“No, not Kallias. It was the late king whom Lady Zervas fancied. They had a brief courtship before the king’s heart was stolen by the late queen. Zervas never got over him. She sees you in a position where she once was, and she envies you for that, I imagine.”
Now I look at the lady in a new light. Her voluminous hair is streaked with gray, but it doesn’t make her look old so much as dignified. She carries herself with an air of importance but doesn’t deign to look at anyone around her now that she’s done with me. Yes, she carries herself as if she fancies herself a queen.
“Tonight, she’s my favorite person,” Leandros continues. “I don’t know how else I could have persuaded you to let me sit beside you.”
I roll my eyes at him, just as some of the lights in the room turn off, dimming the makeshift stage.
The actors take their places, racing up the gaps between the rows of chairs to reach the center. And the performance begins.
* * *
THE PLAY IS SO dreadfully dull. By the end, the two lovers still weren’t able to reconcile their differences in order to be together. The entire performance was one long argument, really. There was no swordplay, no fisticuffs, nothing exciting at all.
The next outing I’ve agreed to attend is the debutante ball for the sixteen-year-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Demetrio, far-removed cousins to the king, but relations, nonetheless.
I send another note to Kallias, inviting him to join me, hoping this time it might be different considering he has a connection to the family, but his response is the same.
My dear friend Alessandra,
I do wish I could accompany you. I rather enjoyed the last time we danced. Alas, I am hard at work putting your plan for Pegai into action. With any luck, we’ll have the rebels put down before the month is out.
The council and I are also dealing with the latest attack by the masked bandit, this time far too close to the palace for my liking. We at least have a more accurate description of the man. Brown hood. Brown mask over his eyes.
That was, of course, sarcasm.
I’m afraid I will also have to skip dinner this evening. The council will be taking it in the meeting room tonight.
I sincerely hope you are enjoying your time among the nobility. I hear your friend Calligaris accompanied you to the play at the viscount’s. I’m glad to see you were able to find a replacement for me.
Yours,
Kallias
A replacement? Is that bitterness I detect in the strokes of his hand? Or perhaps a subtle warning?
I need to get rid of Myron and fast. In order to do that, I need to talk to Rhouben. Yet I also need to speak to Kallias in an attempt to strengthen our courtship. I weigh the two options, trying to decide which to do first. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen the king. I must locate him.
I grow no closer to achieving my goals when days go by without the two of us seeing each other. How is the king supposed to fall in love with me then?
No servant is above bribery, and I use any I can find throughout the palace to direct me to the meeting rooms used by the king and council.
My ultimate task is difficult. I have to have the appearance of courting the king, but I also have to appear to Kallias as though I only want to be friends. All while actually trying to get him to fall in love with me.
It’s such a fine line to walk.
I make it as far as a deserted hallway, unsure of where to go next, when a figure rounds a corner.
“Leandros!”
“Alessandra! Are you seeking me out, now? Was it our time together at the play? Have you finally seen reason and broken things off with Kallias?”
I mask the grin that wants to surface. “I’m actually looking for Kallias.”
Leandros looks around himself questioningly. “Around my quarters?”
I groan. “Is that where I am? I’m looking for the meeting rooms. A servant directed me this way.”
“These are the guest quarters. I assure you the king isn’t anywhere on this floor.”
“And I paid that last man a necos for directions. Clearly I’ve been led astray.”
“Or you took a wrong turn.”
“You dare suggest the blame lies with me?”
A twinkle appears in his eye. “You’re being courted by a king. I wouldn’t be surprised if your mind was elsewhere while you traveled the castle.”
I narrow my eyes. “I’m not the sort of lady to swoon at a title.”
“What sort of lady are you?” he asks, his voice taking on a playful tone.
“The kind who likes attention from her would-be intended.” I hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but the bitter thought surfaced, nonetheless.
Leandros nods, as though that makes perfect sense to him. “May I escort you to the meeting rooms? I have nothing better to do than spend time with a beautiful woman.”
I nod gratefully. “Please do. At this rate, the king will have already left by the time a competent servant directs me the right way.”
“We’re still blaming the servants, are we?”
I’m of half a mind to smack him.
Leandros laughs at the look on my face. “Forgive me. This way.” He offers me his arm, and I take it.
After a few moments, I say, “I can’t believe I’m reduced to this. Looking for him during his meetings.” Leandros will only think I’m put out that the man who is courting me doesn’t have time for me.
“A king is very busy,” he says. “I’m sure if he could spend more time with you, he would.”
“Is that what you told yourself when he pushed you away?” I ask.
The muscles in the arm I’m clinging to tighten. Perhaps that was too harsh.
“No,” he says at last. “I knew Kallias needed to heal after the death of his parents. He’d just finished grieving over his brother, only to have his parents taken from him. I gave him time, because I thought, eventually, he would lean on me and his other friends for support. But he hasn’t recovered.”
“Kallias had a brother?” I ask.
“You don’t remember the death of the crown prince?”
I shake my head.
“You would have been young when it happened. Xanthos Maheras was Kallias’s older brother of two years. I’m told the king looked up to his brother, but I didn’t know him then.”
“What happened to Xanthos?”
“A carriage accident, they say.”
“How terrible.”
Leandros nods. “My uncle brought me to the palace a few years later, thinking the companionship of boys his age might help. I wasn’t prepared to actually like him—it being a planned friendship, you see.”
I know the sentiment precisely.
“And now with his parents gone,” Leandros continues, “Kallias trusts no one. Save you, it would seem.” A pause. “How is he?”
I pat Leandros’s arm. “He seems well enough. He’s so dreadfully busy taking everything on his shoulders. But we have good conversations.”
“I just worry he’s forgotten entirely how to have fun.”
Fun.
Yes, that’s exactly what Kallias needs. Someone to remind him what fun is.
“Here we are,” Leandros says when we turn onto a new corridor. “Straight ahead. You can’t miss it.”
“Thank you for your help. I never would have found it on my own.”
“You’re most welcome.” Leandros takes back his arm, and his eyes rest on the necklace at my throat—the ruby-studded rose. “Beautiful.”
“It was a gift from Kallias.”
“The poets say a virtuous woman’s worth is above rubies. I should think the king values you more than all the precious gems in the world combined. I know I would if you were mine.”
And he takes his leave, disappearing out of sight.
I’m left staring after him, a peculiar mix of emotions swirling within me.
The poets can say whatever they damned like. A woman’s worth is not decided by what’s b
etween her legs but by what is in her mind.
But Leandros’s flirtations are beyond flattering. Perhaps he might be someone to use in the future should I need to make Kallias jealous. Or, if the two used to be best friends, Leandros would know more than I do about Kallias’s interests and hobbies. He could prove to be a valuable source of information, if I could broach the topic naturally.
When I reach the end of the corridor, I’m stopped by a man with overly large spectacles, heeled shoes, tights, and a black tunic. He holds a pen and parchment in his hands.
“My lady, can I help you?” he asks. He tries to be subtle about the look-over he gives me, but I see it clearly.
“My name is Lady Alessandra Stathos. I was hoping to catch His Majesty in between meetings.”
The man drops into a bow. “I have heard of your arrival at court, Lady Stathos. I’m sure the king would love to know you stopped by, but I’m afraid he’s in back-to-back meetings for the rest of the day.”
“Do they switch rooms? Perhaps I could catch him in pass—”
The doors open, and a group of men and women step through. The appointment keeper grabs my arm to pull me out of the way so as not to be run over.
“Forgive me, my lady,” he says once the angry horde has passed. He disappears into the room, and I promptly follow him before the door can close.
The room is less a meeting room than an assembly hall. Benches span over half of the space. Against the opposite wall rests a throne and a scattering of smaller chairs. While Kallias occupies the throne, the council members take up the surrounding seats.
This is a room where decisions are made, where power is wielded. Once Kallias is dead, I will be at the head of this room, deciding the fates of others.
Kallias spots me almost at once. He rises and brushes past the appointment keeper to reach me.
“What are you doing here?” he asks quietly.
“Putting on a show,” I answer. “I miss my intended. I thought to steal you away. We could go for a horse ride up the mountainside.”
“That sounds lovely, but we have more appointments scheduled, I’m afraid. I can’t even take a stroll about the room with you.”
“Oh,” I say, put out. “Well, what was that all about?” I gesture toward the angry nobles who left in a huff.
Kallias rubs at his temple. “Even more of the nobility who have been relieved of their valuables by our masked bandit.”
“Have you put a heavier patrol on the roads?”
“That and more. We’ve done everything we can think of. Lady Tasoula has personally questioned the merchants living in the areas where these thefts have taken place. None of the people will speak against the bandit. He’s their hero. They won’t turn on him. I suspect, however, that none of them knows his real identity anyway.
“Ampelios has … questioned many of the peasants. But we haven’t caught any who have accepted the bandit’s charity. Without the merchants cooperating by telling us which peasants suddenly have more coin to spare, we have no way of knowing who is receiving the stolen coins.
“We’ve tried staging attacks to catch him, to no avail. We’ve issued a reward for his capture, but not a soul is tempted by it. This man is making me look a fool. When I get my hands on him—” Kallias cuts off suddenly, remembering who he’s talking to. “I’m sorry. I’m letting my temper get the best of me. You shouldn’t be here to deal with this.”
The council members are silent, eavesdropping on our conversation without bothering to pretend otherwise. Lord Vasco looks between Kallias and me, waiting to see how I’ll respond.
“Your Majesty, I have an idea for dealing with the bandit, if you’d care to hear it. Since you were so appreciative of my advice in dealing with the rebels in Pegai, I hope you will trust me enough to let me speak on this matter as well.” The flowery words are for the council’s benefit, of course.
Kallias blinks slowly. “Please continue.”
“If attempts to trap the bandit have proved unsuccessful, then perhaps a trap for those whom he’s giving his stolen goods to would help? Then you could find the right individuals to question as to the thief’s identity.”
“What would you propose?” Kallias asks.
“Melt down some coins. Create a new seal to stamp them with, something that varies only slightly from the current seal. When the money is stolen and used to purchase things in the market, you can arrest whoever is found carrying them.”
The room goes silent.
“That’s … a lot of work to put into a simple plan,” Lady Terzi, the kingdom’s treasurer, says. She has a large ledger held out in front of her. “If something should go wrong and we were to lose that money—”
Kallias turns to stare the woman down. “We should put this plan into action. Immediately. It’s the best idea to ever come out of this room. Unless anyone else has any other objections?” His teeth clench as he tacks on the question. Until he’s twenty-one, he doesn’t get the final say, I remember. He has to rely on the council’s vote.
When no one speaks, Kallias repeats the order, before returning back to me. He rubs the back of his neck, turning it until a faint crack sounds.
“Now that that’s underway, will you be free to join me at the Demetrio ball?” I ask hopefully.
“I’m sorry, dearest. I rule six different kingdoms. There’s always more to be discussed. I haven’t the time for parties or balls or plays. I barely have time to eat and sleep.”
I dare to take a step closer, and lavender and mint washes over me. “Just remember, Kallias. If we’re to be convincing, we need to have the appearance of a courting couple. Courting couples do things. They attend festivities together.”
He looks at me a moment longer. “I will send you more gifts.”
What? Is that supposed to appease me? Or make the facade more convincing?
“Epaphras!” Kallias yells.
I jump as the appointment keeper scurries over.
“Kindly see Lady Stathos out of the meeting room.”
I’m escorted away without another word.
CHAPTER
11
I can’t decide if that went well or not.
On the one hand, I think I just impressed the council. On the other, I’m no closer to getting Kallias to spend more time with me. Perhaps at least my little bit of wisdom will get me invited to future meetings?
That’s probably far too much to hope for.
Still, I’ll need to wait and see how it plays out, and I have other problems to deal with.
After searching everywhere for Rhouben, a servant finally directs me to one of the billiards rooms in the palace. Ladies don’t usually enter gaming rooms, but I’m not about to let that stop me.
He’s of course accompanied by Leandros and Petros.
“Alessandra!” Leandros exclaims. “You’ve sought me out twice in one day. You really are a terrible tease.”
“I haven’t sought you out at all. I’ll remind you I was looking for the king earlier. And now, I’m actually here to see Rhouben.”
“He’s taken, my lady. You really do like to set your sights on the unattainable, don’t you?”
“Not at all, though that does seem to be your strategy.”
Petros laughs as he applies chalk to his billiards stick. “She’s got you there.”
“Why do you need to see me?” Rhouben asks as he leans over the table, sizing up the cue ball and its intended trajectory.
“I have an unwanted suitor I want to get rid of.”
“Ouch,” Petros says on Leandros’s behalf.
I roll my eyes. “I’m of course speaking of Myron Calligaris.”
“I thought it was Eliades who was giving you trouble,” Leandros states.
“Him too. Actually, my plan should rid me of both of them.”
Rhouben hits the cue ball, and a series of clacks results as other colored balls bounce off one another.
“I’m the wrong person to come to,” he says as he stands. “I
f I knew how to get rid of unwanted attention, I wouldn’t be engaged to Melita. But my father has threatened me with disinheritance if I don’t comply with his wishes.”
“Just tell the king about these fops,” Petros says to me. “A threat from the most powerful man in the world is sure to get them to back off.”
I absolutely cannot do that. If Kallias confronts Myron, then Myron will run his mouth.
“I hope to do this without involving Kallias,” I say. “I don’t need him fighting my battles for me.”
“Want me to challenge him to a duel?” Leandros asks, as he bends over the billiards table for his turn. “This Myron fellow can’t seek your favor if he has a sword stuck in his gut.”
“I don’t need you fighting my battles, either,” I say.
“Then you challenge him to a duel,” Leandros says, a smile in his eyes. He rises from his move, and the play goes to Petros.
“I battle with my mind. Not weapons. Which is why I’m here. I need Rhouben to help me put a plan into action.”
“I think we just discussed how abysmal I am at getting rid of unwanted attention,” Rhouben says. “The only thing that works with Melita is hiding, like I’m doing now.”
“What if I told you I have a plan to free you from Melita?”
Rhouben straightens so quickly I hear his back crack. “Are you serious?”
“Very.”
“What do you need? Name it and it’s yours.” He can barely get the words out fast enough.
Leandros and Petros pause the game to listen.
“First, I need you to answer a few questions, if you would?”
“Of course!”
“What does Melita want more than anything else?”
“To marry a rich and handsome man with a higher title than her father, a baron.”
“That’s why she snagged you at the first opportunity,” I realize. “And why she bats her eyelashes at Orrin. He has a better title than you.”
“And he’s far more handsome,” Petros puts in unhelpfully.
Rhouben reaches over and smacks him.
“Why would your father allow you to marry beneath you?” I ask, curious.
“He’s friends with the baron. They’ve talked of uniting their families since before I was born.” The words come out as a grumble.
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