Helena dimpled a smile. “For which I thank you. Having to watch my tongue constantly around him was wearing thin.”
I nodded. “Second reason is more selfish. I need you to be on guard. Things are not going as they did in the first life, and I’m not quite sure why. The disaster, for instance, coming in sooner than I anticipated. Valentina arriving as she did, as well. That wasn’t at all what happened the first time. Victor wasn’t even in the picture when Valentina was introduced as my new bride in the first life. Too many variables are happening, and I can no longer predict what will occur next.”
Lucien made a wry face. “Fair enough.”
“Also—and this goes for everyone at the table—you all need to be using these.” I pointed to the basket at the end of the table, which held five bundled stacks, bound with white cloth. “Silver needles.”
Helena, court bred, hissed out a breath. “Am I to guard against poison now?”
“It’s sadly a favorite method of Valentina’s. She’s a huge advocate of poison, unfortunately. I’ve never seen her murder anyone with it, but she will use it to indispose someone. She used it against me once, early into our marriage, in order to throw doubt on whether I was fit to reign or not. I was sick for a month solid before we figured out it was poison. I’ve never been able to prove it was her, but poisonings always happened when she was around. Whatever you’re eating, even if it’s candy, put a needle against it first. Just in case.”
Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose. “She’s that bad?”
“She’s worse. Unlike Victor, she has cunning. She can be subtle when she wants to be.”
“You’re right, that’s worse. Tell me you have a plan to get rid of her.”
“I’m doing my best, I assure you. This will hopefully be a short-lived precaution, but in the interim, please exercise caution. I’ll hand a bundle of needles to Royce as well.”
Lucien made gimme hands for the pasta bowl and poured some more onto his plate. “Edwin, I want the recipe for this, just so you know.”
Edwin grinned. “I’ll write it down for you before you leave.”
“Please and thank you.” Then Lucien looked at me, eyes serious. “What are the odds you’ll be forced into being king again in this life?”
“I would rather put myself into exile.”
“That’s a blunt enough answer. What are the odds Valentina will somehow integrate herself into this family?”
“Not great but not zero. Beatrice for some reason likes the idea of her marrying in and is already trying to transfer the engagement from Victor to me.”
“Ye gods below, that’s awful.” Lucien shuddered. “Do I need to introduce you to an assassin?”
I sighed. “Don’t tempt me, please.”
Helena shook her head sadly. “We can’t afford the political repercussions of a princess dying mysteriously on our soil. That said, it might come down to our safety versus hers.”
Sadly, this was a very accurate assessment of the situation.
Because I was a responsible adult, I didn’t hide in Edwin’s house the entire day. After our luncheon, and with great reluctance, we returned to the palace. We swung by the hospital first, as it was on the way, to give Royce the needles. He hadn’t been happy about why he had them, but he’d promised to use them.
I threatened that if anything happened, we’d retreat right back to Edwin’s place, but everyone knew I didn’t really mean it. I wasn’t one to duck battles—I fought them.
Still, it didn’t mean I wanted to be in the same building as that stupid bitch, Valentina.
With dragging feet, I returned to the office to deal with all the paperwork that had been steadily piling up. The afternoon trundled on, nothing exciting or anything, and I did get quite a bit of work done.
Hmm, maybe I’d go and visit Titan this afternoon, sneak in a short ride. He was likely restless and pestering people for attention.
From my left, where Edwin sat, came a quiet, “Uh-oh. Um, James?”
I didn’t like the unease I heard in his voice and I snapped upright, turning to look. Edwin wore an odd expression, his peppermint bag in his hand. The last time I’d seen that look, he’d been reading a report to me that the demon portal had broken open, so I didn’t like this one bit.
Alarmed to my marrow, I shot out of my chair to come to him. “Edwin? What is it, what’s wrong— Oh.”
What was wrong was apparent once I got close enough. The silver needles had already paid themselves off. Edwin had tested the candy, as I’d implored him to do, and now had a blackened silver needle in one hand.
Stedman came in closer as well, voice rising in volume and tone as he burst out, “Is that poisoned?”
