A rap on the chamber door brought Takri out of his reverie and Yelena from her closet. She scurried past the tub, eyes averted before he could even rise from the bath. She opened the door only a crack and addressed the servant outside.
"Why do you disturb my master?" she whispered, gesturing for Takri to remain in the tub, which he ignored.
"The God King Mahleck summons your master to dine with him as part of the royal household this evening. Our divine master misses the presence of the Lord Prince over these past days and inquires as to his health. Surely he is not in need of more rest? Shall I tell the God King that his favorite is still sleeping?" said the slave at the door.
"You misunderstand me, sir. My master is not sleeping. You disturbed his divine right to take his pleasure with his body slave," she whispered. "I will convey the God King's message. Please reassure our divine master that the Lord Prince Takri looks forward to enjoying his company at this evening's meal."
"Very well, body slave," said the servant. "I shall report that the Lord Prince Takri is in very good health and is enjoying the King's gift thoroughly. He shall be pleased."
Yelena nodded, then closed and locked the door. She crouched down and pressed her ear to the keyhole, listening to the sound of the servant's footsteps echoing down the corridor outside. She straightened herself, keeping her face averted from Takri's dripping body next to the tub, a linen towel wrapped around his waist.
"You heard what he said?" asked Yelena in a low voice. "You are to dine with the royal household tonight. You must appear strong and cruel and unafraid. A mirror reflection of the strigoi-viu."
"I heard everything, Yelena," he said. "Thank you."
"Never thank me, my Lord and Prince." Yelena turned back to him and looked directly in his eyes. "Never thank me. We are walking a dangerous path with death on every side. The strigoi-viu's hunger is insatiable. It is best if we both remember our places while Mahleck rules Adyll. I am nothing more than a body meant to serve you. Nothing more. There is no room for modesty or chaste love between any man and woman in the Locust King's world, master. In these walls, we can pretend life is as it was before, but if someone - anyone - hears you thank your property, we shall both be consumed by him."
"No one can hear us here. We are safe," said Takri. "The walls are more than a foot thick. The door is made from hard wood and iron."
"We are safer here than anywhere else, but nowhere is safe. Come, I will show you. I found this while you sat in the bath," said Yelena. "There may be more of these places. I have heard stories from the older servants, but up until now I did not believe them."
She walked past him, careful to keep her eyes averted from his state of undress. He followed her into the closet where she slept. She pointed at the wall on the side nearest the fireplace.
"Look closely," she said. "Do you see the plaster and the crack where the closet wall has pulled back from the stone?"
Takri bent forward to examine the crack while Yelena fetched her lit taper from the back of the closet. A two fingers' width gap ran the length of the wall from floor to ceiling. Takri could insert his hand as deep as his thumb without feeling stone behind it.
"Close the door," said Yelena, holding the candle closer to the wall. Takri pulled the door closed behind him. The flame from Yelena's candle began flickering, bending itself away from the crack. "See?" she said. "There is air flowing from behind the plaster. If it was plaster against rock, the candle would not move."
"You think there is a passageway behind the wall?" asked Takri. "A listening space?"
"The old kitchen servants who grew up here told me when they were children they would find spaces between the walls to hide when they were playing games," said Yelena. "When I saw my candle flicker when I brought it in, I realized this might be one of those places. The walls are thick, but maybe not as thick as we think they are."
"How do we know someone isn't back there right now?" said Takri, dropping his voice to a whisper.
"I didn't hear anything when I put my ear to the wall. The Locusts may not know of these places yet, but we do not know that for certain. We must be cautious with our conversations, even in this room. Anyone could be listening at any time. And we can trust no one but ourselves." Yelena opened the door to the closet. "Finish your bath. You must appear perfect before the strigoi-viu tonight. And right now you still reek of fear, smoke, and sweat."