The approaching storm jolted me out of my sleep, not that it was exactly calm or peaceful or useful in any way. There is lightning behind the top of the mountains and my desire to try to go to sleep again has disappeared with the first drops of water on the glass. The clock on the bedside table only shows half past seven and he is already gone. We got back so late last night and he got up so early anyway. I don't understand how he does that. Maybe he doesn't need as many hours of sleep as I thought after all. Or he drinks a lot more coffee than he cares to admit.
He left no message as to where he's going or when he would be back. So when I dug myself out of bed and his pile of pillows a few minutes later, I had no idea what to wear or for how long I'd have to entertain myself. The heavy rain washed away my mood to do anything, so I put on one of his sweaters and went to the living room.
Steven mentioned that if I needed anything, I could just call his secretary, an older man who I found much nicer than Riley. But I don't feel like talking to anyone, and certainly not in Athran. I decided to check letters from home, one by one they obediently report that everything is fine and that the situation at the front has calmed down. I quickly answered several of them and moved on to the one that really interested me.
The letter from Stephan finally brought what I had been waiting for all this time. Confirmation that I was right all along and I wasn't wrong one bit. Which is actually the opposite of what I was hoping for. Stephan came up with the combination of numbers that open the portal and the final combination exactly matches the numbers from Edgar. Uncle, of course, has no idea that Edgar is so deep into it. But I do… at least I have the proof I wanted so badly. Yay…
After a few more minutes of staring blankly into the aquarium, I did the only sensible thing I could think of. I pulled out the red diary and started to unravel the family mystery, as I always try to do when I have some free time. Wrapped in a soft sweater, soaked in the scent of his cedar perfume, I carefully jotted down notes. I have already figured out that the first page contains the names of the family members, including mine with a few notes about us and serves partly as a guide to the rest of the text. The runes on the first page, as well as on the others, are not part of the message, but instead tell which words to drop. They always tell me how to deal with the next page, but the hint 'Seventh Crown of the Fifth Prince' is completely useless to me. There is no link to it on the page and I don't even understand what it means. It does not refer to any of the runes and leads to nothing. It's just another riddle of my grandfather's that I don't understand one bit. Why can't I have a less paranoid ancestor?
I closed the book with the red cover and sent it back to a safe place. It's almost eleven o'clock and Steven still hasn't returned. I'm sitting on the sofa and watching the colourful fish in the aquarium again. I like the two yellow ones with veiled fins, there's something special about them, they don't fit in with the others. They stay out of the way, but I don't feel like they're afraid of the others. I should name them, at least one of them. The one who always watches me. Can the fish recognize me? Can it remember me?
My thoughts return to Damien's message, not the one on paper, but the one about Jonathan. He's been avoiding me for so long that there must be a reason, and Damien already knows that reason. And even though their relationship has been strained for a centuries - for as long as I can remember - Damien wouldn't argue with him without reason. The fact that the two do not understand each other has much more superficial reasons than that they would actually do anything bad to each other. So what's his problem? And why does he have to disappear for a few days? Did he discover something he couldn't write in the report? But he can confide in Emmett, can't he. So why not me?
The door slowly opened and closed again with a soft click. Steven, unlike me, is groomed and ready for another day at the helm of the nation. He looks so handsome, in his suit and with his hair done for once. He unbuttoned his dark jacket, looked me over with a smile and sat down next to me. "My sweater again?"
"It's really comfortable, you know?" I said softly, resting my head on his thighs and letting him stroke my hair. He always plays with it anyway. He's like a kid, he can't help it. I'm not the only person with long hair, but I don't want to draw attention to it now. Bad weather makes me want to curl up to him and spend the day on a comfy couch or better yet in bed. Only with him.
"Did the rain wake you up?" he asked with concern.
"No, an empty bed." I lied, giggling and turning on my back. I want to see green eyes. It's funny to think that I've never really liked the color green, but every day now I long to look at the color of his eyes. It is so unique and mesmerizing and no doubt influenced by magic, just like my eyes.
"I had some work to do in the morning," he replied. He looks at me silently. I want to know what he's thinking about. But not like this. I had to stand up, stretch and sit back on his lap. I put my hands around his neck and kissed him. He is still silent, thinking about something. So concentrated on the matter.
"I was thinking," he began, I had to laugh. "What?" he asked immediately.
"Nothing, I know you were, you always look like that when you're thinking."
"Look like what?"
"Like a while ago." I laughed again. "You're frowning, but just a little. With a tiny wrinkle. It's perfectly adorable."
"Mhm… I'm sure." he took my hands and caressed me for a while. He stopped at the finger that should have had a ring on it, but doesn't. "You took it off."
"Yes," I nodded, wanting to hide the hand somewhere, but I let him continue playing with it. I know him well enough to know he's not angry. If he was angry, he would first take me off and then silently wait for an explanation. "I took it off when I wanted to talk to Jon. I thought we should tell him together. I wish we were both there. And then I didn't put it on when… I talked to Em." I admitted.
"I thought so, you'll have to tell Emmett, unless you've changed your mind," he said slowly.
"I didn't change my mind." I said in a firm voice. I looked directly into the green eyes. He's relieved, I see how they started to smile. "I haven't figured out how to tell him yet. But that doesn't change the fact that I love you. And actually can't wait to…" my words silenced his lips. Steven stood up with me in his arms, I expected him to take us to the bedroom, but he just stood me up.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small box with a silver wolf on the lid. "Put it on when you tell him. Until then, don't open it." he pressed the box into my hand and kissed me tenderly on the cheek. "Promise me."
"You have my word, Your Majesty." I answered obediently. With a smile, he threw his jacket back on the sofa and went to the bedroom. He must have learnt this throwing of clothes from someone. I followed him with the box in my hand, it seemed terribly heavy. Everything depends on that little box to some extent, I will have to open it as soon as possible, and to do that I will have to talk to Emmett.
Since I arrived, two racks of clothes have been staring at me in the bedroom, one his and one mine. His suit is exactly as dictated by tradition and etiquette, it is Athran, ornate and blue. My dress is long with high slits, red with lots of gold details. I don't understand why Steven insisted that both racks be here. All the while they reminded me why I'm here. I know that very well. I'm here for him and to officially show for the first time what I plan to do with him. I put the box on the black table next to the robe and left it there to its fate.
"So how was your day?" he asked, facing the closet.
"Well, let me see." besides watching the dark clouds outside the window, watching his fish in the aquarium and solving a mystery that doesn't make sense, I found out that his father is a traitor and as soon as the other Heirs figure it out, it will be a big problem. And I'm not sure I want to talk Stephan out of killing him on the spot. I should do it myself. Right now. I'm taking unnecessary risks. The safety of his country and his life. Safety of Zessia. And my family. In fact, I'm risking everything.
"Anie?"
"It would be quite productive if I knew what the Seventh Crown of the Fifth Prince was."
"The seventh crown of what?" he looked at me confused. It doesn't seem to make sense to him either, so I just shrugged. I'll have to sort that out. "You should start getting dressed. We'll make it to lunch and then the parade starts." he said as he put on the other pair of pants. I looked out the window, the rain has stopped, but black clouds are hanging over the mountains and I guess the city too.
"Aren't you afraid it's going to rain?" I sadly took off his sweater and put it on the bed. It is so pleasantly warm and soft. I don't want to give it up.
"It never rains during the parade," he said with a laugh. He buttoned up his black shirt and reached for a tie. I probably can't talk him out of wearing a dark shirt again. And I found out that he can tie a tie, but it takes him several minutes. I also found out why he never learned it faster. There's always a willing soul around to tie it up for him. Like his father, he didn't spend many nights alone. That doesn't give me much hope, but he's quite openly disdainful of Edgar's behaviour in this regard, since he's married. So maybe in others too?
"The last time one of the Steeles' said that, it rained for almost a month straight, in the South as well," I grumbled, pulling the fine tie through the loop and straightening it.
"And which one of us said that?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Your father, who else?" I frowned and quickly asked my own question before I could think about it again. "Steven, how well did Edgar know Mallette?"
"Not very well, as far as I know. He hardly showed up at court. He was trying to convince everyone around that you don't need monarchy to make sure magic doesn't destroy the world and the whole thing doesn't fall apart here, so they didn't have much in common to talk about. And when they did talk, it was always pretty short and one-way. Father didn't like him very much. No one at the court actually, come to think of it. I mean he tried to rob them of something, blackmailed them. Not very popular choices." he leaned against the wardrobe and watched over me so that I started to dress. "Why are you asking?"
"It just occurred to me, Samson disappeared and if Edgar knew Mallette, he might know something about his acquaintances." I explained, although that's not the reason why I'm asking, but it's not a lie either. I really want to pull up my pants, but I know I need a dress. Simple black with a fancy coat should do.
"Are you telling me your scouts can't find out who he's been hanging out with?" he asked with doubt in his voice. I reviewed the long sleeved dress, the beauty of it is that it's really tight and reveals almost everything through the fabric, which suits my slim figure I guess. All this clothing I have in Athran was pre-approved by Damien, and I'm pretty lucky it's not all white. That was my only request.
"I've had a list of names for a long time, but that doesn't mean it's complete." I bit my lip and asked a question that bothers me much more. "What about Teyber? You said he had a whole file on him."
"You want to know if he knows him?" he looked at the clouds outside the window with narrowed eyes. "An, what's going on? Why all the questions?"
"Just answer."
"Fine, I don't think he knows him any better than you or I do. He's a perfect lunatic, my guess is he was just trying to stop him." his honest answer only makes things worse. If it weren't for him, Edgar would already be on his way to interrogation. "So why do you ask?"
"Because," I hesitated. I can think of something quickly, but I promised I wouldn't hide anything from him. "I'm starting to question how loyal Edgar really is. He should take some time off." I looked in the closet again and replaced the original decorated coat with a simpler, somewhat thinner, but waterproof long coat. "I want him to take a break before my uncles start wondering what he's doing in Narral and we move on to the vote and remove him from power."
"I tell you it won't rain," he said as he returned to me with a huge necklace, its golden tendrils running across my chest like rays of sunlight. He put it on and assessed me with a look. I'm really lucky that he cares so much about how I look. Finally he nodded his head and smiled.
"And I'm telling you that I won't jump on this a second time." I took my coat and walked to the door. I want to get the lunch, the parade, and other unnecessary things over with, the sooner we both go back to bed the better.
"I'll just never understand how a country can buy an island like this." Baron Cormier stated as a roast meat with a sauce I can only describe as dark appeared on the table. Other words offered would be thick and strongly aromatic, but they don't quite come close and I don't want to explore it too much. Although it is a description that can be applied to Athran cuisine in general. The Baron's dark eyes lifted from the sauce to me.
"It's not so much about which country as it is about family. Sufficient capital is usually enough to buy anything." I said as I cut up what looked like a potato but could be pretty much anything, in Athran one could never be sure of what they're eating. Their cuisine has always scared me and always will. Their experiments with eggs are only the tip of the iceberg. And the best part is that everyone in the south agrees with me. "Which we have, so all we really had to do was sign the contract."
"But it wasn't just some piece of land, Lemford is an important metropolis, a centre for all mages, you can't just claim the island." he insisted. The rings cut into the skin of his clenched fist. I understand why it bothers him, a lot of mages see it the same way. Lemford falls under my crown and they have a problem with that, mainly because they have to follow my laws enforced by my army.
"Cormier, I'm warning you," Steven threatened, the blushing baron. I squeezed Steven's hand and continued. He doesn't have to interfere, I can silence one baron myself. "Actually, it's strange that we ended up buying it. Because the first thought was to just seize it. Like everything else we want. Naturally, Lemford cannot remain without rules and it is an incredibly good investment, it was already three hundred years ago and the income has only increased since then. Surprisingly, it was Stephan's idea, the independent Lemford was too risky according to the First Heir, similar to Mergo for example." besides, he doesn't recognize the word independent, I added to myself. "Any kind of magic was allowed there, as well as drawing and other activities that directly violated our laws. The laws that the administrators of the island at the time pledged to uphold, but… they didn't do very well." I put the cutlery down, I watched the baron's round face slowly turn red, I don't want to upset him too much, he doesn't look healthy enough to handle it, but it's fun to see him angry like this. "For the sake of that investment, we had to go there. Lemford had previously relied heavily on the fact that no one could get there except through their only port. So it wasn't that difficult to come up with a good strategy that would disprove that assumption.
We prepared everything, we even had new ships built to guard the island after we were done there, and only then did we realize that one of us had to get on the ship and actually sail there with the crew and soldiers on top. Naturally, we voted on which one of us it would be. And Jonathan lost. As always." I laughed at the memory. "He was furious, he says he's always the one going somewhere because of us, and it's not fair that now he has to go to Lemford, and in a way that belongs to ordinary people, not Heirs." Steven chuckled next to me.
"I remember we were in a small hall, Jonathan stood up, slowly walked around the semi-circle, walked over to the map and looked at Damien and I, frowned, didn't say anything and just left." I looked at Steven who's watching me carefully. "He got on the ship and sailed away with the others, we could only wait. The journey there by boat took a little over two days. There was no news, that he had already sailed, how it looks on the island, nothing. Damien had no new news either, which was worrying. He was supposed to sail to the island, get in with a smaller party using magic and secure the harbor. It was a simple and relatively bulletproof plan. Jon came back awfully soon, less than six days after he left, with a single ship, half the soldiers on board, and a completely serious face. He slowly stepped out and handed us the purchase agreement with a triumphant smile as he said 'Did you know the whole damn island is on sale?'" I finished the story and started laughing. I will never forget his smile, he was so proud of himself then. Steven joined me, as did several other members of his Council at the table. I'm not sure how much it means to them, but after all the struggles, it seemed like a primitively simple plan from my otherwise charismatic and resourceful father.
"I have a feeling that only Jonathan could make a deal like that," Steven summed up.
"That's exactly what Damien said when he came back." I laughed again. A moment later, the smile left me as I remembered Jim's message. I looked at the now clearly angry baron and added in a calm voice. "You say you don't understand how anyone can claim such an island, but the fact is that if we claimed it, no one would get there, much like Quasnaw or Eagaveli. So you should be glad that only our statues greet you at the port," I gave a cold smile as I added, "and of course our army."
"Lemford is a horrible place, full of dangerous people and illegal activities." Priestess Lortie interjected into our conversation. The most pious member of his Council and a walking book of instructions on how to behave. "I don't understand why those who lead us to the Light would spend their time there, why they would have any interest in that place. After all, there are so much more beautiful places, where the Light never darkens and people never stop believing. Andrawen, Nerkam, Linnois,"
"You obviously don't understand the whole point of our philosophy. Which is odd, gives your status. It is mainly places like Lemford that need our care. It offers us much more than the whole of Zessia. But of course you can calm yourself down by the fact that we are simply spreading our Light there, you have no idea how it looked before." I answered her in the same haughty tone. Her lecturing about the Light and everything around it really turns me on. I had to face the grey haired older woman and returned to my usual calm voice. "But it's not so much about magic as the nature of the people there, they needed to feel that their free-thinking way of life wouldn't change even with our arrival. It's not that hard to subjugate someone, but fear is useless. It wasn't until Damien built his casino that it got interesting. Without it, the island could not be controlled at all. And yet, you couldn't find a more dedicated group of people. They obey our laws entirely voluntarily, forcing them on newcomers instead of us. You can despise the place, say it is corrupt, but the casino fulfills its function better than any temple. All your reverence and respect for us here is still somewhat enforced. You wouldn't dare take action against the Heirs, certainly not openly, but you still follow your own motives. You are a member of the Athran Council, you convey your own thoughts to the people around you, you try to get the whole country to conclusions that benefit you above all. The people of Lemford do not, they are only interested in the Light and living in harmony with it."
"With all due respect, ma'am, my motives are completely aligned with the teachings of the Light. My motives are aligned with all that benefits our country as well as the Heirs." an unpleasant feeling told me clearly that she herself does not believe it. Maybe she's trying to convince herself, but she's not doing very well. She lies so blatantly. "The light is the way we must walk,"
"That's enough," I stopped her before she could finish the first of the crazy rants. "however you interpret the words in that book, you don't have to convince me of their meaning. I'm sure the Second Heir would share that enthusiasm with you, but I don't." I finally said goodbye to the idea of giving the strange sauce a chance. "You should at least give Lemford a chance. It's easy to interpret our rules your way when you never leave the world they operate in. Speaking of which, Lemford fits our style a lot better than the entire North."
Lortie shook her head in disapproval. "It's an impressive building, that casino." Jaubert grinned, thanks to all the contracts he made with Jon and Damien, he spends a lot of time on the island, he has his own suite there, and there are always a number of exclusive experiences waiting for him. "The whole island is breathtaking, thanks to the Immortals, of course it can be dangerous like any place, but some people just have to stick to the beaten path and not spoil the fun for others."
"Lemford is an ideal place for pleasures of body and mind, right Lucien?" I smiled, Jaubert winked at me across the table. I've only heard half of what he does there and that's plenty for me. Last time, Damien told me how they had to clean his entire suite after several long nights, during which half of the important people of Athran and not only the fairer sex had taken turns.
"I would expect someone like you to stay away from a place like this," commented my least favorite member of the Council, Lady Pelletier. "As His Majesty does." she added with a hint of admiration for her ruler.
"I don't know how you got the idea I'm staying away from that place, Jossy." he smiled at her with a warm smile. "On the way to the island, the statue of our Heiress welcomes you in the foreground of the others, the perfectly level streets are lined with trees that you won't find anywhere else. People are much more relaxed and happy there. Friendly and hospitable. No matter which temple you enter, you will be surrounded by Light like nowhere else. Plus… it's a fascinating place, especially for mages."
"Fascinating?" I silently wondered at his answer. "Is that how you would describe what you did on Lemford?" I laughed just as quietly. Steven also spent quite a few nights at Lemford, and when Damien wanted to tell me about it, I had to stop him myself. If there's anything I don't want to hear, it's what he did before we met, especially at Lemford.
"Do you have a better idea how to enjoy the time there?" he asked provocatively.
I indicated with my finger for him to lean towards me. I waited until he was close enough to whisper. "Quite a few. Did you know that part of the Silk Gardens is closed to the public? That club is so much more fun now. You can lie down on a carpet of the finest grass and let its blades caress every part of your body, naked if you prefer. Watch the blue skies as magic flows through your body. And to top it off, we got a supply of premium Laettis, they are a bit bitter but perfect with sweet drinks. And I have an open invitation." Steven chuckled softly, I hadn't been to Lemford in a long time anyway and it would be fun to visit with him.
"I still think Lemford should be independent, free." Cormier didn't give up. Steven immediately frowned, his expression changed, his jaw clenched. He considers whether or not to regulate the baron. I spoke faster than he decided.
"There are a large number of mages and others such as merchants or the Nobles who think they have some claim to the island, who would certainly agree with you, and some of them might not just stick to their words. You can of course try your chances of taking back the island," I said again, completely calm, there is never a shortage of coup attempts, on Lemford or here. I turned to Steven and smiled in a way that could only belong to him. "but the truth is, there's only one family that's ever been able to rob us of a piece of territory."
"And not a small part," Steven pointed out. I laughed again, he's absolutely right. It's a big and important part, but on the other hand, we couldn't have put it in better hands. At least that's what I thought until this morning.
A figure flashed by the door leading to the hall in which we are sitting. The tall, slim girl wouldn't have drawn any attention to herself in the dark dress if it weren't for her bright orange hair. I smiled slightly at her and got up from the table. I quickly walked past the other members of his Council and disappeared before their gazes could burn me to ashes. I can understand why they aren't doubly excited about my presence and why they don't like all the attention their new king is giving me. But I would also much rather be far away from them, just with him, alone and ideally in the warm South.
"They're giving you a hard time, aren't they?" the redhead started as soon as she caught sight of me. "You know, if Cormier provokes you too much, ask him about his wife. She had just found out that he had a lover in Dithune who was about to give birth. That will surely shut him up." she laughed a ringing laugh as she dragged me out of the castle.
"Don't be cruel Will," I admonished her. "I don't want to get involved in court gossip. I never did." the cold air outside immediately reminded me of the coat I had left inside. Luckily it hasn't started raining or worse snowing. "So what's up?"
"I think I'm going to need your help. I was with Edgar, he carries this grey diary with him," she showed with her hands the dimensions of a small book a little bigger than the palm of her hand, she speaks quietly and quickly. "but I don't know how to get to it, much less how to look inside. He's really guarding it, so everything important will be there."
"He always has it with him?" I asked.
"Yeah, in the left breast pocket. And when he takes off his jacket, he puts it into the nightstand." Will reported obediently. If he hides it, the table will be protected somehow and she won't be able to get to it. So I'm going to need that jacket.
"Forget Edgar, focus on the other tasks, I'll take care of it." I pulled out a pack of cigarettes and rotated it in my hand. My initials, A. P. H., shimmering in gold against the black leather. Edgar is overly organized and likes to write everything down. He was always like that, but he never carried a notebook with him. I need to know what's inside that notebook. I tapped my fingers on the box and hid it again. "Did you find the woman?"
"No, who is that?" Will asked curiously, her blue eyes twinkling.
"A walking corpse, literally." I smirked. "Do you know anything about the poison I wrote you about this morning?"
"Not yet, but it sounds exotic, maybe something from the East." Will shook her head, her orange strands falling in her face. I nodded, turned and walked back to Steven. As exotic as it looks, I'm not going to let some stupid poison endanger his life.
He helped me put on my coat, checked me one last time, and started towards the group of people gathered at the gate. He always makes sure everything is to his liking, even my clothes. And I'm the domineering one here... I followed him to the high walls, they seem much more ominous than mine around the Palace. Although they are several meters lower, maybe it is the stones. They are much darker. I ignored everyone Steven started talking to, only interested in the tall blond guy and the slightly smaller, more muscular man with the beard. "Both of you watch Steven, all the time, alright?" I don't feel good at all about the fact that we are supposed to go outside the walls and walk around the city. Whenever it's official, something is bound to happen. Too many people know about it.
"The commander gave us different instructions," the bearded one protested.
"I don't care what instructions Ethan gave you, Miles." I frowned, unable to shake the feeling that something was up. "Once we're at the temple, I need to leave and I don't want the guards to draw all the attention." I said forcefully. Both Junior and Miles nodded and saluted.
I enjoyed our previous walk through the city much more. Before, there was no such gathering, no noise, and no cold. But maybe I'm cold because this time he's not walking next to me, but a few steps ahead of me, and the thin coat I've chosen isn't exactly a smart choice for the cold weather in the North. Steven greets the assembled crowds and waves enthusiastically, stopping from time to time to chat with the locals.
I find the whole thing ridiculous, my family, though Immortal, stay behind the Palace walls for good reason. Edgar got the impression that as a ruler he should regularly show himself among the people. And so he put his perfectly mortal son in a situation where he walks through the winding streets of the old town in the white of the moon, where people, houses, all the stupid decorations and blue-gray flags block my view. His every move makes me nervous, anything can happen here.
Before we left the castle, I stuck a dagger in my sleeve. Why? I can't explain. I can feel the cool blade on my skin and I'm ready to use it anytime. I'm just as ready to send Steven back home in a second. I'm constantly watching the people in the crowd, wondering what the chances are that any of them will try anything. Realistically, there's a better chance that someone would want to kill me, but I still can't shake the feeling that he's in danger.
"It's a pretty parade," remarked Lady Pelletier, joining me. "Don't you think so, Your Majesty?"
"Sure, if you don't mind the noise and the cold. And endless crowds of people, enthusiastically welcoming their ruler with daggers neatly hidden at their waists." I answered measuredly. What kind of stupid question is that? The only thing I haven't been able to complain about so far is that the others have left me alone and she has to spoil this too. How convenient for her.
"You must find it strange, you don't have marches like that in Zessia." yes, after five hundred years this seems strange to me. A walk through the city is an unprecedented feat for me. "Most of them don't involve royalty, do they? Even though you wouldn't be in any danger."
"We're not in the habit of walking around in plain sight." or chatting with others and pretending that any of us are interested in this shit. "But no, we also have annual parades that each of the Heirs must attend, we just don't hold them every year. It's annoyingly often. And it could also prove unprofitable given the cost of just one of them."
"I'd say we didn't get off to a happy start, I was hoping we could fix that."
I was irritated by Josselli's polite suggestion. I carefully examined the naive face, wrapped in layers of yellow fabric, it must be her favourite colour. Her family has light blue in their coat of arms, but she obviously avoids that color. I can imagine why, her father made things quite complicated for everyone and his obtuse insistence on belonging to the Nobles only threatens her further. Perhaps she is the most endangered person in this procession. And I personally think she's still hoping for a much darker shade of blue on her coat of arms. "Why would we do such a thing?"
"Because we both care deeply about the same man," she answered quickly. Deeply? My gaze rested on Steven's back, he is completely relaxed around people. He must be enjoying it. I'm still not sure how serious it was between them and it seems pointless to ask him. If he thought it was important, he would mention it. So it's serious for her, exclusively.
"Deep?" I have to laugh honestly. Our affection for the same man cannot be compared. I love him simply for who he is. The longer I know him, the more he convinces me that there is simply no one like him. She acts like a naive goose who fell in love with the idea of the future king and takes him as such. She runs after him, hoping that the boy who has long been gone will return to her.
"I think that's why we could be good friends," she suggested with a smile.
"I really doubt it. Your intentions with the same man are diametrically different from mine. The whole nation stands behind me, all the believers, not to mention the other Heirs, I don't need to hide behind his name. He values your opinion and your advice, and I sincerely hope that his trust in you is justified. Still," I paused. There are too many people around us for me to speak openly and tell her what I really think. She's just using him and he knows it very well. He does the same with her and thinks it will work forever. "you are the last person I would turn to for help. And the first one I would suspect if something happened to him."
After an hour of walking around, I'm starting to have enough. Dithune is much larger than it appears from the height of the tower, and we keep turning off the main road to stop at some monument or landmark. And worst of all, Steven really enjoys the whole walk, smiling and talking to just about everyone.
"She's quite an interesting person," I fell into another trap. "this Lady Pelletier, don't you think?"
"No, I wouldn't say."
"There must be something about her the king can't part with. He resembles of his father." the hint couldn't be clearer. Steven better get rid of this guy or I can do him a little favour and save him some time. I have a dagger after all. "Well, she wouldn't have gotten this far otherwise."
"How far?" I angrily tore my gaze away from Steven's back and focused on the lord next to me. The carefully combed hair just suits his elongated face and straight coat. "You got into the Council, too. It can't be that hard. Although, how could you know," his blue eyes measure me angrily, already thinking how he could get it back. "when Edgar installed you as an obedient monkey who raises his hand when he waves a banana."
"Well sure, he installed me to replace your friend on his Council."
"You think Theódore is my friend?" I was honestly amused by his assumption. My relationship with Theódore is much easier, he has the power and the money and we don't give a damn as long as he lives up to everything he should. Friendship does not play a role in this. "I'm honestly beginning to hope that your new king succeeds his father."
"I guess we'll find out soon enough."
"Du Champ? Everything alright?"
"Sure, Your Majesty."
I was surprised that Steven found time for me among all those people. "Haven't you changed your mind? Aren't you going in?" he asked when the lord left, I didn't realise we are already at the temple. That name does not describe the majestic cathedral with small and large statues, ornaments and golden accessories at all, but somehow it was experienced in my language. I can't remember what they call that huge house of bright white stones with coloured stained glass windows in Athran. It has its own expression, but what was it? I should practice that language.
"I'd rather wait outside." I replied hastily. I pulled my coat closer to my body, the wind picked up again. Of course the weather must be nasty, Edgar couldn't save his conquests for the summer either. People would be just as displeased, maybe even more, if I factor in the heat. I watched as Steven was joined by his father and they both walked through the arched entrance to the cathedral. I didn't notice until now that he was part of the procession. When he showed up here, he definitely didn't leave the castle with us. Miles and Junior dutifully followed them inside, I turned and headed for one of the side alleys.
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