We made our way down to the room where meals were served. It was a massive, domed hall with silver walls and a blue ceiling, with twisting columns made of amethyst, emerald, opal, onyx, pearl, ruby, and sapphire. The gems had clearly been added later, as blue and silver remained the dominant colors, a holdover from when House Alankar were merely the kings of Diamond as opposed to high kings of Gemaria.
Most of the ladies had already arrived, but Faiza waved me down to an empty seat near her own. Unfortunately, that put me directly across fromZumra, who at least seemed to be busy glaring at Sania and Ophira, since they were sitting next to Azurill this morning. Faiza was seated beside a man I recognized but didn’t know the name of on one side, with Prince Ruri on her other, leaving me to take a seat next to him.
“Jac, have you met Ruri and Balthazar?” Faiza asked, her voice weirdly high-pitched, as if she was slightly nervous. I narrowed my eyes at her, tilting my head slightly.
“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure yet,” I murmured in response, watching her carefully to try to figure out what was going on.
“This is Prince Ruri, of course, and Balthazar is Az’s best friend as well as the head of his guard,” she explained with a smile.
“Lady Jacinth.” Balthazar nodded stiffly, but Prince Ruri turned a charming smile my way and lifted his hand in expectation. I placed mine in it and allowed him to kiss it softly.
“Lady Jacinth,” he murmured, but I caught Balthazar watching the interaction, his eyes cutting back to us constantly.
“Prince Ruri, it’s wonderful to finally meet you,” I told him, wondering if he could scent the lie, as his smile turned sharp.
“Oh, I’ve been waiting for the opportunity,” he said, as his sharp smile turned into a charming smirk. “We were all surprised to hear of you. I don’t think your name has been uttered a single time at court before now, and for a lady related to the lord of Ruby himself?” He whistled softly, but my anxiety spiked as I realized why Faiza was nervous. The prince and the head of the guard catching me at breakfast was far from unintentional.
“Oh.” I looked down, letting my hair become a curtain to hide my face, as if I was bashful. “I suppose I’m too minor a figure in Ruby Court to matter much.”
“Nonsense!” Prince Ruri replied, his frosty blue eyes peering through my hair to see my own. “Come, tell me about yourself.”
“There’s not much to say, my Prince.” I sighed, as if disappointed I didn’t have much gossip for him. “I spend most of my time at home.”
“Is that where you learned to dance?” he asked, lightning quick.
I swallowed hard, trying to think of the best way to answer. I knew Azurill was suspicious of Lord Carnelian, and with good reason, but I couldn’t understand why he’d sick his younger brother on me when he was going to meet with me today.
“I had wonderful instructors, yes.” I smiled placidly at the prince, but his mouth pinched together like he was frustrated.
“Brother.” Azurill suddenly appeared, clamping a hand down on his shoulder, “Stop harassing the ladies here to see me and go find your own.”
Ruri laughed, shaking his head at his older brother, but his eyes were tight as the two traded a loaded look.
I needed to charm the fuck out of Azurill today.
Anything to make him trust me enough to get through to the end of this. Where I could finally bring my family peace, and a vengeance that I’d long thought out of my grasp, but was now so tantalizingly close.
“Oh, he’s no bother, Your Majesty.” I smiled at them both. “I’d love to get to know your family better as well.”
“We’ll have to make time for that later, unfortunately. Ruri is needed elsewhere,” Azurill said, eyeing his brother sternly before pulling him up. Something told me that Ruri had stepped over a line somewhere.
“Lady Jacinth.” Prince Ruri nodded in farewell, a light in his eyes I couldn’t quite make sense of.
“Don’t mind them.” Faiza leaned in, trying to reassure me in a whisper, but we were unfortunately too close to the others for them not to overhear.
“Prince Ruri does have a point.” Zumra sniffed in disdain. “How exactly have you hidden yourself away before now?” she questioned, leaning across the table toward me, her emerald eyes blazing with ill intent.
I glared back at her. “I wasn’t hiding.”
I kept the veil of truth over myself, especially when telling such a blatant, bold-faced lie. It was too important that no one here glean anything that indicated I wasn’t telling the full truth. Carnelian was already distrusted, and my sudden appearance had clearly stirred suspicion. I needed to diffuse it if I had any chance at succeeding.
“You could have fooled me.” She laughed, a nasty thing that set my teeth on edge.
“Some people don’t feel the need to make themselves the center of attention to validate their own existence,” I told her with a bright smile, cutting into my food and plopping a piece in my mouth, keeping my smile around the fork.
Zumra’s face instantly dropped, and I heard several people beside us trying to smother their laughter, only to fall totally silent as she speared each with a look in turn.
“I will figure out the truth,” she hissed at me, throwing her napkin on the table as she stood, her chair making a racket as she flung it back. “And when I do, well?—”
