He sat behind his desk with scrolls and correspondence spread before him. By his side, an aide knelt with her hands folded on her lap and her gaze trained on the tiles, though George knew she must be attending to the king’s every movement.
Father didn’t look up. That was always a sign he didn’t want to be bothered.
“Georgetta. How was the shore?”
Her stomach clenched, and that good sign burned away. She’d expected a perfunctory greeting, maybe a dismissal. Not questions.
“Refreshing.” George kept her voice light. “The weather was lovely. We stayed up between cities where it’s quiet.”
He unrolled a scroll, then set it aside and picked up another as if searching for something. She didn’t trust the mess. “Who accompanied you?”
“Hildy, Dunstan, Burke, and Wynn—”
Touch magic clasped George’s chin, forcing her face up to meet his cold gaze. “Lady Doukas? I thought she was in Nowosmont.”
Shit.“I apologize, I misspoke.” And she had, but now he was going to be suspicious. “I saw Wynnie when we returned, and we stayed at her villa before coming in.”
He tapped the edge of his desk and squeezed her jaw. “I see.”
George forced herself not to fidget. Not to show any sign of the panic creeping up her throat.
“And what did you do at this quiet shore?” her father asked.
“Relaxed. It was too cold for swimming, but the sun was nice.” She recited the vague details she’d agreed upon with her friends.
“See anyone of note?”
“No. It was quite dull, actually.” George allowed a hint of boredom into her tone as she played the spoiled princess who’d wasted weeks on a pointless holiday.
“Bring anything home?”
“No.”
Gasparo studied her for a long moment. George met his gaze, kept her expression neutral, prayed her racing heart wasn’t visible, then dropped her eyes to his hideous beard.
Finally, he waved a dismissive hand and released her face, his magic withdrawing. “I have correspondence to attend to. You’re excused.”
“Thank you.”
Forcing herself to move slowly, calmly, like she had nothing to hide, like she hadn’t followed Father’s spies into the principalities, like she hadn’t abducted a man in the name of saving Domos, like there wasn’t a handsome foreign earl in her apartment, she turned and walked to the hall.
George made it three steps down the corridor before throwing up a mirage that looked like her—but calm. Safe within her magic, her hands shook as she clutched at herstola.
He knew something was off; maybe not about Isahn, maybe not about the plan, butsomething.They’d have to be extremely circumspect going forward.
KnowingIsahnwasbusywith Hildy, George called on Dunstan to visit. She told Ean to say it was for Domos-related discussions; in reality, she wanted to gossip, wanted a distraction from her father. They lounged in the small sitting area beside her bed, rehashing the constant tumult that was his relationship with Hildy and apparently Burke, too.
“I don’t know if I can do it anymore, Georgie.” Typically so even-keel, Dunstan frowned, forlorn. “I feel like she doesn’t really care about me, or evenBurke—and I’m not just saying that.”
“I think Hil cares very much, I just think it’s complicated. You’ve all known each other for such a long time now. Maybe it is best to let her go—in that way—and consider focusing your attention on someone new. We’ll all be friends forever.”
He sighed, so George added, “Wynnie’s single,” and winked.
Dunstan groaned as he rolled his eyes. “I’ve been there and done that. Absolutely love Wynn, she’s the sweetest thing. But, no. Not for me. Maybe Hildy’s not either.”
“Have you considered Burke?” She wiggled her brows. “I know you were intimate with Hildy together, why notalone?”
He laughed harshly. “Probably shouldn’t have done that again. But also, I don’t swing that way.”
