Silently, Ibven followed those guards who had gone after her into the dining room, noticing how the guards also looked back at her cautiously, as if they were afraid of her. After her short talk with Maya that morning, a couple of things became clear to Ibven, who realized immediately that everyone in the palace already knew what had happened with the king the night before, fearing her; something that explained the behavior of those guards with the young woman as they guided her through the palace. And although being feared was not something she particularly liked, she preferred it, as it gave her more respect in this new place.
Leaving the private pavilion of the concubines, Ibven was led through the rest of that grand palace, which was much larger than the young woman had once thought.
