I didn’t have time to say a word to Emmeline before Lord Petrocus and his husband swept in.
“That was nicely done, Sir Valen. You certainly diffused the situation.”
I gave him a slight nod, but he kept talking before I could say anything.
“Crass behavior. Absolutely unacceptable. Symphorosa had the young woman who groped His Highness escorted out—did you see?”
I had.
“Of course, I don’t know what the prince expected,” Lord Petrocus continued. “He’s barely shown his face in public for months. Of course he’s going to stir up excitement by finally reappearing.”
“He’s been grieving,” I said, not completely hiding the sharpness in my tone.
“It’s been months,” Petrocus repeated. “How much longer does he need to mope over a—” He caught himself as he looked at Emmeline. “—a lover. It’s not as if she were his wife.”
He’d been about to say “a human,” and that was only part of what incensed me. I thought of the weight Cael had lost from not eating and sleeping, the red-rimmed eyes, the few times he’d brought himself to speak of the woman he’d loved.
“She could have been if she’d lived,” I’d said.
Petrocus scoffed. “Unthinkable. I know Queen Verena was…self-indulgentin her second marriage, but she did her duty with her first. People of our status can’t afford to wed for love. A good marriage is an alliance. Our feelings about the other person matter little.”
His husband gave him the side-eye. “Indeed.”
Petrocus either didn’t notice or ignored the sarcasm. “Princess Regula may have lower standards for her daughter, but I would think the queen will ensure her son aligns with someone of good breeding—”
“Speaking of marriage.” His husband glared at him before turning back to us. “Are you two planning a wedding? I hear you had quite a whirlwind romance. Is it true her father disapproved, so you snuck away in the dead of night? It sounds terribly romantic…”
He trailed off wistfully, and Petrocus’s entire body froze as he realized he’d chosen a poor audience for his words.
I wanted to give him an icy glare and stony silence, but my party persona didn’t intimidate people like that.
“We’re not rushing our courtship,” I said.
Emmeline smiled with fake sweetness. “And my father did disapprove, but I thought love was more important.”
Petrocus’s mouth spasmed as he tried to smile back.
Thankfully, the conversation didn’t last much longer. The couple moved on, and Emmeline shot me a look.
Can you believe that asshole?I could practically hear her saying.
I lifted my shoulders in the barest of shrugs.If only he were the worst one here.
She slipped her arm around mine, and we moved on to the next conversation.
Chapter 26
Valen
Cael got us invited to view the lantern release from the connecting bridge between towers. The private location was secluded from the rest of the party, though the other guests had nothing to complain about with the view from the large windows.
And the view was truly spectacular. The city spread out below us, an entrancing maze of light and shadow. Narrow walkways wound through terraced gardens, and moonstone buildings shifted through shades of white, blue, and purple depending on the light. My lungs swelled with crisp air as I took in my people’s ancient home. I would do whatever it took to keep this place and these people safe.
Symphorosa pulled Emmeline away to point out some of the city’s landmarks, leaving me alone with Cael and his bodyguards.
“She’s perfect for you,” Cael said, looking at Emmeline.
I shifted, feeling a strange mix of pleasure and uncertainty. “You think so?”
