Prince Aureli and Boleslaw exchanged a glance which told me there was more going on than I knew. The prince eyed me as he dunked another chocolate biscuit. “How do you know all this?”
“He attended the Emperor last night,” Boleslaw said.
“What? Again?” He gave me an appraising look. “And you’re sure the two of you aren’t screwing yet?”
“Apparently, he was too tired to stay awake,” Boleslaw replied for me, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I didn’t think it would be a good idea, sleeping with the enemy,” I said stiffly.
Prince Aureli laughed. “There’s sleeping with the enemy, and seducing information from them. The latter is encouraged, the former forbidden.”
I fell silent as I realized which I’d clearly done last night. But Ihadalso obtained information from the Emperor. Did it matter whether I got some satisfaction out of the arrangement as well? Did I even know that last night was more than a one-time fling?
Wiktor arrived at that moment with my eggs, and I decided to take them in my chambers. I wanted a moment to myself to consider the morning’s events and think about my future.
I didn’t know why I hid my renewed romance with Astrid from Boleslaw and Aureli. After all, Aureli had already had at least three affairs which I knew about. I’d only had one.
Then again, all three of Aureli’s affairs had been with our allies. Mine had been with the enemy’s monarch.
Maybe I hid my romance from them because I didn’t know that itwasa new romance.
It was only as Wiktor helped me change into my new day’s outfit that I realized Boleslaw and Aureli had cleverly redirected me from questioning why the Emperor would choose to pause the war now.
STARGAZING
I WAS USELESSto Prince Aureli that day. Astrid had kept me up exceptionally late. By the time I’d satisfied her to the point where she’d fallen asleep, I had maybe three hours to rest. Not that I particularly minded – it was an incredible night – but it left me less than fighting fit. I wasn’t twenty anymore. I couldn’t spend all night having energetic sex, down an espresso and a shot of cheap whiskey, then go ace two exams and win a battleball match.
The day was a blur. I can’t even remember what we did. Something on the ocean below the palace. We all flew down to the pier to load onto boats which sped out onto the water, but the rocking of the waves quickly lulled me to sleep. Someone shoved me into a corner where hopefully my snoring did not disturb anyone until a nervous hordling awakened me upon our return to shore. A quick cup of stim, a thorough going-over and change of wardrobe – compliments of Wiktor – and I felt nearly human by dinnertime.
After dinner, I didn’t know if Astrid still wished torendezvous. I wasn’t certain it was sensible to see her myself, but a decade-dormant chamber of my heart yearned for her, so I lingered in the public foyer should she decide she wanted me. I waited for an obnoxiously long time, nearly closing out the bar before giving up the ghost and going to bed. Doing my best to hide my dejection, I strolled aimlessly back to the Commonwealth chambers. It was probably for the best she hadn’t called me, after the brutal way she’d dispatched one of my erstwhile allies.
As I quietly padded my way through the common room, doing my best not to wake my fellow Royal diplomats, something knocked gently on the glass windowpane. I stopped, and it knocked again, quietly, but insistently. I took a step towards my bedchamber, intent on getting some shut-eye, but the knocking intensified, so I turned on my heel. I strode to the window, threw it open, and looked with shock upon the grinning wolfish face of an Imperial hordling dangling outside.
“Good evening, sir. Message for you.”
Nonplussed, I accepted the hordling’s proffered note. Curious, I leaned my head out the window. It was at least a hundred-foot drop to the moat below. Turning around, I saw the hordling was suspended from a cable attached to the roof above.
“How long have you been out here?” I asked.
“Hours, sir. I was told to wait until you returned. I had expected it to be somewhat sooner than this.”
I felt a pang of guilt for loitering in the drinking parlor for so long. “I was at the bar.”
“Yes, sir, we know. So was everyone else who wished to see if the Emperor would summon you again tonight.”
“Oh.” It made perfect sense when the hordling explained it to me.
“Sir, if you don’t mind, the Emperor is waiting for your reply.”
“Oh, right.” Quickly, I flipped the paper over in my hand and broke the wax seal, unfolding the letter.
The note was simple.
Dearest Levar, I miss you. Meet me tonight in the North Alpine Clearing so we can look upon the stars as we did during our Academy days. Astrid.
I lowered the letter. “I don’t know where the North Alpine Clearing is.”
“Don’t worry, sir. I do.”
