The vendor turns to leave.
The word flies out of my mouth. “Espera.”
The merchant looks back at me, a deep crease between his brows. “Are you speaking to me, Condesa?”
My heart thunders in my chest. Most of our spies get their information by hiding in the market. Catalina will have stationed spies at the castillo gates, too. We talked about it before I left. I can only hope she remembered.
Luna, please let this work.
“I have a gift for this man,” I say loudly, my voice ringing in the hall. It’s my best chance. Giving the message to the merchant ensures the tapestry will leave the castillo.
Atoc releases my arm in surprise. “What?”
I turn to the Llacsan vendor. “For your trouble at the market, I’d like to give you this work of art I wove myself. Please accept it as a gift. It would bring me much joy to see this tapestry decorating your stall. Perhaps I’ll get to see it one day myself, on a visit.”
I stand and hold my work for all the room to see. The merchant appears dazzled, mouth agape. He comes up on the dais, takes the tapestry, and says his thanks.
“I happen to enjoy weaving. Immensely, actually. What if I wove more tapestries? Perhaps you could sell them in your shop?”
The vendor blanches but covers his dismay quickly by looking to Atoc.
“The gift is plenty,” Atoc snaps. “He doesn’t need your help to fill up his stall.”
But what about the other messages I have to send? “Are you sure?” I press. “I believe they’d fetch a good price. He might earn even more notas than he was planning.”
“That’s enough, Condesa,” Atoc says, his tone cold. “I thought your gift was meant for me.”
“It’s essentially for you. It’s a gift for your people.”
The vendor turns and leaves, holding my tapestry as if it were a baby.
Relief floods my senses. I sit down, my knees shaking. Atoc turns to me, a speculative look in his eye. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment. Then in a low, hard voice, he says, “What made you think to give a gift like that to a merchant?”
The priest leans in to hear my response.
“It’s important that your people respect their future queen.” I fight to keep my voice steady. “What better way than to send a gift for all Llacsans to admire?”
“And what about a gift for your king?” he asks. “I deserve one.” I swallow hard. “Becoming your wife isn’t a grand enough gift?”
His eyes travel from my eyes to my mouth. “No.”
Sajra snickers and sinks back to his place.
Bile rises quickly as I look away. “I’ll be sure to weave you something special.”
I feel his gaze, but I won’t return it. When he shifts his attention back to court, I let out a slow breath. My heart continues to race. To keep from getting sick all over his gold throne, I focus on the positive: I managed to do my job. The first message has been sent. Our spies will spot the tapestry in the market and relay the message to Catalina.
As I settle back into the chair, I seek Rumi. Everyone else seems impressed by my weaving and generosity toward the Llacsan. Rumi’s response sends a shiver down my spine.
His is a look of pure hatred.
CAPÍTULO
I freeze, unable to tear my gaze away from his stare. Usually, whenever I catch one of his expressions, it’s by accident, and whatever I’d seen vanishes in the space of a blink, only to be replaced by a scowl. But this time, he keeps his cold attention on me. Not breaking his hold. I don’t know how to respond, and a small part of me feels unsettled. Maybe a little surprised, too. Of course I know he hates me. Don’t I hate him as well? An insistent voice reminds me that he’d brought me the loom when he didn’t have to.
Dimly, I hear Atoc announce court is over, but all I can focus on is that nuisance of a healer. What difference does it make how that Llacsan looks at me? They’re all going to look at me that way by the end.
Again, I quash the things I don’t want or need to understand deep within me and hope none of them resurface. I have no room for such questions; I only have space in my life for the revolt.
