Alizeh surprised them both by dropping into an elegant curtsy. “Good evening, sir,” she said.
“Yes—yes, good evening.” Awkwardly, Hazan bowed. To the prince, he said quietly, “Sire, the king awaits.”
“You may tell the king that I’ll b—”
“Alizeh!”
Kamran went immobile at the sound of the unexpected voice.
Of all people, Omid Shekarzadeh moved fast toward them now, ignoring both the prince and his minister in his pursuit of Alizeh, who beamed at the boy.
“Omid,” she called back, rushing forward to meet him.
And then, to Kamran’s utter astonishment, she drew the child into her arms. Shehuggedthe street urchin who’d nearly murdered her.
Kamran and Hazan exchanged glances.
When the unlikely pair drew apart, Omid’s face had gone bright red. In Feshtoon, the boy said nervously, “I wasn’t even sure it was you at first, miss, because I’ve never seen you without your mask, but I’ve been searching for you all night, and I asked near everyone I could find if they seen a girl in a snoda—in case you were still wearing yours—but they only kept pointing at the servants, and I said no, no, she’s a guest at theball, and everyone laughed at me like I was crazy except one lady, of course, one lady, I forget her name, Miss something, she told me she knew just who I was talking about, and that you were here wearing a purple dress, and that you weren’t a snoda, but a queen, and I laughed so hard, miss, I said—”
“I beg your pardon?” Hazan interjected. “Who is thisperson? Why would she say such things to you? How does she know anyth—”
“While we’re asking questions, how on earth do you know this young woman’s name?” Kamran interjected. “How are the two of you even on speaking terms?”
“Begging your pardon, Your Highness,” Omid said, “but I could ask you the same question.”
“You little blighter—”
“Actually, Omid is the reason I’m here tonight,” Alizeh interjected quietly, and Kamran went taut with surprise.
Always, she astonished him.
He watched as she smiled fondly at the child. “He invited me to the ball as an apology for trying to kill me.”
Impossibly, Omid went even redder. “Oh, but I was never gonna kill you, miss.”
“You used your credit with the crown to invite a girl to a ball?” Kamran stared at the boy, agog. “You conniving rascal. Do you imagine yourself to be some kind of young libertine?”
Omid scowled. “I was only trying to make amends, sire. I didn’t mean nothing inappropriate by it.”
“But who was the woman?” Hazan demanded. “The one who told you that”—nervously, he glanced at Alizeh—“that this young lady was a queen?”
Kamran shot his minster a warning look. “Surely it was a lark, Minister. A silly jest to startle the child.”
“Oh, no, sire.” Omid shook his head emphatically. “She weren’t joking. She seemed pretty serious, and scared,actually. She said she was hiding from someone, from a man who’d done some awful magic on her, and that if I found Alizeh I should tell her to run away.” He frowned. “The lady was mighty strange.”
A shock of fear moved through the prince then, apprehension he could no longer push aside. A man who’d done magic? Surely there could be little doubt as to the identity of the culprit?
All of Setar’s Diviners were dead.
None but King Cyrus was suspected of using magic this night. What other havoc might the monstrous king have wrought?
The prince locked eyes with Hazan, who looked similarly panicked.
“Omid,” Alizeh said quietly. “Will you show me where this lady was hiding?”
“Your Highness,” Hazan said abruptly, turning his eyes to the floor once more. “You must go. Go now. With all possible haste you must lea—”
“Yes, very well,” Kamran said coldly. “You need not have a fit, Minister. If you would please excuse me—”
