The hall had been disguised by the banner of the House of Anjhest; six black horses racing around a circle road on a field of green. The cross bar was hung directly on the lintel so that the banner covered the entry like a door.

         She’d discovered the opening by accident last summer. New to the castle and less than a month away from the Shivelite settlement, Mirella had been eager to explore the famed Castle Ursaulis. She was eager, too, to be free of the arrogant and aggrieved Lady Bresca, who took every opportunity to remind Mirella of her lack of noble blood.

         The afternoon had been hot and the ladies of the court had been napping — a practice unheard of at home – when Mirella made her escape.

         The castle was quiet, seemingly deserted, and Mirella had run the halls feeling as though she owned everything in sight. She’d no particular destination in mind, but after a time found herself in the oldest part of the castle, built during the reign of Revel the Fair. It was a series of oversized rooms connected by tiled halls, the last of which was the Great Throne Room.