His face went ashy pale, almost green. He stared at me for a long, long moment before he whispered, “You should not know what that is.”

I shrugged. “I do. I’ve been there twice⁠—”

His groan was so tense and deep I actually flinched. “You should not be going in there. It is dangerous⁠—”

“I know, people got hurt. But you protected me, you got me out⁠—”

“Please.” He pressed his fingers to my mouth to stop me from talking. “Please, my love, promise me you will never go in there again.”

I blinked. If he only knew. I could not tell him that he’d already destroyed it so that promise wasn’t one I needed to make so I would make it anyway. I cupped his face and pressed my lips to his real quick. “I promise I will never go inside the Land of the Lore again.”

He sighed with relief, then stood back up and went for his coat. “Here’s what we will do. You will leave my room and return to yours. I will go to Sweyn and make up a reason we need to go in there tonight before we socialize—-do not ask what I will say, it’s better if your ignorance is genuine in case you’re asked.”

I nodded. That sounded fair.

“Once we leave, the throne will remain upstairs. It can be either in the ballroom or the throne room. Without Sweyn or myself here, both rooms should be empty.” He rubbed his hands together. “If you wait until I tell you we’ve left, you might be able to pull this off.”

I jumped to my feet. “It’s a good plan.”

“It is an insane plan.”

“Now, how do I find my room from here?”

About half an hour later, if I had to make a guesstimate since I had no watch or clock now, I’d had my first experience with the privy. It was horrific. I didn’t even want to think about it ever again. That was my motivation for getting the hell out of this place. I didn’t want to think about a chamber pot. The experience made me not want to eat or drink so I’d have no reason to need it.

I glared at the chamber pot beneath the bed I hadn’t slept in. Then I shook myself and refocused on the notebook in my hands. Tegan’s cheat sheet of tricks for me. I was trying to absorb everything she wrote but I knew it was impossible. Didn’t stop me from trying though. I flipped the page and found a note I definitely needed.