now, with a simple stone floor and skylights cut into the roof at Aria"s request. The
