To save me from going up and down the steps in my still-unfamiliar dress, Catrin served me at the table. Emrys was completely walled off from me on one side. On the other, Nisien radiated simple enjoyment.
“Nisien,” I said, breaking the silence that had settled between us. Hearing his brother’s name without a title, Emrys gave me a questioning look. If I’d offended his sense of propriety, that washisproblem. “…And Lord Prince Emrys, I’ve never experienced hospitality as wonderful as yours. Thank you for the welcome. However, I would like to know when we, whenI, can get to more formal work.”
“You’ve already begun,” Nisien asserted. “Look, my brother dines with us even after his defeat.Thatis an achievement.”
Emrys scowled at this but said nothing.
“About that… Prince Emrys, does your schedule allow for a conversation this afternoon? I’ve already spoken with your brother. I was hoping we might do the same.”
“Oh no,” Nisien interjected, that same teasing note back in his voice. “Now he’s going to find something on the castle grounds that must be exterminated immediately.” Nisien raised his voice. “Did anyone see a dragon this morning?”
The warriors nearest the raised platform erupted in laughter at the shouted question. The legends of Avanfell’s empire spoke of dragons, and some men even claimed to have found their bones, but they were mostly regarded as tales to excite children. With so few mages in the world now, even magic was beginning to be thought of as fantasy in some areas.
Fearing for Nisien’s safety under Emrys’s deadly glare, I quickly added, “The conversation needn’t be prolonged, but I must perform my duties. I hope you understand.”
The look Emrys turned on me burned into my skin. I felt exposed, as if the lies I’d told myself as defenses were being ripped away with every fraction of a second that passed under his scrutiny. The scorching intensity he quickly masked seemed almost inappropriate for the bright light of day.
“The library?” I pressed, trying to break the spell he’d cast on me. The Assembly had given me a bit of power in sending me here in an official capacity. It was the only leverage I had, so I intended to utilize it as frequently as possible. “I would like to be able to write to Chancellor Maeron with good news.”
Emrys took so long to answer that Nisien telekinetically picked up a piece of bread from the table and whacked Emrys in the back of the head with it. My impulse was to burst out laughing, but helping to raise six younger siblings allowed me to keep amostlystraight face.
Emrys’s voice came out on a growl directed at Nisien. “The dayaftertomorrow.”
Victory.
“Right,” Nisien said, beaming. “We have a little outing in store for our diplomat tomorrow.”
Coming from him, I hoped the surprise was a good thing.
Chapter 17
Isca
I woke before dawn with the ghost of a dream and a throb between my legs. All I could remember was the imposing silhouette of a man’s broad shoulders hovering above me, the scent of aged leather and hearth smoke clinging to the memory, the feel of rough hands trailing up my thighs. Even awake, the phantom warmth of the stranger’s nearness lingered on my skin.
Thank all the gods I’d woken before Catrin crept into my room again, a tray of food in hand. I wasn’t ready for questions about why my cheeks were burning like I’d just left a brothel. I never had dreams like that—ever.
When she did breeze in, I was sitting by the hearth I’d rebuilt myself, watching the world wake up through the window.
“Rough night?” Catrin’s auburn braids were covered with a crimson scarf today, and her usual black servant’s gown was accented by a matching red cape. By comparison, my hair was a fright thanks to the thrashing I’d given it while dreaming.
I’d been so exhausted yesterday that I hadn’t been able to appreciate the castle’s profound quiet. The stone walls were a blessed barrier that blocked out most of the world’s emotional noise. Not even a whisper reached me from Emrys’s apartment, though I suspected that was a deliberate shield, just like the one he wore when awake.
It wasbliss.
“Used to waking up early,” I demurred, a blush creeping up my neck despite my best efforts to remain composed.
More like used to waking up with one of my sister’s feet in my face since we’d had to fit four to a bed.But that didn’t sound nearly as refined.
Though Catrin walked at a slow pace, the air around her fizzed. To my magic, it felt as if she were bouncing up and down on her heels, giddy with excitement over whatever was planned for me today.
“Eat,” she said, placing a tray piled with sweet pastries before me. The scent of cinnamon and honey made my stomach growl. “If you’re up for it, we have an escort waiting for us to visit the city below.”
“An escort?”
She started rifling through trunks again, flinging out one gown after another. “Of the manly sort. How’s this?” she asked, holding up a violet dress that gleamed with gold thread.
“I’ll certainly look the part of an Assembly diplomat.” The words were a pretty veneer on how I actually felt: like a peasant playing dress-up. As if everyone would see the moth-eaten wool through the silk.
