Dove gasped in all the right places. There was wide-eyed, stunned silence when I spoke of the prince. And she gaped, all curious wonder, when I spoke of Sparrow.
“You have been… busy and… adventurous, haven’t you!” She elbowed me softly, shaking her head. “It shouldn’t surprise me, though. You always were more adventurous than I.”
We walked in silence for a while and the mood slowly shifted from bright to gloomy once more. “Is there… anything I can do to help?” Dove asked after a while.
“You’re doing it,” I said and took up her hand again to squeeze it. “Just being here for me.” Though… “And… if there is anything odd you hear from yours or other Noble Houses…?” I left that open.
She nodded.
After a moment, she asked, “I’m assuming you heard about the queen?”
“The queen? No. What happened?”
“Oh… well, she’s gone into seclusion; shut herself away. Apparently, she needed some time to recuperate from… something? She had an illness or just overwhelmed by running the nation, I don’t know. Others in her House are handling the affairs of state. I assumed you would have heard.”
I shook my head. “No. This is news to me.” But did it mean anything? I had no clue. I looked around for Midnight, but she didn’t make an appearance to add anything. “So, we’re sending armies north, and the queen is indisposed. That certainly adds… something to all the oddities going on. I just wish we knew who was behind all this and what their ultimate plan was.”
Dove nodded.
“The other thing I’m to do while I’m here, supposedly vacationing with you, is to be seen. I’m to go to balls and social events and keep my ears open for any strange rumors. Any thoughts for where to go?”
“There’s a ball tonight at Lady Vicuna’s estates. I don’t know if anyone important is going to be there, or if there will be any talk of intrigue. It’s supposed to be for the young eligible Nobles to go and meet and mingle.”
“Well, we are both young and eligible,” I said with a grin.
“Well, actually…?”
“No!” I gasped. “You’re seeing someone?”
She flushed, grinned, and then shrugged. “His name is Lord Hale. He’s Lord Horn’s son, but he’s not in our House. He’s actually in the Royal House.”
It was my turn to gape. “You’re dating a Royal? And from his name he certainly sounds buff and… healthy.”
Her blush deepened. “He’s a complete gentleman and… we haven’t been… together yet, but—” A sensuous shiver ran through her. “He is big and strong and when he holds me close, I practically melt!”
“What’s his avatar?”
She grinned. “A gorilla.”
I nodded. “I’m happy for you. Will he be at this party tonight?”
“Only if I go and ask him to come.”
“Will you?”
She nodded. “Sure, let’s go and have some fun and forget about all this horridness, and you can meet Hale and size him up for yourself,” she teased, then, with a mock scolding tone, added, “But don’t you dare try to steal him!”
“From you? How? You’ve always outshined me!”
She grimaced. “You still can’t see it, can you?”
“See what?” I asked. “Your amazing beauty and grace and poise. I’ve always seen that.”
She laughed, then grew serious. “I may have all of those things, but you’ve always had a… presence about you, Legs. People are drawn to you.”
“Oh?” Though now that I thought about it, perhaps that had something to do with what Auwei was always going on about: my sometimes power of spirit.
It’s nothing to mock. It’s there, and your sister is right. You do have a presence. You may not be the most objectively beautiful woman in the room, but eyes are still drawn to you. I’ve noticed it even if you haven’t.
