“We’ll be in touch,” I replied as I took the paper he held out.
“Or not,” Zane smirked.
As we turned to leave, Father’s voice stopped us at the door.
“Be careful with this one, boys.” His tone was serious enough to make me glance back. “Arabesque plays a long game, and she doesn’t care who burns as long as she gets what she wants.”
He sounded concerned. Not forus, maybe, but for the outcome of his strategic gambit. Still, it was the closest thing to paternal advice he’d offered in years.
“So do you,” I reminded him. “And neither do we.”
#
King Lucian Ro?u
The moment Casimir, Zane, and Koa departed, I let out a slow breath, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension knotted there.
They had taken the offer better than anticipated, although I knew they had their suspicions. Clever little monsters, all three of them. Always had been. It was what made them such good hunters.
After a while, I left my office and found Sebastian in the library with a book in hand, shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows. He looked up as I entered, his hazel eyes sharpening with curiosity.
“Hey, Dad,” he greeted, setting the book aside. “You look upset.”
“Perhaps because I am.” I exhaled through my nose.
He gestured to the chair across from him, and I took the seat. The overhead lights cast long shadows across the room, illuminating the fine angles of his face. He had his mother’s bone structure, sharp and elegant, and her eyes.
“I assume this is about my little brothers? They stopped by for a moment, but Casi was in a hurry. Zane seemed more unbalanced than usual. Ko was silent. I take it they accepted the arrangement.”
“They did,” I confirmed.
“A dangerous position, but an effective one.” He leaned back, crossing his arms. “Arabesque will assume you’re securing a truce through marriage rather than embedding them as spies. At least at first, but it will buy you time to investigate her more thoroughly.”
“That was one reason. The other is more complicated.”
He studied me in silence, waiting. He had always possessed a rare patience, an ability to listen without interruption. It was one of themany reasons he would make a fine king when I was ready to step down in a few centuries.
“Kaori is curious about them. She wants to meet them. I explained our history, and she lectured me.Me!” I shook my head, remembering my beloved’s reproachful eyes. “She even quoted Sophocles.Sophocles, Sebastian.”
“Let me guess: ‘How terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the man that’s wise!’ ”
“Not at all. Rather, ‘All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil.’ ”
“ ‘The only crime is pride,’ ” he finished, then tilted his head. “So you are correcting your course by sending them away?”
“In a manner. I’ve ensured they have everything they need or could want. Freedom, wealth, security.” I ran a hand over my hair. “I used them as tools for too long. I want to give them a future of their own choosing.”
“And by assigning them to such a high-stakes mission, you also force the court to recognize their worth.” He tapped a finger against the arm of his chair.
“You see it.” I gave him a tiny nod. “I’m not sure they do. Not even Casimir. Not yet.”
“They can’t be heirs, but this will ensure they are respected outside the court. If they succeed, their reputations will be solidified.” He paused. “And if they fail?”
“They won’t.”
“A test of loyalty and character?” Sebastian huffed a laugh.
“I suppose so. I want to see if they rise to the challenge or if their freedom crushes them.” My jaw tightened. “I also wonder if they will return at all.”
