Camilla began to walk slowly down the long, quiet hallway leading toward the garden wing.
Her soft shoes made very little sound on the thick red carpet. The hallway was empty of other guests. Everyone else was already in the meeting or outside in the gardens.
As she walked, she looked at the walls.
The walls were covered with tall oil portraits. The paintings were framed in carved gold. They showed the previous Kings, Queens, and great heroes of the Kingdom of Daril.
Camilla slowed her pace. She was fascinated by the art. She looked closely at a painting of a stern-looking King holding a large sword. She studied the details of his painted armor, admiring the skill of the artist. She was completely engrossed in looking at the historical portraits.
She took a step sideways to get a better view of the painting.
Suddenly, a solid weight collided into her right shoulder.
Thump.
Someone had bumped into her forcefully.
