Pelun had picked the darkest, most remote corner of the room, by the closed window. Tor had the feeling that had the curtains been open, he would have been staring moodily out.
Bavil had seated himself at a small grouping of chairs that were facing the piano.
“Are you banished here every night while the men drink?” Tor asked curiously.
A bemused smile tipped up the corner of her lips. “Banished? Hardly. I don’t need to be present when my family is drinking, I assure you.” She cast him a faintly sly look. “And we are on company manners.”
Tor laughed. “I apologize.”
“Flip,” she said, and after a moment, he recalled his task and turned the page.
Her fingers continued to flow across the keys as though they had a mind of their own. They were long and slender and possessed a dexterity and skill that Tor couldn’t imagine.
“Everyone is trying to figure out why you’re here,” she said conversationally. “I have the feeling it’s going to be highly entertaining.”
“Can’t a prince just want to visit every realm, especially if it’s been a while?” Tor asked flippantly.
“Certainly, you may,” she answered easily. “But you might have difficulty convincing everyone that it’s your altogether innocent whim.”
He made a face, waggling his eyebrows. “Oh, am I here for nefarious purposes, do you think?”
She laughed outright, a bright peal of sound that had everyone looking at them. The King looked pleased, Bavil looked curious, and Pelun was… glowering. No surprise there.
“That certainly sounds like it would be the most interesting option for us,” she told him, still smiling.
He quirked an eyebrow. “I’m not sure you know what ‘nefarious’ means.”
“Not boring,” she said promptly.
He laughed and conceded, “I grant you. I’ll endeavor to be neither boring nor nefarious, shall I?”
“That would be an acceptable compromise,” she agreed magnanimously.
He couldn’t help but grin at her again, charmed by her spirit.
If Larexa was the one that he was supposed to be courting, he wouldn’t have the slightest concern about his success. He could definitely attest to the fact that spending time in his bed wasn’t boring—or nefarious.
But she was still younger than he liked. Just because they got along in the moment didn’t mean they’d be well suited to being bonded until they died. He really did like her attitude, though.
“I’d like to speak to your brother for a couple of minutes. Does this particular song come to an end?”
She chuckled again. “It certainly could. I’ll ask for a tea tray to be brought in, and that will explain why you need to venture forth and speak to someone else. Ready?”
Entertained, Tor agreed, “Ready.”
“And we’ll be done in three… two… one!”
She brought the song to a close with a flourish, and Tor wondered if it had actually borne any resemblance to the music that had been on the pages he’d turned for her.
He bowed and thanked her as she rose gracefully to her feet.
“I’ll summon the tea tray,” she told him. “You’ll want something to end the evening.”
“That would be much appreciated, Princess,” he confirmed.
She made her way to the servant waiting discreetly at the door, and Tor strolled over to Prince Pelun, who could scarcely have looked more surprised to have Tor approach him.
“Is this seat taken?”
