“Leo?”
The demigod turned to Jarryn’s call. “Sorry.”
“You can stay if you want to.”
“No, I don’t,” he replied. He enjoyed it, but he didn’t feellike sitting alone for the rest of the day. He spied Lucien sitting not far away. “Actually… I’ll see you a little later. We’re still on for the White Fox tonight?” he asked the prince.
Jarryn nodded and threw Leander a small smile of farewell before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
After watching him go, Leander shifted his path and headed over to where Lucien was sitting, surrounded by courtiers. “Your Highness,” he greeted amiably.
“Ah, Lord Leander. I didn’t realise you enjoyed the races. Are you here alone? Please, join us.” Lucien indicated to a seat nearby and Leander sat near to the prince, surrounded by men currying for favour from the future king.
Lucien turned to him. “Are you a betting man, Leo?”
“I am quickly discovering that I’m not very good at making bets, but yes. I am.”
“Who are you hoping to win?”
“I didn’t bet on this race, Your Highness. Last race, my horse fell at the first hedge.”
“What a shame. I’ve been quite lucky today, all things considered.”
Leander hid his smile. Sothisprince was not above gambling.
People around jumped out of their seats, screaming at the horses to ride harder, faster. Leander’s attention was momentarily drawn to the race, where there was a clear winner who passed the finish line with no competition at all.
Lucien had a small smile playing on his lips, evidently he was pleased with the outcome. His own horse, Leanderthought, if he remembered right. “Not disappointing at all, wouldn’t you agree, Lord Haldon?”
“Well done, Your Highness,” Lord Haldon, a man easily entering his golden years, said to the prince. He was not smiling, clearly he had bet on a different horse. “A good showing. Onwards.”
“Oh, I wasn’t the one to train that horse, the congratulations must go to my stable master. But I will pass your praise for his hard work and diligent care on to him.” The prince stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I have another horse in the next race. She is sure to win, and I would be remiss if I didn’t show my unwavering support in the form of some gold sovereigns.”
Leander nodded, deciding to stay put and not waste any more of his father’s money. Jarryn was right: there were better ways to spend his coin.
“Not spending your hard-earned coin on supporting the prince?” Haldon asked as Lucien and a few other nobles worked their way through the crowd of people. “He seemed so sure. What a show of faith it would be were the God of Lies to back the future king of Vyrica in such a way.”
Leander tore his gaze away from Lucien’s retreating back and glanced over to the other man. Haldon was in the process of lighting a cigarillo, which he inhaled and blew out through his nose as he turned to face Leander, the sulphuric blue smoke causing Leander’s eyes to water something fierce.
Leander coughed once. “Though I have every faith in Lucien’s prize mare winning the race, unfortunately, I do not have the coin to spend on more races today.”
“You spent it all on your first race?” Haldon asked, with no small amount of incredulity as he pulled out his box of cigarillos and offered one to the demigod, who silently but politely declined. “Bold of you. Or incredibly naïve.”
Leander shrugged. “I didn’t realise there would be multiple races,” he admitted with a rueful smile.
Haldon was leaning just a little too close for comfort. His breath stank of stale alcohol and smoke. “What a shame.”
“Yes. It is.” Leander would have shifted away but he was keen not to appear rude. Haldon was one of King Caisa’s most trusted advisors, not someone he wanted to piss off.
“I would be happy to show you how it’s done. Lend you some coin. When you win, you can pay me back. And only if you win, mind.”
Leander continued to stare forward, his back rigid in its chair. He wished he had left with Jarryn and not come to join the prince now. Being left with a leering old man was not how he wanted to spend his afternoon. “Thank you for the generous offer, but I will pass.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Haldon said again, leaning back into his seat and taking a long drag of his cigarillo, the smoke flowing in ethereal plumes away from him when he breathed out. “I could have shown you a thing or two.”
Leander said nothing in response.
Where was Lucien?
