Her attention flicking to the doors on the opposite side of the throne room, she rose. “Moira? Calista? I’ll join you in my suite later.”
They dipped forward in curtsies and left the throne room.
Talvon waited for them to leave. His gaze slid to my wife before returning to me. “This relates to the borgons.”
“And the meeting we interrupted the other day?” My mother and her sycophants. I was looking forward to hearing what he might’ve discovered there.
“I’m still collecting information on that matter but should have a report for you soon.”
“The borgons it is, then.”
Talvon’s gaze shot to Reyla again, and he frowned, but it smoothed quickly. He dipped his head forward. “Of course, my king.”
We exited through the back door and strode down the hall, turning left at the end and walking out into the main corridor with rooms on either side.
“What were you concerned about?” I asked Reyla softly, unsure if she’d want to discuss it in Talvon’s and Lord Briscalar’s presence.
She related two incidents, one in the kitchen and the other with my mother in the hall. Hearing about them only made my insides start snarling again. I was sure my mother had glamoured the floor, though I couldn’t imagine why other than to concern Reyla. As for the kitchen… I’d speak with my guard. A chall might’ve been an accident. My mother was not.
“If either incident was related to the curse, it would’ve triggered the veil,” she said.
“I’ll handle this.”
Nibbling on her fingernail, she mentioned that my mother was coming for tea the next day.
“Be careful,” I said. “Remember her skill and how she loves to manipulate others.”
Reyla lifted her chin and gave me a sly smile. “I’m not bad at manipulation myself. I dare her to try again.” The grimness in her eyes should stand as a warning to everyone, including the wizard. “If she misbehaves again, I’m not above using my spicy lightning.”
“There’s my wildfire. Just remember that whatever you do or say to her can be used against us.”
“I’ll be careful.”
We continued down the hall, and Talvon hurried ahead to open the door to the parlor. “The lord is waiting inside.”
The Gold Room lived up to its name, though gold didn’t quite capture the warmth of the space. It was sunlight trapped in thread; horig woven into walls. Rich tapestries hung on either side and between the three tall windows, showing stories from Evergorne’s distant past. Heroes standing beside creatures shooting flames and distant Evergorne kings standing beneath the twin ravens of our family crest, all stitched in hues of amber, ochre, and shimmering gold. Each tapestry was bordered with intricate ivy patterns that seemed to creep and climb to the edges of the ceiling. The walls had been painted pale cream with gilded floral designs curling in each corner.
A grand fireplace had been built into the right wall, its mantel carved from gleaming trillastone and embedded with clusters of gold that caught the flickering flames. Above, a striking, round mirror etched in gold reflected our images back at us. Two plush armchairs with high backs flanked the hearth, their fabric dyed the deep amber of autumn leaves.
The central seating area had been arranged around a golden-threaded rug embroidered with faint swirling patterns that were almost imperceptible unless the light caught them right. A settee upholstered in yellow fabric faced the fireplace with matchingcushioned chairs on either side with a large, polished low table between them.
Lord Briscalar rose from one of the yellow chairs, bowing to us both. His gaze shot to Talvon, and his smile curled up before smoothing.
“Wait outside,” I told our guards.
Talvon shut the door, and the four of us settled, me and Reyla on the sofa, him taking the remaining high-back chair opposite the lord.
“Tell us what you've discovered, Lord Briscalar,” I said, Talvon listening intently. As head of my guard, he'd have to deal with whatever might be coming. No, he'd insist on standing in front of me when I dealt with whatever might be coming.
The lord dipped his head toward Reyla. “My queen, first I must apologize for not being present over the past few days. I’ll make it up to you with diligence and devout service.”
“It hasn’t been long,” Reyla said, her voice light. “I was otherwise occupied, but I missed you.” I was probably the only one who could hear the touch of humor in her voice. “Please don't worry one bit, though I appreciate your concern. My ladies are more than enough to attend to my needs.”
She cared for Lord Briscalar. Why hadn't I seen that? She'd grown up without a loving father, and she might actually see the lord as a small substitute for that role. The fact that she would take the time to reassure him showed me again that she was already an amazing queen.
“You’re much too kind.” Briscalar straightened in his chair, his lips curling into a humble smile. “I truly appreciate it. As always, it’s a delight to serve you.” His sharpening gaze landed on me. “My king, as you requested, I traveled into the hills beyond the wall. Visiting relatives provided the perfect cover for my inquiries.” His attention shifted to Reyla. “I’ve beensnooping, one might call it,though I’m not a person who would ever use such a… How shall we say it? It’s a silly term for this grave a matter.”
“Of course not.” Reyla’s mouth twitched, but she stared at him with a touch of concern.
