“Belle.” My father’s tone snaps me out of my thoughts. “Belle, did you hear what I said?”

“A purifying bath for Izzie, wait on her hand and foot, and do whatever she asks until she selects a suitor.”

“And most importantly, keep your mouth shut.” He walks past me, brushing against my shoulder and leaving the house without another word.

I wait until I hear the hooves of his horse trotting in the distance before I walk over to a spigot. Beyond thirsty, I hold my head down and sip water until I can’t swallow anymore.

As I’m preparing a wash pail, Izzie walks through the front door humming.

Wearing a beautiful golden gown that falls to the floor in waves, her dark brown hair is pinned high in a bun, and she looks like the princesses she loves to read about.

Well, minus the tears that are falling from her eyes.

Pulling the white gloves off her hands, she notices me staring and offers a sympathetic smile.

“They sent me home again without a reason, and I can’t believe that I—Oh my god!” She rushes toward me and presses her hand against my left cheek, caressing it in utter horror. “Oh, Belle. These are the worst ones yet…”

“They’ll heal eventually.”

“Have you seen them?”

“No.” I shake my head. “Just pretend they’re not there, okay?”

“Okay.” She soaks a cloth in my pail, pressing it against my skin.

I’m not in the mood for a pity party, especially not from her, so I clear my throat.

“What were you saying about being sent home?” I ask. “Who is ‘they’?”

“The Fifth Kingdom.” She frowns. “They sent out a request for all eligible maidens. They said that only the women worthy of wearing a crown would be invited to stay, so I got my hopes up, you know? I know everything about being a princess. Everything.”

I raise my eyebrow.

“When I made it there, everything was exactly like it was when you and I went two years ago,” she says. “The queen hosted a lavish party in the ballroom, a feast fit for a king, and a long bath afterward in a heated spring.”

“Then, what?”

“She sent us all to bed in beautiful rooms that overlooked the realm…” Her voice trails off for several seconds. “In the morning, she asked how I slept, and I told her it was like sleeping on a cloud. It was even more amazing than the last time.”

I wince at the memory of the ‘last time’. From what I remember, my entire night there was spent tossing and turning in agony. I felt like there was a rock lodged directly under my spine, and the pain was far worse than any of my basement nights.

I never said anything about it to the queen, of course. I didn’t want to risk a beating from my father.

“Was there any girl who said something different?” I ask. “Someone who didn’t sleep well?”