Elka sent for the head maid, Olena, just after dawn.
Elka had not slept. She had lain in the dark with her eyes open, turning her newest plan over and over in her mind until she was certain there were no holes in it she had not already accounted for. By the time the first grey light crept under the curtains, she had made her decision and there was nothing left to do but act on it.
Olena arrived as quickly as she always did. She stepped into the bedchamber and the door closed behind her with a soft click. For a moment the two women simply looked at each other— Elka seated at the edge of the bed, still in her night clothes, and Olena standing near the door with her hands folded and her head dipped in a bow.
"Your highness," Olena greeted.
All night Elka thought about who to approach, whether anyone in this palace could actually be trusted and she kept coming back to Olena.
