When King Keith told me I would be held prisoner for a week, I assumed he meant in the dungeon.

That was not the case.

Instead, I continued my stay in the Nightshade Rooms, but with a full-time maid. Technically four maids, since everyone worked half-days and only four days a week. I got along best with Lilith. She was brilliant at tying my apron in a way that made it not slip or come undone. The lizardkin woman was also a fair hand at sewing and tailored some of Queen Veera's clothing to fit me.

Everything still looked two decades out of fashion, but at least I didn't need to wear the same traveler's kit I'd walked here in.

All in all, my time locked up in the castle was very productive.

"Princesss! Your phyllo-pastry garlic-cheese pull-apart was deliciousss." Tulith entered the kitchen with a clean tray, again.

Ah, music to my ears, Keith liked my food! Having the most evil man on the continent, master of all lizardkin and trolls and the dark woods, eat my food every day and like it was such a novelty. One that I didn't think would grow old anytime soon.

"Thank you for letting me know Tulith," I said, "and thank you for delivering my mail to my room."

"Think nothing of it Princesss," the maid smiled a toothy grin. "It was fortuitousss that Madame Potts’ Cast last week included your change of addresss, else you might have missed your invite to Grand Duchesss Calisto's Ball!"

"I actually did miss my invite." I explained. I was gently sifting icing powder over cooled vanilla spice cookies and paused shortly to get it all evenly distributed before continuing. "This was a copy. She included a letter asking after my new accommodations and whether I wanted to visit for tea."

"Please let me know when you’re finished with your reply," Tulith said, "and I shall sssend it."

"If that's alright to write a reply?"

"Nothing to worry about, Princesss. His Viciousnesss would never deny someone their freedom of speech."

All that was left to do was place the cookies into little paper plates and carefully stack them in the cookie jar. She would serve them at afternoon tea beside jam tarts, cheesy scones, and cucumber sandwiches.

"Then I should send something out tomorrow. Do I have time to take a shower?" Baking with Panlith was fun but recently he trusted me to work the ovens, and it got hot!

"Master is currently entrapping Healersss into the Dark Lord's Army," Tulith said, "so he probably won't be free until closer to dinner. You have plenty of time to wash up."

I tensed. "Does that mean Rufus is back?"

I'd never met Rufus, but if he could kidnap five [Healer] Class mages in one week and bring them to the Dark Lord's castle then he must be very powerful. What would happen when I got locked up with him? Torture? Training? Brainwashing? Or maybe he would try to get me to fight for King Keith's Army.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind fighting for King Keith. I'm supposed to be a Warrior with a [Warrior] Class... and it beat the slime out of fighting for my parents. I would feel bad for my battalion knights though. Some of them had followed me into the dungeons during my training and fought by my side.

"Yes Princesss," Tulith smiled, "General Rufus arrived thisss morning. He should ssstill be with our Master."

"What's he like?" I probably should have cared enough to ask this before now, but I was busy and honestly putting it off. As soon as I'd found out that I got to keep my life and my rooms and my baking, nothing else had really mattered. It still didn't really matter.

"The General isss… how to explain?" Tulith tapped a long nailed finger on her scaled chin. "He isss like a warm blanket and hot chocolate, but also like a ssslap to the face and a kick to your sssoul."

"He's the reason I'm still with my kin, and the reason Sithli's off the goatvine." Panlith cut in from plating lunch. He was a large tawny brown lizardman who could pass for a dragonkin. His forearms were immense.

"True that." Tulith agreed. "He and Chloe are the only onesss on-call throughout the week. They like taking off weeksss at a time, or even an entire month! I'd go batty with all that free time."

"Speak for yourself!" Panlith chuckled. "As the castle chef, I work more than everyone combined."

"You refuse to leave!" Tulith shot back, "the lot of you are nutty."

Panlith and I smiled at each other.

Honestly, it was already amazing to hear about a four-day work week… I couldn't imagine an entire month off. My own kingdom let people rest only on Wednesdays and holidays. Granted, we had a lot of holidays.

I took off my apron and hung it on the wall. "I guess this is goodbye then." I felt very empty saying it, but that's that. "It was nice of you to share your kitchen, Panlith. You've got all the recipes I've used so far?"

The head chef squinted at me unhappily. "Why does it sound like you ain't coming back Princesss?"

"King Keith has sentenced me to imprisonment with Rufus."

The lizardkin looked at each other knowingly. Finally, Tulith spoke, "If that's how it is then I'm sure you'll be back sssoon, Your Highnesss. Rufus only does one hour sessions per person."

"Really?" That didn't sound so bad.

"Unless the sssituation is very dire." Panlith commented. "But it hasss to be an extreme case."

Tulith escorted me upstairs, where I took an extra long bubble bath. She even found more of the vanilla infused soap scrub I loved so much.

After all, I wanted to be clean and presentable for whatever happened next. It was time to meet Rufus.