"What a suspicious answer." Leaning forward, I tried to get a better look at him.
He displayed both arms, covered in elegant black gloves and silver armor. "That rumor circles Forlaith often. What else?"
"This isn't telling me about yourself, you know. This is hoping to hear they've been singing your praises."
"How many lovers have I had? At least tell me that."
"Hm." I swirled my cup, staring up at the dim ceiling. "The widowed Solheart empress. The Queen of Aenir and the Sultana of Terishal."
"I get around." He grinned. "What about the Queen of Lavaire?"
"Oh, that one's so common it's gotten boring." I swirled my spoon in the stew. "At least now I know what'snottrue."
"Heh." He averted his eyes. "There's really nothing to know. I'm more boring than they make it sound."
Liam lied a lot. Not to me—mostly to Father. I'd learn to pick up the cues: averted eyes, twitching lips, fidgeting hands.
This Paragon lied a lot, too.
Reese sat forward. "Killian was from Tirnanog."
"You're deflecting," I pointed out. "But I'm interested, so I'll allow it."
"His father was stationed in Bunderry when Killian was still young. He doesn't remember it much more than you do, I imagine."
"What did he think? About what happened?"
"Same as everyone else. Horror." Reese sat back. "Regret, at not having returned."
"Why didn't he ever try?" I pressed. "To go back?"
"There are laws forbidding it. From what I hear, the few who broke those laws ended up dead or missing." Reese's golden eyes landed on mine. "This isn't a very cheerful topic. Why don't you tell me about yourself?"
I had a rehearsed script for when this question came up at balls. It spoke of a determined and well-educated noblewoman, tailored to impress people.
The molten gaze of his eyes turned my bones into soup, but I employed my well-trained act. Smiling, I batted my eyelashes. "From the sounds of it, mystery is an alluring trait on a Paragon. If there's nothing to know about you, there's nothing to know about me."
"Oh, you're going to drive Ishii mad." Reese smiled.
"Why? Perhaps I'll be perfectly straightforward with him, if only to irritate you."
The Paragon responded to my tease with an honest sigh. "I'm sorry. Had things been different, I would have given you a proper welcome. Maybe nothing more will happen at the border, and we can start over." He paused, staring into the fire. "Once we've sent Killian off."
In the face of his earnestness, I found only silence. The king would have dispatched scouts to Galasvar by now. I wondered what they would find.
Killian deserved a proper burial. That of a hero. He didn't deserve to lie there with the rest of the dead.
I flinched. No one deserved it.
The stew bubbling before me didn't seem appetizing anymore.
"Were you two friends?" I asked quietly.
"Yes. I consider all of them good friends." He chuckled. "Well, maybe not Ishii. He’s old and icy." He studied my face. "Why don't you go draw a bath? I'll keep guard."
"Over my washroom?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You never know." He gestured toward the back door. "There's one in our room. First on your left."
