“Thank you.” She smiles at him and I can’t help myself, the jealousy rampages through me. I barge him out of the way with my shoulder and wrap my arm securely around Briony’s waist.
“Go ahead and lead the way, soldier,” I tell him.
He jolts, like he just realized he’s been staring with his tongue hanging out, dribbling all over the floor, and collects himself, drawing himself up into that stiff soldierly posture. Then he’s marching away and we’re following after.
“I think he wants to fuck you,” Dray whispers into Briony’s ear as we walk.
“I think he was being polite. It’s called manners.”
“Ugh,” he says. “I hate manners.”
“Because you’re a feral dog,” I snipe, pulling her more closely to my side.
“Wolf,” he corrects, “there’s a big difference.”
“Is there now?” I say. “You both sniff each other’s butts, you both lick your own balls, and you both suffer with fleas.”
Briony giggles and the sound has my shoulders relaxing again, my step more self-assured. I hate this place. But maybe it won’t be so bad with Briony by my side.
“Firstly, I’ve never had fleas in my life. Secondly, licking your own balls is pretty damn awesome. I’d say give it a try some time, but I guess with that crappy human anatomy of yours you can’t.”
The officer snorts and is there a sense of humor under that uniform? I doubt it.
We walk up from the cellars of the palace and through into the more formal rooms. Briony ooohs and aaaahs all over again, her mouth falling open at the solid marble floors, the tall elegant ceilings, the fine paintings, the velvet drapes, and all the gold.
It’s not as early as it was and the palace is bustling with shadow weavers, dressed in their best finery, hurrying this way or that, gossiping as they go. Some acknowledge me, others all three of us, and some barely notice us. Briony is hidden from view surrounded by the three of us, otherwise there’d be a hell of a lot more for them to be chattering about.
Finally, we climb up a wide staircase, until we reach the floor of the palace where each of the Empress’s children has their own apartments.
The officer stops outside my door and I lift my hand to remove the magical locks. It clicks open and swings back. The room lies in dusty darkness, so I sweep my hand again andthe drapes part and the large windows fly back, letting warm sunlight pour inside.
“Is there anything you require, Prince Beaufort?” the officer says.
I shake my head and the officer clicks his heels together, saluting and departing the way we just came.
“I thought you being a prince was a secret.”
“Not among the Empress’s elite guard.” I strip off my jacket and toss it onto one of the elegant couches. I’m tempted to flop right down onto it and sleep for the next few hours.
“Why did that man need to escort us?” Briony asks, peering out towards his retreating back as Thorne closes the door. “Are we in trouble? You said–”
“Look,” I say, loosening my collar and swiping my hand through my hair, “if you thought the politics back at the academy were complicated, it’s nothing on palace politics. My mother likes to control the comings and goings here.” I relent to the tiredness and slouch down onto the couch, stretching out my arms along the backs, leaning my head back and letting out a long exhale.
Briony walks around the large reception room slowly, soaking it all in.
“If I really am your mate–” Instinctively I peer down at my wrists; I can just make out the mate marks looping around in patterns.
“You are our mate,” Thorne says from the door as if he’s standing guard.
“Then, is this where we’d live?”
“I don’t know,” I say, my eyes still closed. “None of my other siblings have mates or partners or whatever.”
“Why not?”
I sigh and lower my chin. “Andrew and Arthur both died within a year of each other – battling monsters in the west ofthe realm. William received an injury to his head during another incursion, it sent him – well I don’t know where he is. Lydia has sworn herself to the goddesses – she lives in one of the temples out in Granite Quarter. The others are all younger than I am.”
Briony stands stock still in the center of my apartment.
