“Master Solace,” a clipped voice interrupted, and when Zane unceremoniously shoved Pavel away, he found Samuel standing nearby. The older man hadn’t been there before, and certainly wasn’t any more welcome at this than Arlet had been. “Your presence has been requested.”
Kelevra must have been paying more attention to their little corner than Zane had given him credit for, because he was already in the process of excusing himself from his Royal Consort's side and striding over. He clapped Samuel on the back, squeezing his shoulder and leaving his hand there.
“What trouble has my sister gotten herself into now?” he asked the older man. “And what possible reason could she have to be summoning one of my Retinue?”
It wasn’t often he stepped in, but Zane had noticed it was happening more and more frequently as of late. If he were braver, he would have asked Kelevra about it already. As itwere…he feared what the Imperial Prince would say too much to attempt it.
Feared what Kel might have discovered.
And what he might not care about.
Kelevra had always treated him well, but that didn’t change who they were, or who the prince was.
“I’m not at liberty to discuss,” Samuel said, seemingly knowing that was the wrong thing to say. He was loyal to Lyra, gifted to her in a similar way Zane had been gifted to Kel. The major difference was how the siblings treated them.
Zane hadn’t told anyone else, mostly out of worry it would make its way back to the man’s sister, but Kelevra had long since released him from his servitude. He’d become a Retinue member as a free man, willingly.
Samuel was owned in every sense of the word. He only ever went where Lyra allowed and did what he was told. If not for the fact he enjoyed it so much, Zane might even have related to him or felt badly for him.
As it were, Samuel got off on bossing Zane around. Those orders from Lyra allowed him to pretend he held a higher station than Zane, let him get his rocks off and pretend to be important and in control when in reality he was neither of those things.
Unfortunately, when it came to Lyra, neither was Zane.
“It’s something you can’t even tell me?” Kelevra’s tone never changed, but the underlying hostility was clear in his body language as he shifted closer to Samuel. “Well then, since Zane is one of mine, you can go inform my sister that he’s otherwise indisposed at the moment. Whatever she needs him for, she’s going to have to find someone else.”
Zane’s multi-slate began to ring and his stomach rolled when he read Lyra’s name on the screen. Popping out one of the earbud attachments kept in the side of the device, he stuck it in his ear and accepted the call. “Hello?”
“Samuel is on his way,” Lyra said.
“Yes, he’s here already.”
“Good. I need you to come back to the Little Palace early tonight.”
Zane met Kelevra’s gaze. “I can’t. I’m needed here.”
There was a pause and then a sigh. “Surely my little brother can do without one of his toys for a single evening?”
He clenched his jaw at her description but didn’t dare say anything against it. That’s all he was to her anyway. A toy. An object she could use whenever she pleased. In many ways, she wasn’t wrong, but the major fact she always seemed to forget was that he didn’t belong to her.
“I’m under orders of the prince,” Zane risked, feeling a bit of relief when Kelevra didn’t correct him. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours—”
“It’s about Aodhan.”
That was enough to change his mind.
“I can be there in twenty minutes.” Zane ended the call and moved to join Samuel, only for Pavel to latch onto his arm. “What the hell? Let go.”
“What did she say to you?” there was a darkness in his tone that almost had Zane shivering.
“Preventing Master Solace from leaving can be considered—” Samuel didn’t get to finish his threat.
“Oh shut up,” Kelevra growled. “I’ve never liked you, you know that?”
“I am aware, Your Majesty.” Samuel bowed his head.
“That was your cue to go.”
“Mercy, majesty. I’m under orders not to leave without Master—”
