A Pastry apprentice with a crush on Zola had introduced me to a maid assigned to Lady Brenna’s rooms. I wasn’t entirely certain of the maid’s loyalty, but I paid her to inform me of Brenna’s comings and goings, and any overheard snippets about meetings or conversations. Nothing useful yet, but Brenna could still slip up.
Naruum’s family. He hadn’t mentioned them, and I hadn’t supplied any information, waiting to see if he’d ask. But he seemed too afraid to know if they’d been punished for his actions, or if they’d rejected him to save themselves from royal fury.
His sister, who loved him the most, still wanted to see him, even though their parents had disowned him. But if anyone could bend the rules, it was the Queen – and me.
Chapter Thirteen
Lia
I held up my glass. ‘To success!’
‘To further success,’ Matthias retorted.
Miss Bayonn smiled and clinked her glass with ours.
The whiskey burned pleasantly.
‘If you keep this up, Your Majesty,’ Matthias said, ‘the Master of Coin might offer to bed you in a fit of joy.’
The whiskey tore through my throat as I choked.
I scowled at Matthias, trying to suck in air without coughing. ‘He’s more likely to sleep with you!’
‘Not my type, Your Majesty, thank you,’ Matthias said.
I changed the subject to safer ground than bedrooms, too conscious of the morning sunlight against Miss Bayonn’s skin. ‘Have your family’s merchant partners cancelled your contracts, as you feared, Miss Bayonn?’
‘No, Your Majesty,’ she admitted. ‘But it’s only been twelve hours.’
I kept smiling. ‘Unscrupulous nobles will be fretting today.’
I’d almost sent a servant to find her last night, after the vote had gone through. Matthias had reminded me she was visiting Lord Naruum and probably wouldn’t want to deal with us afterwards. So I’d left her alone, but sent a summons this morning.
Matthias drained his glass and grimaced. ‘It’s too early for whiskey.’
‘It’s my first legislative victory,’ I said. ‘We’ll drink if I want to.’
‘How royally authoritative of you, Your Majesty,’ Matthias said. ‘Now you’ve actually accomplished something, the nobles will be clambering to offer their support. I need to rearrange your schedule.’
‘You may leave, Matthias.’ I pointed to the folders on her lap. ‘Miss Bayonn and I must discuss Lord Naruum.’
Matthias paused, then bowed and wished us a good morning.
After he shut the doors, I asked, ‘How did Naruum seem last night?’
If I focused on him, then I wouldn’t notice her mouth when she smiled.
I could not look at her mouth.
I’d spent years avoiding the Court’s romantic games, too conscious of the power my favour held. While everyone else had flirted, and kissed, and fondled in the shadows, I’d nursed Matthias through his heartbreaks. But when a girl smiled at me, her gaze lingering a moment too long...
And now Miss Bayonn had rushed headlong into my path. And somehow, over the last few weeks, my mind and body had inexplicably decided: Yes, you. There’s something about you that makes it difficult for me to concentrate on ruling a country. A lady who enjoyed balancing accounts and daydreamed about ruining everyone she hated.
If Father could see me now, he’d disinherit me on the spot.
‘Naruum is nervous and resigned to his fate,’ she said. ‘When I mentioned Lady Brenna, he claimed they hadn’t spoken in years, but his reaction hinted otherwise.’
I tilted my hand so the whiskey slapped against the glass. ‘If Brenna’s behind this, it’s reasonable to assume she’s carrying out Vigrante’s orders.’
‘He wouldn’t approve of anything so sloppy.’
‘He probably didn’t intend on sloppiness.’
I rubbed the groove between my eyes. ‘Vigrante can’t be allowed get away with this. If he’s not behind it, we can’t let him think no one will be punished for attempting to kill me.’
Miss Bayonn nodded. ‘Lord Naruum doesn’t know his family has disowned him.’
‘You believe him so easily swayed?’
‘You didn’t see his panic. If he’s working with Lady Brenna, he believes wholeheartedly in whatever she convinced him.’
‘You have an idea?’
‘Lord Naruum is close to his sister. If I let her see him…’
‘And knowing Brenna has abandoned him–’
‘He’ll have no one to turn to, except me,’ Miss Bayonn finished.
‘Clever,’ I said.
To many, especially those who didn’t spend time at Court, this would seem heartless. But the Court devoured itself with gossip, speculation, and backstabbing – only to be expected when many nobles stayed in Arkaala and employed others to run their estates. Manipulating and destroying others was always appealing when one didn’t have anything else to do.
Lord Naruum had to confess.
I handed her a sheet of thick, smooth paper. ‘And to add to your problems.’
Miss Bayonn frowned, brushing a finger across the signature and wax seal. ‘Your Farezi cousin certainly condescends to you.’
‘Rassa’s unbearable.’ My great-granduncle had married into Farezi after Great-Grandfather had become King. This also meant that Rassa, the Farezi prince and a general pain in the neck, was also my heir until I had a child. ‘If you’ve anything else to report, please tell me it’s better news.’
‘Not really,’ she admitted. ‘The west is getting too much rain, but it’s not going south. An improved harvest is unlikely. We need to buy more grain from Farezi.’
I sighed. ‘Before they get wind of this and we have to negotiate against their grain’s sudden, astonishing price hike. Has bad is the flooding?’
‘It’s affected the usual estates,’ Miss Bayonn said, ‘but the rivers have coped so far.’
‘Put it out that we’re monitoring the situation.’ If the worst happened, and the west was hit by chronic flooding, I’d have to pull the money from somewhere – upsetting someone – and the south would immediately demand help with their drought.
I drummed my fingers. ‘We could offer a financial incentive for the western nobles to collect rain water and send it south. Or the southern nobles could compensate with trade… I’ll speak to Coin. I insist things will be different to Uncle’s reign, and yet still ask him to pull money from thin air.’
‘Everything costs, Your Majesty. Even good deeds,’ Miss Bayonn said. ‘I have nothing further to report. If that’s all…?’
‘Of course.’ I made to stand, then blurted, ‘The ladies are kind to you and your sister, yes?’ I didn’t expect the truth – one didn’t tattle, and the ladies would be clever enough to make their snobbery difficult to prove. But though the official meeting was over, I didn’t want her to leave.
Miss Bayonn paused her paper shuffling and slowly met my gaze. ‘They’re perfectly cordial, Your Majesty. Lady Astrii often enquires about my work in the Treasury.’
I brightened. ‘Lady Astrii is interesting. You should encourage that friendship.’ I regretted the words immediately. Astrii’s family were high Sixth Step and friendship overtures could only come from her.
Miss Bayonn smiled wryly. ‘And Lady Terize and I are friends, of course. She’s always pleased to see me. Sometimes it’s a relief. Sometimes not.’ She hesitated, then added, ‘I’m seeing one of my family’s merchants later this evening. I’ll gauge the mood on your new legislation.’
I smiled. ‘Has your mother promoted you?’
She scowled. ‘If I can do extra work for Coin and you, Mama feels there’s no reason I can’t do the same for her.’
My smile threatened to turn into a grin.
Something flickered across her face, too quick for me to catch. ‘I’m expected at the Treasury soon – with your permission?’
I took the hint and stood. ‘Thank you, Miss Bayonn.’
‘I’m at your s
ervice, Your Majesty.’ Her formal words only strengthened my embarrassment. After the door closed behind her, I dropped my face into my hands and groaned. This is what attraction turned me into?
Matthias would howl with laughter if I even hinted about this, no matter that I’d nursed him through his many heartbreaks. It would pass soon enough, especially when the suitors came. I’d grit my teeth and bear it.
Somehow.
Chapter Fourteen
Xania
After dinner, I hurried back to my rooms to prepare for my meeting with Lariux, one of my family’s merchant contacts. At one of the large intersections, I slowed in the crush of people feeding from several halls and a large staircase.
Lady Patrinne appeared beside me, her deceptively light grip iron-strong around my arm. ‘Walk with me, Miss Bayonn.’ She steered me through the crowd.
‘The hall furthest to the left,’ I said.
‘Rushing somewhere?’ she asked as we entered it. The crowd gradually thinned around us.
‘A merchant meeting in the city.’
Patrinne raised an eyebrow. ‘Worried about your family’s contracts? Your mother would hardly treat merchants unfairly, especially considering her previous career.’
We weren’t ashamed of Mama’s old banking career; it was how she and Papa had met. My great-grandmother had come from Rijaan, promoted until she’d helped stabilise Edar’s banks in the aftermath of the Queen’s ancestor usurping the crown. Mama’s gift for numbers far surpassed mine, and her budgeting ability had saved us after Papa’s death. She’d kept up his merchant contracts for the income, though it mostly bulked up our dowries; as a Fifth Step lady and wife, it would be unseemly for her to return to banking.
‘I’m getting new contracts signed, if you must know,’ I said.
Her nails dug into my sleeve, forcing me to keep step with her. ‘I wish to apologise.’
‘Are you ill, Lady Patrinne?’
Her glittering smile could have cut glass. ‘Don’t try me, Miss Bayonn. Or I will abruptly recover from this bout of reconsideration.’
‘Reconsideration?’
‘I have been thinking.’
I swallowed the urge to retort: A dangerous pastime. ‘Oh?’
‘Perhaps I was too hasty when we last met,’ she said. ‘Information is power, after all, and we both need it.’
‘And…?’ There was also the matter of Terize now being one of the Queen’s ladies, despite Patrinne’s skepticism that I could make it happen.
‘There are conditions.’
Of course there were. Patrinne’s love for her children probably came with conditions. ‘Yes?’
‘In exchange for information I feel is pertinent to your employer’s interests, I want safety and advance notice if there are manoeuverings that could affect my family and me.’
‘Your talent for escaping a room before it goes up in flames is well-known.’
She laughed.
My brain flicked through conflicting thoughts, trying to decipher everything Patrinne wasn’t saying: We are not public allies, I will not help you if your ties to Whispers are discovered. ‘What else?’
‘Foreign royalty will soon descend upon us.’
I’d already waved goodbye to more of my precious time.
‘I want you to save Terize from herself.’
I ground to a halt, forcing Patrinne to stop with me. ‘So she can marry well?’
‘I’d be obliged if she managed it.’
I glared at her. ‘Terize doesn’t need my help.’
‘You’re Fifth Step,’ Patrinne said. ‘You have no idea of the headache involved in marrying off Sixth Step children.’
I did, actually. Matthias had quizzed me until I knew the family trees by heart. The convoluted bloodlines and marriages would make anyone’s head hurt.
‘Fine. If there’s a chance of a good match, I’ll help Terize.’ Unless Zola caught someone’s eye, in which case Terize would have to help herself.
Patrinne eyed me, as if guessing my thoughts, then nodded. ‘Very well.’ As we resumed walking, she added, ‘I’ve heard… interesting rumours about Lord Naruum’s current living arrangements.’
I sighed. ‘Enlighten me, Lady Patrinne. I know you’re desperate to rub my ignorance in my face.’
‘Tell your employer,’ she said, ‘that when he next speaks with Lord Naruum, perhaps he should ask why Lady Brenna broke off their engagement.’
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. We were outside by now, crunching in gravel that led to a tiered terrace garden. Patrinne released me and headed towards the terrace.
‘Wait!’
She turned, her head politely tilted to the side.
‘You warned me last time about playing my hand in public,’ I said. ‘But we were in the corridors for this entire conversation. Anyone could have heard us.’
She smiled, satisfied, like I’d proven myself. ‘Courtiers gossip and plot and scheme, Miss Bayonn. Even Her Majesty would worry if we stopped. If things were overheard, consider this: both of us were careful not to mention any words that would be the most damning of all.’ She sank into a mocking curtesy. ‘Perhaps there are things even I can teach you in your current situation.’
As she walked away, I wasn’t sure whether to admire her cunning, scream, or do both.
Arkaala had built itself on and around hills. The higher you went, the more room there was to build in peaceful quiet.
After the Second Empire’s fall, the merchant families had flourished, free of the trade stranglehold. The most successful families had slowly encroached upon a hill and bought homes as noble lines ended or floundered in financial difficulty.
Ten years ago, soon after Papa started negotiated trading contracts with him, Lariux finally moved his family further up a hill.
We sat in Lariux’s office on a mezzanine overlooking his training pen. Two apprentices sat at their desks, pretending not to be curious about our conversation. I’d known Lariux for years. Papa had brought me along to his meetings, where
I’d quietly read with a glass of cordial. I’d somehow become an equal to Lariux, of sorts. As Whispers, I now had my own office. It was worlds away from sitting elbow-to-cheek in the Treasury pit. I didn’t want Coin’s position – too much stress – but trying to concentrate while surrounded by the yelling, swearing, and tears associated with Edar’s finances, I often wanted his office.
After Matthias and I had fought the assassin, and from my daydreams about avenging Papa, I’d expected drama and tension to always accompany the Whispers position. The situation with Naruum was tense, but being Whispers also involved a lot of paperwork.
Along with building new relationships with palace servants, I’d put out feelers for likely informants in the Steps. I’d also sent my first batch of letters to potential agents abroad. I’d written, and burnt, and rewritten them, worried that my words sounded too young and the foreign agents would refuse me.
I hadn’t realised so much of being Whispers involved sitting still, waiting for my webs to vibrate. But the webs wouldn’t vibrate unless I did something, so I kept a firm grip on my worry, sent the enquiries, and cajoled people into giving me information.
When I mentioned the waiting, the Queen said, ‘And what happens if you die while chasing after information? My uncle never divulged the identity of his Whispers to me, and I’ll have none as your network crumbles. If you are caught, my secrets aren’t safe. The Master of Whispers has always kept the webs strong for others to run along. That will not change.’
But if I couldn’t run on the webs, how would I discover the truth about Papa’s murder?
‘Miss Bayonn?’
I wrenched my attention back to Lariux. ‘My apologies, Mr Bisset.’ I handed him papers. ‘These are the changes Mama proposes for some of the contracts. Nothing unusual, but she acknowledges things have… changed.’
Lariux took a swig of cider. ‘That’s one way of putting it.’
As we haggled, he didn�
�t treat me differently to Mama. He tested me, mostly for stubbornness and confidence, not lack of experience. I occasionally chanced beyond Mama’s suggestions, mostly to see how he’d react, and received the verbal equivalent of a gentle smack on the head.
When we were finished, Lariux leaned back in his chair and held up the cider jug. ‘Another?’
I smiled. ‘No, thank you. I should get back.’ By now, Lord Martain’s carriage driver should have scoffed a meal and gossiped with the staff. If I sweet-talked her, she might tell me something interesting. ‘How do people feel about the Queen’s new legislation?’
Lariux eyed me. ‘There was some immediate concern, of course. Most expected a hidden sting.’ He sighed. ‘I never intended to cut ties with your mother – why would I throw away good business? But the long-term benefits will be considerable.’
We jumped at a clanging bell from outside, followed by a shrill whistling. The city guard’s request for back-up, rarely heard on the hills. I bolted from my chair and hurried downstairs.
‘Miss Bayonn!’
I ignored him. Outside, people rushed past Lariux’s gate. Dread squeezed my throat and chest.
Lariux caught up with me and grabbed my arm. I whirled, barely stopping myself from lashing out.
He glared, panting. ‘Your mother would have my guts if something happened to you.’ I’d nicknamed him the Fox, after his thin face, red hair, and profit-inducing cunning, but he sometimes treated me more like a daughter than a business contact.
I glared back just as fiercely. ‘You’re not my parent, Mr Bisset. Let me go.’
His mouth thinned, but he released my arm and we rushed towards the crowd growing by a canal. The city guard was hauling something from the water.
Not something. Someone.
‘A body,’ a man muttered. The word hissed and rolled through the crowd: body body body.
People always ended up in the canals, and the river and the sea, despite royal and parliamentary disapproval; tainted water wasn’t good for anyone. But the Steps fought with poison, and merchants battled each other with trade and besmirched reputations. Dumping someone into a canal was too crass for them.
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