“Anything that doesn’t involve setting things on fire or running from your guards, Princess.”
“Well, damn, there go all my plans for the day.”
Simon snorted, and the first layer of his professionalism slipped away.
Maybe having these two around won’t be so bad.
Evelyn looked at the stake in the ground where King Gerard’s body had been. Blood stained the grass around it.
There was so much blood in the bedroom. I’m not going to think more about his eyes lying on the bed. We can all pretend that detail didn’t happen, especially with his wife asleep beside him.
Was the king already dead when he was impaled, or was he up there screaming for help? There weren’t any guards outside to hear him. Maybe he couldn’t scream because he was drowning in his own blood. Maybe?—
No. We’re not doing this right now.
Evelyn wandered over to the stables. She didn’t have strong feelings about horses, but animals were always better than people on a bad day. It ended up being perfect timing because Lord Nicolas arrived on horseback with several Vision Court soldiers.
“Lord Nicolas,” Evelyn greeted, pretending to be cheery.
He handed his horse to a stable boy and bowed to Evelyn. “I wish I were seeing you again under better circumstances, Princess. Are you headed somewhere, or can I escort you to the palace?”
“I was just getting some air. I’ll go with you.”
Nicolas offered his arm and Evelyn took it. The blood-soaked stake caught his eye. “Is that where…”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “They found him at dawn.”
“What about you? Are you okay?”
Evelyn hesitated. She didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to talk about it.
“Sorry for the stupid question,” Nicolas said, understanding her silence. “No one is okay today.”
He let go of Evelyn’s arm when they got to the front door, but she stayed by his side as they made their way into the ballroom.
Lord Nicolas bowed to Leo without saying anything, avoiding the decision of picking a title. Leo actually looked relieved and nodded in thanks.
“Where do you need me?” Lord Nicolas directed the question to General Savatier.
“Nowhere yet, but we can catch you up on what’s happened.”
“I’m going to skip the recap,” Evelyn said before going to the dining room.
A pastry does actually sound good.
The dining table was as long as it could possibly be and every inch of it was covered with dishes full of food. Soldiers and guards came through randomly and grabbed what they could carry before scurrying off again, like disorganized ants attacking a picnic.
Who knew the kitchen staff would be so essential in a crisis?
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Evelyn turned and found Leo behind her. She put two chocolate croissants on a plate, then clasped his hand and pulled him into the kitchen. It was so busy that no one even noticed them. The frantic energy and noise of cooking was the right kind of distraction. Leo and Evelyn sat together at the small table in the corner.
She handed him one of the croissants. “Eat this.”
“I’m not sure I can eat anything,” he protested.
“Eat it anyway.”
