For several minutes, neither of us spoke.
The corridors became busier the closer we moved toward the center of the estate. Servants hurried past carrying flowers, folded tablecloths, silver trays, and decorations whose purposes escaped me entirely.
Tomorrow's Awakening ceremony apparently required enough preparation to invade a small country.
I watched two servants struggle to move an enormous vase.
"Why?"
Penelope followed my gaze.
"Why what?"
"Why does that need to move?"
"The Duchess wants white flowers near the eastern entrance."
I looked at the vase.
Then toward the eastern entrance.
Then back at the vase.
"It was perfectly happy where it was."
"The flowers?"
"The vase."
Penelope stared at me.
I shrugged.
"Nobody considers the furniture's feelings."
"You spent too much time alone at the border."
"Possibly."
[Definitely.]
'Nobody asked you.'
We kept walking.
Eventually, I started recognizing more of the estate.
Not people.
Architecture.
