The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

Chapter 37
The weight of the gilded crown was unexpected, lighter
than I imagined but only in the physical sense. An intangible
heaviness came with it, one that spoke of thousands of
years of decisions, choices, sacrifices, and gains.
But I would bear the weight because I’d sworn to, just
like Casteel had.
He looked rather striking with the crown resting upon his
head.
I looked over at him as we stood just inside the palace
foyer before a row of banners that hung from the ceiling to
rest a scant inch or two from the floor. The palace staff had
been called and briefly introduced to us by Eloana and
Valyn. There had been hundreds of them, from kitchen staff
to housekeeping to the stable hands and those responsible
for the grounds. My head had spun from all the faces and
names, and now they were filing out from the foyer while
my gaze swept over Casteel.
He wore the crown as if he’d been born to.
Eloana approached us, along with an older woman
wearing a long-sleeved gown of gold—the color that all the
staff wore. I’d learned that many lived within the palace on
the floors above, while some maintained homes offsite with
family. I’d been shocked to learn that they held quarters
among the Lords and Ladies. In Solis, the staff was
considered servants, and they shared bare rooms lined with
cots and very little personal items.
“I would like to introduce you to Rose,” Casteel’s mother
said, touching the woman’s arm. “She is the palace