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Best of all, the awful cousin and her equally awful fiancé hadn’t felt the need to spend any time with us—although the duke kept wildly gesturing in our direction as he spoke to people, which annoyed me enough that I almost asked someone to escort him out. I supposed Anise had gotten what she wanted and saw no further use in Cali’s company. Good riddance.

“You know what would be lovely?” said Cali. “A nap.”

I grinned. “I can walk you back to your room.”

“But it’s still such a lovely day. Let’s find a spot to sleep among the flowers.”

“Um … you might lie on some bees.” I put my hand on her back to guide her. “But I know of a few spots outside that are a bit more conducive to naps.”

“Sometimes, Beric,” she said, smirking, “you do have a way of making fun things sound so very unromantic.”

“Leaving so soon?” The duke came sauntering over to us, free of his fiancée to check him.

“What a stupid question,” I muttered, without thinking. He was clearly drunk, barely able to hold his glass steady, but he had very obviously seen us walking in the direction of the exit. Why didn’t society just allow people to say what they meant? If they did, I wouldn’t have to learn their strange, underhanded way of speaking, and we would all understand what was going on at any given moment.

But society wasn’t built for my way of thinking. So, I was wrong. I was rude. And I needed to keep pretending, for the sake of Cali, at the very least.

She was right. A nap would get my mind right, to function as I ought.

Cali grabbed my arm, rubbing it gently as she gave the duke a charming smile he didn’t deserve. “Yes, we do have a bit of work to attend to. But it was lovely to meet you—I just know you and my cousin are going to be very happy together.”

We barely took another step, and he was blocking our way again. My patience was thinning.

“I was wondering how a little girl such as you came to be selected as the knight of Deus Rex above far more seasoned choices—my sister being one.” His gaze flicked down Cali’s body, and I felt murderous. “It seems obvious, now.”

We had to leave before I dragged this man into the bushes and beat him to death.

But I controlled my aggression enough to simply move him out of the way as I escorted Cali toward the exit.

“How about that duel, now?” he said, far too loudly.

“This is hardly the place for that,” Cali said, with a laugh that seemed a bit nervous.

I glanced at the king to be sure he was well distracted—God, Cali’s cousin had him engaged in conversation. What was that wretched woman saying to him? I don’t know that I could wait an entire month to get rid of her.

“Albert,” I said quickly, gesturing to my friend. “Escort the duke—”

“What was it you promised?” laughed the duke. “To bury me?”

Too much wine had clearly made him brave. This was why I fought duels instead of just delivering threats—because threats weren’t real, weren’t dangerous, until you made them so. But I couldn’t very well kill a man in the middle of a garden party just to prove I was a man of my word.

“Are you going to fight me or not?” the duke said, now loud enough to draw attention.

“Beric,” Cali said, tugging my arm, “don’t escalate this. Don’t draw your sword. For my cousin’s sake.”

“For your sake,” I corrected.

She smiled at me with a small shrug. “It’s all the same, isn’t it?”

I supposed it was. Her cousin would be married in two weeks, and soon, away from us forever. Anything to interfere with that wasn’t worth it.

Still, the duke was doing nothing to help his case. He whipped out his sword, to the gasps of all around him. I sighed. Why were swords even allowed where alcohol was flowing? It was a recipe for stupidity.

I pushed Cali toward Albert, who ushered her farther away and out of danger.

“There’s no need for violence, Your Grace,” I said to him. “Put the weapon away.”

“‘Your Grace,’” he slurred. “As if you care about dignity and titles when you selected that little mouse of a girl over my sister. Now fight me, you coward!”