She was tired, hungry… but the thought that clung most to her mind was of her Rohan and what he was doing.
Had he really gone to kill the king?
And had he succeeded?
Belle worried about him for a while, her thoughts tangled in all the things that could go wrong. What if he hadn't made it in? What if the king's guards had gotten to him first? The fear clawed at her chest. She could feel it pressing on her, heavier than her own hunger.
But her body reminded her of its needs. Her stomach rumbled loudly, almost painfully, demanding food and pulling her mind away from the spiral of thoughts.
She recalled what the boy had said, that if she needed something, she could ring the bell, and she reached for it and pulled the string.
It didn't take long. She heard a knock on the door, and Belle went to open it. The lad stood outside, grinning eagerly, probably because she had paid him with gold.
