“Is Luka back from the front?”
The Second Queen nodded.
“Your Highness…” Maya paused to try and remember her practiced words, which had deserted her. Her fingers drifted to the jewel at her neck, a nervous habit she’d picked up ever since the war in the East had grown worse. The Second Queen’s eyes glinted as her gaze followed the movement, but she made no comment.
“May I ask why there’s been no announcement of the Prince’s return?” Maya swallowed. “No victory parade?”
“There will be one when he returns to the capital,” Queen Inessa said, taking a sip of her tea. “For now, Luka is in Kamenev.”
“But why has he gone to your province?” Maya shook her head. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but I thought he would return here, to meet you and the King…”
The Second Queen looked away, her lips thinning. The hand on the table tightened into a fist next to her tea cup, and Maya stared as a sudden foreboding clutched her heart.
“Your Highness?”
“Luka was…wounded in battle. He is recovering in Kamenev.”
Maya frowned. “But we have the best healers in the country here…why is he staying at his estate?”
Lady Inessa looked away. “He needs solitude to recover. He will be back at court soon enough.”
Even as Maya opened her mouth to question the queen further, there was a knock at the door.
“Enter,” Lady Inessa called, and a messenger stepped in. He bore a letter on a silver platter, and Lady Inessa frowned when she saw the seal on the stamp. Maya had caught a glimpse of it, as well. The Demidov arms.
Karina. The woman who would be Luka’s fiancé.
Though she felt like she as intruding, Maya couldn’t help but stare in avid curiosity as Lady Inessa took the missive. The older woman’s nostrils flared, and her eyes flashed furiously.
“Thank you,” she said, dismissing the messenger, who bowed and retreated.
So, there were no reply to the Demidovs? Interesting.
Maya tried to look away as the Second Queen quickly glanced over the missive, her eyebrows climbing higher as she read. Finally, she turned to Maya, and smiled.
“Karina Demidova writes to greet me, she says.”
Maya smiled politely. Well, the Second Queen would no doubt be pleased her new daughter-in-law would be such a polite, genteel lady—the complete opposite of Maya herself,really—andwherehad that thought come from and why was it so difficult to shake off—
Lady Inessa made a sound of annoyance, and crumpled the note in her hand. Maya’s eyes widened, and she quickly brought herself under control before the older woman looked up.
Lady Inessa glared at the note, now discarded on the table. “Silly girl. I have no idea what she thinks she’s doing. Or indeed, what her mother is doing. How did she even allow her daughter to write directly to me?” She tutted. “Such a breach of etiquette.” She took a sip of her tea. “She’s all wrong for him, you know. She will never make him happy.”
Maya nodded as guilt made her stomach clench hard. And here she was, about to convince Luka to marry the woman, just to save herself from a similar fate. Maya took a sip of her own tea, and remained silent.
The Second Queen tapped a long fingernail against her saucer, her mind obviously elsewhere.
After a long while, when it looked like the Second Queen was content to sit in silence, Maya finally cleared her throat, and spoke.
“Your Highness, I came here today to ask if I could visit him?”
“Hmm?”
“I would like to visit Kamenev estates to call on Luka.”
Lady Inessa looked up at that, and for a long moment, Maya felt the full weight of the Second Queen’s silent regard.
Then, the older lady smiled. “Oh, yes. You must visit. You both aresuchgood friends, of course.” Lady Inessa’s eyes sparkled. “I’m sure Luka would be delighted to see you.”
