“You stopped”—he looked to Lora, who was still avoiding his gaze—“hanging out.” Lora had a feeling she knew what he was implying. She had suspected all along and this confirmed her presumption. She only hoped their relationship wouldn’t cause any unnecessary distractions to their mission.
“Doesn’t mean she isn’t up to earning some silver.”
“Right. Strictly business again?” Ilario teased, a friendly laugh escaping him.
Eyden kept his calm. “Yes, business comes first.”
“Well, since we’re talking about silver, if you take a handful of arentae, that’ll be around forty silver.” That sounded quite expensive. Lora attempted to guess how much silver they’d have to spend in total. They’d need to pay for the crystal and compensate Sahalie for her work. Would she have enough with the jewellery she had taken to Liraen?
Eyden didn’t seem to share her concerns. “Do you want it now?”
“No, it’s all right. You can bring it to the house.”
“I’ll see you at the house, then.” Eyden took a step back and faced the path they’d taken to get here. Lora guessed he wasn’t much for goodbyes. She threw a quick smile in Ilario’s direction then turned to follow Eyden.
Before they went any farther, Ilario added, “My parents will be glad to see you again.”
Eyden looked over his shoulder, his voice taking on an affectionate, mocking tone. “I think your parents are excited about any visitors.”
Then he walked off, Lora following quickly after briefly glancing at Ilario’s cheerful expression. “There might be some truth to that,” he called after them.
Lora focused on the crowd ahead of them, the sound of Ilario’s laugh fading behind them as the chatter took over.
Chapter10
Amira
It had only been a minute since she had left her room and Amira was already lost. Most of the corridors looked the same and every time she encountered a door, they were either guarded by mean-looking guards or locked.
Amira wandered around the stone hallway, not knowing which path to take. At one point, she thought she’d recognised Karwyn’s voice on the other side of the wall, but as she’d tried to find a door, she’d only encountered more dark walls.
Amira chose another path that seemed to lead outside. Dusk was already falling when she reached the beautiful indoor garden. The peaceful sound of the fountain made her feel at ease. She could smell sweet blossoms, different from the headier scents of Allamyst’s flowers. Strolling around the garden, Amira found herself admiring the pastel colours. Everything seemed so soft, too soft for what she had seen of the palace. Hiking up her skirt, she started picking flowers to create a small bouquet.
As most fae from Allamyst, Amira had an eye for beauty. Her hand reached for the prettiest flowers, the ones that shone brighter than the rest. She walked around the garden, picking flowers as she went, enjoying their ravishing colours and their subtle scent.
When Amira stopped in front of a large bush covered in tiny pink flowers, she sensed a presence behind her. Her heart raced in her chest and she nervously pulled at a strand of her hair. What if she wasn’t allowed to pick the flowers? Slowly, she turned around, hiding the bouquet behind her back.
“Good afternoon, princess. I hope I didn’t scare you. I wouldn’t want to ruin your perfect complexion,” Rhay said as he bowed his head.
The tension in Amira’s shoulders vanished. “Not at all. I was just surprised to not be alone in this garden. It feels like no one ever comes here.”
“Well, that’s mostly true. Karwyn and the rest of the court barely visit this place. But I personally enjoy taking a break here from my father.” Rhay searched her gaze. “And his constant reminder that I’m an utter failure,” he added in a playful tone.
Amira was pleasantly surprised by his openness. “I’m sure your father is very proud of you.”
“I can assure you he’s not. But it doesn’t stop me from enjoying myself. What about you, princess, are you enjoying yourself in Parae?”
Amira wondered if she should be honest. But Rhay was one of Karwyn’s advisors and she wouldn’t want to offend him—or for him to repeat anything to Karwyn.
“It’s all brand new, so…” she started.
“So you’re completely bored,” Rhay said with an excitement she hadn’t expected. “I can understand that. I love Karwyn, but he can be very cold to most people. Plus, he absolutely doesn’t know how to treat a lady. To be frank, life in the palace is very much focused on politics.”
Amira stopped him. “Speaking of, shouldn’t you be with Karwyn in the council room?”
Rhay looked surprised by her question and he lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow as he replied, “Why would I be with him?”
“Aren’t you one of his advisors?”
