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Siamak thought for a moment before responding. Zamara’s hiding place would have to be somewhere that could be easily accessed without causing suspicion, yet it could not be anyplace where people, servants or nobles, regularly went. He was thinking that it also ought to have more than one exit, so that she would not be trapped should her location be discovered. She had to be able to escape. Tricky requirements... then he had it. It was so absurdly simple, he almost laughed: who would think to hide Zamara in a guest’s chambers? Not very many were currently being used; few people visited the palace nowadays. As for exits, he now recalled the old servants’ entrances which led into nearly all the rooms in the palace - his own chambers had one. They were unused now, and had been unused for any conventional purposes for several generations now.
“Yes,” he said. “I know of a place. I can take you there now, if you like.” Zamara agreed and she and Gjeelea both made for the door.
“No, not that way,” said Siamak, heading into the room where Zamara had previously hid. “This way.” Remembering Nadda in the entry room, he called for her to come as well. After all, the fewer the people who knew the better, and someone would need to bring Zamara meals and such.
Looking slightly puzzled, the three women followed him to the inobtrusive door, designed to blend in with the room. He tried the door; it creaked softly as it was opened. “The old servants’ entrance,” Siamak explained for Zamara’s benefit. “It’s not really in use anymore.” After they filed through, he shut the door to, leaving it slightly ajar so that it would not be hard to find. He took a moment to orient himself. He had only been back here a handful of times, and not once in several years. Left goes towards Khamul’s rooms... right towards the guest rooms, and then a dead end. Right it is.
The passageway was plain, unlike the richly decorated hallways that were more commonly used. The walls were plain stone, and several doors lined them until the way turned out of sight. He concentrated on the number of doors they passed, trying with mild difficulty to remember where each led. Finally, he stopped. If he was correct, the room was about the same distance away from his and Gjeelea’s apartments. Out of the way, but not completely obscure in location. The door opened with more trouble than the one in his own rooms had, but it squeaked less.
It was exactly the type of place he had wanted: these rooms would not be used by any prominant palace guest, so they were smaller, but certainly they were a finer place than one would normally think to hide an accused traitor. Here, the servant’s door opened directly into the bedroom, so the two entrances to the room were not visible to each other.
“What do you think?” he asked. “You have two exits - three, if you count the window - though I doubt anyone will look for you here.”
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