Angry, spiteful faces flashed in my peripheral vision. Then gray eyes. A deadly smile. Valko.
I jerked around but didn’t see him, only another man with a similar build and the same shade of dark hair. I swallowed, trying to tamp down my panic. But everywhere I looked, the people’s smug and hateful expressions were him all over again. Taunting me. Threatening me.
Genevie was right; I was lucky not to feel the people’s disdain. What I felt on my own was bad enough.
By the time she and I rode up to the gates of the castle’s outer curtain wall, my heart hammered and my hands trembled, ready to withdraw the pistol at my thigh if anyone so much as took another step closer.
“Stay calm, Sonya,” Genevie said, her eyes on my twitching fingers.
I flexed my hand, abashed that she was the one now keeping me steady. I needed to pull myself together. Be wise and careful, like I’d promised Anton.
The guards opened the gates. Once they clanged shut behind us, I blew out a tremulous breath. Hopefully within the castle grounds, we’d be safer.
Our horses were taken to the stables and our cloaks brushed of dust, but we weren’t escorted up the curving steps to the main door of the castle. Instead, servants in jackets with long coattails guided us to a side entrance, where they led us across a long, open corridor on the lowest level. Pillar after pillar, I glimpsed the grand courtyard inside, my fear abating, my skin prickling in awe. The castle’s opulence gleamed from every corner within.
Three tiers of open-air corridors lined every wall of the inner square, supported by a colonnade of arches on each level. Rimming the top, above the highest level, was a marble balustrade. Women with impossibly cinched waists and satin puffed skirts strolled about, some on the arms of men in silk breeches and waistcoats. Meanwhile, servants milled about on the lower levels and ground floor, pruning evergreen hedges into ornamental masterpieces and scrubbing sections of the abundant cream stone.
When we crossed halfway to the other side of the open corridor, Genevie took a sharp breath and wavered on her feet. I immediately supported her arm. “Where is he?” I asked, knowing at once what had set her off.
“The Nobles’ Terrace.” She swallowed and turned her head away.
I glanced to the upper balcony. Floquart de Bonpré leaned against the balustrade, conversing with another nobleman. They must have recently emerged from an inner chamber, because that corner had been vacant a moment ago.
I studied the man who had once come as an emissary to Riaznin. Floquart wore a pale-blue velvet waistcoat with long coattails. A matching ribbon tied his white-flocked hair at the nape of his neck. He opened a silver compact, and its lid winked in the afternoon sunlight, then he brought the back of his hand to his nose. He must be inhaling snuff powder off his knuckles.
I switched places with Genevie, so I stood nearer the open side of the corridor. “It’s all right,” I whispered. “He’ll never recognize you.”
Our movement drew Floquart’s eye. He gripped the balustrade and met my gaze. Even from down here, I could see his face twist into a grimace. My stomach tightened, and dread crawled up my spine. I fought against the impulse to cower and instead lifted my chin.
You’ve come here for important reasons, Sonya. The alliance. The Auraseers. Your power. Don’t allow yourself to be rattled by the likes of Floquart.
Monsieur de Bonpré had never been impressed with me. To him, I was the sovereign Auraseer Valko preferred over marrying King Léopold’s favored niece, Madame Delphine Valois—also Floquart’s goddaughter. Not only had I offended him, I’d made his long journey to Riaznin obsolete, as no marriage-based alliance had ever formed.
Something moved from the corner of my eye. I gave a little jump, but it was only another group of servants coming to meet us. I composed myself and peered up at Floquart again. He was gone. Good. I exhaled, rolling the tension from my shoulders. I hoped to see him as little as possible here.
As the servants guided our group to the other end of the corridor, I took Genevie’s hand—for her comfort as much as mine. They led us through a tower and up a twirling staircase to the second story of the castle. There, the male servants passed off Genevie and me to female servants.
Anton turned back and gave us reassuring smiles, though the curve of his mouth was weak. He must have been nervous, too. “I’ll see you soon.”
I nodded, fighting a ridiculous wave of panic that I might never see him again in this enormous place. His gaze strayed to me another moment before his servants ushered him away. I took a steeling breath and departed in the other direction with Genevie.
On the second level of the castle, she and I were given a shared apartment, adjacent to one of the open corridors overlooking the courtyard. One look inside the room was enough to remind me of the low esteem Auraseers held in Estengarde.
Two narrow, canopy-less beds rested against one wall, with a small oak table nestled in between. Except for a fireplace and two plain chests for clothing, the room held nothing else. No tapestries hung on the walls for warmth. No rugs spread across the stone floor. Still, we had been sleeping on bedrolls and root-ridden earth for weeks. A heated room and an actual mattress were divine by comparison—although a fire had yet to be lit.
Just as I lay on one of the beds and stretched out my limbs, a maid tsked and shooed me off of the clean linens.
“We need to bathe first,” Genevie reminded me, her voice low so the maid wouldn’t hear her Esten accent.
I glanced at the clean but simple dresses another maid laid on Genevie’s bed, while a third maid dropped a sponge in a basin of tepid water (judging by its lack of steam) and abruptly left the room. The others followed. I stared at the closed door. “Are they going to return?”
Genevie started undressing. “No. They would not deign to wash us. Auraseers bathe themselves here, even those in the king’s castle.”
I huffed and sat on the edge of my bed as I began to unlace my boots. I didn’t like being snubbed, even if I preferred bathing on my own. Trying to think of something optimistic, I said, “You don’t need to worry about Floquart. He was too busy glaring at me to pay you much heed.”
Genevie shivered, now stripped down to her chemise, though I doubted it was from our chilly room. “That does not relieve me, Sonya. If you draw his attention, we are both still at risk.”
I chewed at my lip. She had a point. If Floquart suspected me of any offense, he might start digging deeper, and that could lead him to discover Genevie’s identity. “Then I’ll do my best to be as uninteresting as possible whenever we cross paths.” I pulled off my wool socks and stood to remove my outer dress.
“You could never be uninteresting.” Genevie replied, no teasing undercurrent in her voice, only an edge of concern. She untied the strings of her chemise thoughtfully. “You need to think of a better plan. We both do.”
“Agreed.” I paced the floor while unbraiding my hair. “We should make some rules for ourselves.” Genevie was a traitor in Estengarde, and I was an Auraseer without abilities. I could help protect her, and she could warn me of impending danger. “To begin with, we have to promise to never leave each other alone.”
She nodded adamantly.
“Second, we must always remain armed.”
She patted the sheath at her thigh. Between us, we had two weapons—my brass pistol and a slim dagger—which we took turns carrying, although Genevie was better at handling the gun than I.
“And third . . .” I paused and pulled my arms out of the sleeves of my chemise. “What if you and I came up with some sort of code to alert each other when we need help?”
Genevie stepped closer. “We can tuck our hair behind one ear, like this.” She demonstrated.
“Perfect. One side tucked means we’re uncomfortable and need intervention. Two sides means emergency, urgent assistance required.”
She nodded again. “Très bien. I like this plan.”
I grinned, feeling exceptionally clever—until I threw off my chem
ise and plunged into the bath. “Feya in the skies above!” I gasped. “This water is freezing!”
Genevie suppressed a smile. “Surely it is better than a mountain stream.”
“Not by much.”
She came over and wrung some water from the sponge. “You are an Auraseer in Alaise now, Sonya.” She tossed the sponge at me. I caught it, blinking as it splashed my face. “This is how the king’s city welcomes you.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THREE HOURS LATER, SERVANTS ESCORTED GENEVIE AND ME to a private dining room branching off King Léopold’s apartments. Anticipation built in my chest. Any moment now I would see Anton again. But as we walked inside, I discovered we were the first guests to arrive.
I glanced around and whispered to Genevie, “The room is so small.” While fifteen feet long and twelve feet wide was an otherwise respectable size, it seemed out of proportion with the rest of the vast castle, especially since it had been designed for the king.
“Perhaps,” she mused. “But it is just the right size to make important guests feel honored by receiving the king’s exclusive attention. Common guests are entertained in the castle’s main dining room.”
I nodded in understanding, though the idea of some people being treated better than others chafed at the revolutionary in me.
We stepped deeper into the room. Gold wainscoting with rose-shaped embellishments adorned the cream walls. The only other color present, aside from that in the paintings of royal hunts through La Forêt Royale, was pale blue, the same shade Floquart had been wearing earlier. It must have been in the height of fashion, for it shimmered from the curtains, the velvet-cushioned chairs, and the flower-painted porcelain vases.
My gaze fell on the varnished mahogany dining table, only spread with three place settings, despite the ten chairs. “We don’t get to eat?” I whispered.
“Or sit at the king’s table,” Genevie murmured as a servant ushered her to a separate chair in the far corner of the room. I was led to another, situated diagonally opposite her. I sat down with a sigh, my stomach growling and my mood sour. I wondered how long we’d be detained here before Genevie and I could be free to search out Madame Perle and some food for ourselves.
Moments later, Anton entered through the same door we had, a few feet to my left. He met my gaze, and a sweet rush of adrenaline flooded my limbs. He was clean-shaven, washed from all the dust on our journey, and his hair gleamed in dark waves. He’d been given a brocaded, sage-green kaftan to wear that was tailored to his broad shoulders and tapered waist. I gave my loose gown a tug at my shoulder. While I was grateful for fresh clothes, this drab-blue peasant dress was built for someone far more voluptuous than I.
Anton didn’t seem to care. His eyes warmed as he looked over me and gave me a private smile.
A delicate gasp sounded directly across from him, followed by a rich and lovely voice. “Anton? No, it cannot be.”
The most beautiful girl I had ever seen waltzed in through a second doorway that must have led to the royal apartments. Her creamy silk skin and buttery-blond hair, coiffed in a stack of elaborate curls, perfectly complemented the stone hue of the castle. The lavender gown she wore was distinctively Esten, its skirt puffing out only from the sides of her hips, not the front or back.
She flew around the table and kissed Anton on both cheeks. “Look at you! My first beau, grown into such a dashing man.”
My brows jutted upward.
“And you, Delphine!” Anton laughed, stepping back to take her in. “You’re so much taller than I remember.”
Delphine? This must be the king’s niece, Madame Delphine Valois, Valko’s almost-bride. She was even lovelier than I’d imagined. I gave another sorry tug on my dress and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Genevie’s eyes widened, and I caught myself. I rapidly untucked the hair and sent her an apologetic look.
“I was only fifteen when you last saw me,” Delphine replied to Anton. “I hadn’t even reached my bloom.”
My gaze shifted between them, impeccably charming together. So Anton was Delphine’s first beau? Was she his first sweetheart? Heat surged to my cheeks as I imagined them strolling through the castle gardens together and dancing in each other’s arms. In my perfect naivety, I’d never considered the possibility that Anton had courted other girls before me.
He caught my eye, and I took a breath and smiled, the tension easing from my stomach. It didn’t matter that he and Delphine had once courted. I had been interested in other boys before him, hadn’t I?
“Delphine,” Anton said, “you must meet my friends, Sonya and Trinette,” he said, using the alternate name Genevie had chosen for herself.
Genevie and I rose from our chairs.
“Your Auraseers are friends?” Delphine asked, tilting her head. “How refreshing.” I scrutinized the surprised tone of her voice. No scorn sharpened its edges. Perhaps Delphine wasn’t in agreement with her uncle, the king, about how Auraseers were treated in Estengarde.
“Wait one moment,” she said, her blue eyes narrowing as she left Anton’s side and stalked closer to me until she was only a few inches away. I held my breath. What did she want? What had I done wrong? “Are you Sonya Petrova, the emperor’s former sovereign Auraseer?”
My face tingled, surely blooming a deeper shade of red. Floquart de Bonpré must have told Delphine about me—and how Valko chose me over her. “Yes,” I squeaked.
She smiled, revealing a row of straight, pearlescent teeth. “Then I must thank you for preventing a most ill-fated match. I hope very soon I may also call you my friend.”
I shifted on my feet and forced a small grin. I wished I could sense if Delphine was being genuine. She seemed genuine, at least.
A large man strode into the room from the inner entrance. Genevie’s nostrils flared with a quick breath as her eyes slid up to him. He was at least as tall as Tosya, though he had twice his muscle. His nose was his prominent feature, and the thin bulb on the end was cleft like a chin. “Zut alors!” he said, opening his arms as he drank in the sight of Delphine and Anton from across the table. “Quelle réunion joyeuse!”
Delphine laughed with a reprimanding shake of her head and swept closer to Anton. “Speak Riaznian, Uncle—for your guests’ sakes.”
This was King Léopold? He hadn’t even been heralded into the room. Valko, at his smaller dinners, entered with pomp and flair, preceded by guards and trailed by attendants. But the Esten king had come in alone, a casual swagger in his step.
He circled the table to Delphine, his demeanor severe as he looked down his nose at her. “Do you mean to paint me as a fool?” he asked, switching to Riaznian. “I can speak their language as well as you!”
Delphine didn’t blink. “I’m sorry, your accent is so thick I cannot understand the words you are saying.”
King Léopold’s mouth snapped shut. I exchanged a tense glance with Genevie. If I’d said such a thing to Valko, he would have struck me. The king’s eyes warned he might, but then he threw back his head and roared with laughter. “Oh, my dear child, I have missed you!” He cupped Delphine’s face in his great hands and planted a kiss on her brow. “Won’t you come back and stay with me in this drafty castle?”
Anton turned to Delphine in surprise. “You’re no longer living in Alaise?”
King Léopold huffed. “I have to throw celebrations in her honor to lure her back here.” He clamped an affectionate hand on Anton’s shoulder. “And you, my dauphin, never return to visit unless your madcap brother drives you across my borders, not to mention the Shenglin.”
Anton had the grace to look abashed. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. Riaznin has required all of my attention as of late.”
The king waved a dismissing hand. “Yes, yes, such a dramatic feud within your family, and now a half-breed Auraseer princess to boot! What a legacy for the illustrious Ozerovs.”
Though Anton was a master of controlling his poise, his grin tightened and his fingers flexed.
“We’r
e very fond of Dasha,” I said, speaking frankly, though I strived to sound amiable. “She’s a lovely girl with great potential.” I pushed the other image of Dasha out of mind, the nightmare girl with glowing gray eyes and a green snake on her shoulder.
For the first time since he entered the room, King Léopold’s sea-blue eyes fell on me.
My cheeks burned under his scrutiny. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Anton stepped forward. “This is Sonya Petrova, sire, former Sovereign Auraseer under Emperor Valko’s reign, as well as an invaluable aid to me during the revolution.”
King Léopold pursed his lips, his nose wrinkling. I realized who I was to him, a girl who had helped destroy a monarchy. Without another word of acknowledgment, he marched past me and took his seat at the head of the table, which happened to be close to my corner of the room. He clapped his hands at the two servants posted near the outer doorway. “Bring the first course.”
As they bowed and left, Delphine and Anton also sat down, she at her uncle’s right, and Anton on his left. Genevie and I followed suit in our designated chairs. Situated five feet behind Anton, I fought another flare of frustration at not being admitted to the table, although he had tried to warn me I wouldn’t like the way I’d be treated in the king’s castle.
I squared my shoulders. Let it go, Sonya. Soon you’ll see Madame Perle. In the meantime, play your part.
King Léopold spread a napkin over his lap. “I miss the old days when you could come here without your Riaznian Auraseers, my dauphin. To be honest, I’m insulted you brought them with you. Don’t you trust me after all these years?”
“It isn’t that, sire. I’m a governor on the Duma now and must respect the council’s wishes. They insisted that my Auraseers attend me on this journey.”
The king sighed and glanced impatiently the doorway where the servants had yet to return with the food. “No doubt you wish me to give you money or military aid for those accursed wars of yours.”
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