“The kitchen staff prepares all the tea,” Dominic said, his brow furrowing. “But they serve everyone in the court. If the tea itself were compromised, more people would be affected.”
“Unless it’s targeted.” I paced again, thinking through possibilities. “Someone could be adding something to specific servings. Your morning tea, the breakfast service in the dining room.”
“But who would do that and why?”
The question hung between us, ominous despite the pleasant late-morning sunshine and the wilting tree overhead.
I reviewed what I knew about court politics, which admittedly wasn’t much. “Who benefits from you appearing foolish or from the festival potentially failing?”
“No one that I can think of. The festival’s success reflects well on the entire court. And making me look incompetent…” Irritation flickered across his features. “There are always those who question whether I’m fit torule. Who think I’m too young, too different from my mother.”
“We need to find proof,” I said. “If the tea is the source, we may be able to discover how it’s being tampered with and who’s behind it.”
“You’re really willing to help with this?”
“Of course I am. You’re my husband.” The word felt strange on my tongue, but not wrong. “And this is affecting more than just you now. Your mother, your lords and ladies, and potentially everyone who might come in contact with whatever this is. Assuming it’s something you’re ingesting.”
He reached for my hand, his fingers threading through mine with an easy familiarity that shouldn’t have felt natural after only one day of marriage.
“Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate that you’re not judging me about this.”
My defenses wanted to snap back into place, to protect myself from the vulnerability I’d carried for most of my life. But looking up at him and seeing the gratitude and growing respect in his eyes made me feel like opening myself to him, not hiding.
“We should head back,” I said, though I made no move to pull my hand from his. “We can test the tea theory.”
“You’re practical and methodical,” he said with a smile that carried warmth and a hint of question, as if he could be wondering if I saw him in more than a professional way. “I’m beginning to appreciate those qualities more than you know.”
I nodded, deflecting. “They serve the work well.”
We started back toward the manor house, walking slowly. Savory flew ahead, soaring up intothe trees and then back down, peering back to make sure we were still following.
The heart engages before the mind can build its walls,she said.
I’m not sure about that,I replied.
She just scoffed.
We stepped into the manor house.
“We need to know who prepares the tea,” I said. “But we’ll need to be discreet.”
“Agreed.”
“Or we could observe.” I paused in the hallway, an idea forming. “We could pick odd times to go to the kitchen and watch the them prepare the tea. See who touches what.”
“That’s smart.” He looked at me with admiration that spread warmth through my chest. “You’d make a great spy.”
“Strategy witch, remember? Observation and planning are what I do best.”
“Let’s start by asking a few careful questions and see if we can discover anything.”
We continued down the hall, aiming for the kitchens.
“Sasha,” he said, tugging on my hand, making me turn back. “Today you’ve given me hope that this might be solvable. And that maybe this marriage can be more than just political necessity.”
“Maybe it could.”
The seedling shows itself,Savory said.What grows from here will need careful tending.
