Before she could answer, a wave of weddingguests surged, sweeping them toward the dining hall and the feastwaiting there.
Munir and Halah took their seat in the centerof the long table, their parents on either side of them, and Sahartook her seat among Halah’s brothers and sisters, that thin,ghostly voice in her head whispering that Ommar should bethere.
He was, she told herself.He was there inspirit, and she owed it to him, Halah, Munir, and their entirefamily to celebrate that spirit.
She ate and drank, smiled and laughed, andraised her never-empty goblet to too many toasts to count.Afterthe formal supper, when the last of the toasts were made, theguests milled around, sitting and talking at different tables.Shemade the rounds of all her relatives while keeping an eye onAleksi.
She told herself it was habit, even thoughshe knew better, and realized as she watched him that he’d mademore friends in the two moons he had been here than she had in oneand twenty years.Oh, she had friends, but they were all family orfamily related, people she had grown up with.She envied him theease with which he made friends, an ease she never possessed.Heseemed to get along with everyone at the wedding except for hishalf-sister who sat alone at a table with her prince, glaring ather brother.
Aleksi had ushered his father over to thetable where Serge and Pyotr sat with Saqr and Feroz when Ursulasashayed up with a full pitcher of beer, smiling and chatteringaway as she poured.When her pitcher was empty, Aleksi stood andhugged her and kissed her on the cheek, and as the serving wenchwalked away, every man’s eyes were on her full, swinging hips.Aleksi and Pyotr clasped each other’s forearms, and Pyotr slappedAleksi on the back as King Maksimillian beamed at his son.
Every drop of wine in Sahar’s belly soured tovinegar.
Aleksi woke to a loud pounding that echoed inhis aching head.
“Enter,” he bellowed, a mistake he instantlypaid for as the pounding in his head threatened to split it intwo.
Yacoub, the manservant tending to him,entered, carrying a tray of warm beer, fried eggs and flatbread,which he set down on the small stool by the bed.“I thought youmight be needing this,” he said.
Aleksi’s stomach grumbled.“Thank you,Yacoub.I do.”
He wolfed down the eggs and bread, and sippedthe yeasty beer as Yacoub poured water into the wash basin and seta fresh cleaning cloth on the side.
“The kings Asad and Maksimillian request yourpresence in the council chambers at noon,” he said.
Aleksi squinted at the shuttered window.“What time of day is it now?”
“Late morning,” Yacoub said.“Closer to noonthan dawn.”
Aleksi rubbed his stubbled face.He hadgotten drunk at the celebration last night, and stumbled back tohis chambers sometime after midnight.“I overslept,” he stated theobvious.
“The entire palace has overslept,” Yacoubsaid with a quick grin.“People are just now stirring.”He moved tothe hearth and started stacking wood.“I’ll get your fire going andleave you to your ministrations.”
“Thank you.”
His belly settled with food in it.Aleksitook his time washing up and dressing, donning a clean undertunicand breeches and an overtunic of leather lined with felt.Even withthe hearth fire going, the autumn chill had seeped into thepalace.
He wandered the mostly empty halls for awhile, killing time and trying not to worry about why he was beingcalled before his father and King Asad in the council chambers.
When he arrived, Brawn was standing guardoutside the door, his face giving nothing away.Aleksi nodded agreeting to the inscrutable captain and entered the chambers whereKing Asad and Queen Oona sat with Asim at one table, and his fatherand Anastasia sat at another.Sahar paced along the far wall, afelt vest over the tunic and skirt she’d been wearing the firsttime he saw her.
The door closed and Brawn threw the insidebolt and sat down at an empty table, indicating that Aleksi shouldsit with him.Sahar, eyeing the room, took a seat on the other sideof Brawn.
King Asad cleared his throat, and the alreadyquiet room went silent.
“King Maksimillian and I have called you allhere for several reasons,” he said.He glanced at Anastasia, whosat smiling smugly.“There have been accusations made, accusationswhich we intend to have answers to, and these answers will affectour decisions on some important matters.So, I—we—expect thetruth.”
Aleksi nodded, and out of the corner of hiseye, he saw Sahar do the same.
“Aleksandr, you agreed to a payment of onehundred gold pieces, win or lose, to protect my daughter, PrincessSahar, during the one-hundred-league race.”
“I did.”
“You accepted that payment upon your returnto this palace.”
“I did.”
“Where are those one hundred gold piecesnow?”
