Arrows of Revolution (Kingmakers Book 3)

by Honor Raconteur

  Not at all happy about the interruption, but powerless to do otherwise, Robert put a game smile on. “Of course, who am I to deny Her Majesty? Lady Saira, I hope to be able to speak with you again.”

  Dratted prince. He was interrupting her work. This was the fourth time this week alone. Riana gave Robert her best smile and watched him melt. “I shall look forward to it, Lord Robert.”

  Savir extended his arm and she accepted it instead of sticking a dagger into his ribs as she was first inclined to do. After leading her several feet away, he leaned in enough to whisper near her ear, “You must stop smiling at the men like that. You’ll give them ideas.”

  She wanted to give them ideas. That was the whole point of her flirting to begin with. “Your Highness, did you forget that my parents sent me here to find a good match?”

  “I have not. But there are more suitable connections that you can make.” He steered her around a group of people, an impish twinkle in his eye. “Come. Let me introduce you to a few people on the way.”

  “I don’t know whether to kiss him or kill him,” Riana announced, flinging her cape and hat onto the couch as she stomped into the main study.

  Ash had been ensconced in a chair, a book in his hands, but upon their entry he set it aside. Glowering at his partner, he snarked, “I’m inclined to thank him, whoever he is, because he finally stopped you from flirting with every male thing that moved.”

  “I’m supposed to be flirting, it’s the best way to plant ideas,” she reminded him, again, for what was probably the hundredth time.

  “That’s true,” Woelfel agreed, sinking wearily into a chair next to the fire. He toed off both shoes and stretched them outward with a sigh of relief. “I do hate garden soirees. They’re cold even in this mild weather and there’s no good place to sit down.”

  Riana wasn’t as tired as he was, but then, she was used to standing or running for long periods of time as well.

  “You only say that as you’re the one that taught her that technique,” Ash groused. “It’s making my skin crawl whenever she does. Riana, who am I to thank for the interruption?”

  “Prince Savir,” she stated succinctly and flopped into the space next to him on the couch.

  Her partner didn’t entirely like that answer. “Again? The man seems to be seeking you out at every opportunity.”

  “I know it.” She felt a headache coming on and futilely rubbed at her temples. “I don’t understand why. The queen is honestly delighted to hear stories about Hendrix, she makes sense, but Savir?”

  “Your connection to both royals is helping you open many doors,” Woelfel commented, eyes closed. “Even if it is cumbersome at times. How close were you to turning Robert over to our side?”

  “Another ten minutes and I would have had him.” Riana had to struggle to keep a pout off. “On the other hand, Savir was introducing me to people I haven’t met before and had no good reason to be introduced to. So in that respect, he was doing me a favor.”

  “Interesting.” Ash stared off into space, brows furrowed as he pondered. “It’s not the first time he’s done that, either. I wonder what game he’s playing?”

  “I wish I knew.” Woelfel still had his eyes closed. “I do know the man’s wearing me out. I have to keep track of her whenever he’s escorting her about, as I never know when she’s going to need a rescue, but doing that naturally so that I don’t seem obvious about it is beyond difficult. If the connections she’s making weren’t so useful, I would have found a way to put a stop to it. He’s stretching my last nerve to the breaking point.”

  Hers as well. If Riana could just figure out his intentions, she’d feel more comfortable about the whole matter. “The odd thing is, I think part of the reason why he’s doing it is because he genuinely likes me.”

  Both men looked at her in astonishment.

  “No, truly,” she defended. “After being in Court this long, I’ve gotten a sense for when someone is putting up a façade, and I don’t sense that with Savir. Sometimes he’s come and gotten me just to ward the ladies off. I’ve made him laugh several times, which his mother tells me is quite rare.”

  “I actually have seen that,” Woelfel admitted. “How do you feel about him?”

  “He’s quite charming, when he puts his mind to it,” she admitted freely. “If he wasn’t an enemy prince, I’d say I quite liked him.”

  Ash gave her a pained look. “Dearling, please. Don’t say that in front of me.”

  She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek in reassurance. “Not the same way I like you, of course. But I do wonder if that’s why he gravitates toward me? Because he senses that I genuinely like him as a person. That and he has something up his sleeve.”

  “We all know he has something up his sleeve,” Woelfel agreed promptly. “Savir doesn’t move unless he has three reasons at least to do so. The question is, what?”

  What, indeed.

  Chapter Twenty

  Bexton was a skinny teenager that had a charming air about him and wits sharp enough to slice bread with. Riana felt sure that in six years he’d be a force to reckon with, as he’d grow into those slightly too-large ears and gain some muscle. As it stood now, he was cute in his own way and used that cuteness greatly to his advantage.

  Riana had ostensibly hired him to show her about the palace grounds so that she would know where everything was and what areas she was not allowed in. Her excuse was that her cousin was busy with his own social schedule and didn’t have the time to do it himself. In truth, she wanted Bexton for two reasons: one, she wanted a chance to fill the boy’s ears with all sorts of rumors to spread about, and two, she wanted to do a pre-scout of the treasury. All she knew at the moment was that it was on the palace grounds, but that wasn’t nearly enough information.

  Strangely enough, Woelfel didn’t have the slightest clue where it was, likely because he had never needed to know that information before and it would have looked very odd if he had tried to inquire about it. Since Riana was entirely new to Court she could ask silly questions like where things were without raising a single eyebrow.

  As a tour guide, Bexton did well. He gave her the names of the place, a little information about what work was done there, and a funny story to go along with it. (The boy always knew an anecdote to share, some of them more illicit than funny.)

  “Bexton.”

  “Yes, my lady?”

  “I believe there is an age limit to being a page, is there not?”

  “Indeed, my lady.”

  “When you do hit that limit,” she said with a smile, “and if you can’t figure out what else to do, or your plans don’t work out, do consider being a tour guide for the palace. You’re quite splendid in the role.”

  Bexton beamed back at her. “Why thank you, my lady. I admit I have entertained the notion from time to time.”

  “There’s lords and ladies like myself that are newcomers to Court,” she started ticking things off on her fingers, “new officials, other pages that are coming in, foreign officials—why, there’s plenty of people coming in and out that would either need a tour guide or an escort about the place.”

  “Pages do some of that,” he informed her. Still, he had that light of calculation in his eyes that indicated he was truly thinking about it. “But I do see your point, my lady. If I do apply for the position, will you be my reference?”

  She couldn’t possibly, of course, but agreed anyway. “Of course, if I can, I’d be glad to.”

  “Excellent, my lady.” There was a slight bounce in his stride as Bexton continued down the main hallway of the palace. “Now, if we take this door here, it leads out into the main courtyard and where the treasury, wine cellar, Royal Physician’s office, musicians’ quarters and the pages’ offices are. Not precisely in that order.”

  Finally, the part she was truly interested in. They stepped through the door and into the colder air of winter. It was still mild in comparison to Cloud’s Rest at this time of the year. Ri
ana was grateful for it as she spent half her time out of doors these days.

  “As you can see, the pages’ offices are in this first building on your left.” Bexton indicated a square building that stood two stories and looked remarkably similar to almost every other building in the square. They were all made of stone with columns out front and a truncated porch that barely sheltered the area around the front door. “It’s basically there because it’s more convenient to call for a page—” Bexton cut himself off and made a soft hiss that sounded like a curse. “My lady, quick, back inside.”

  Riana saw immediately why as Axley and Larcinese had stepped out of another side door and spotted them. Riana did not want to be caught out here with them, as there weren’t many people and no one to come to her aid if they pinned her there. It was one of those dicey situations where there were just enough witnesses that she couldn’t retaliate without breaking her cover but no one high ranking enough to dare stop the two lords.

  She turned immediately and made for the door. Alas, moving quickly in eight layers of dress and petticoats was not really possible. The men lengthened their stride and caught up with her just as she had her hand on the handle.

  “Come, Lady Saira, you’ll make us feel unwanted,” Lord Axley sing-songed. “Here, stay and let’s chat a bit, shall we?”

  These were not men that would pay attention to a mere page. Bexton was being utterly ignored and Riana used that to her advantage. She caught the boy’s eye and motioned for him to go with a slight jerk of the chin.

  He nodded back seriously and quietly left as if he had never been there. Hopefully he would bring back help, although who he could call was a question indeed. It would have to be someone of either equal or higher rank than Axley to get the man to leave her alone.

  “I’ve seen you fluttering about the social scene like a butterfly.” Axley had that smooth tone to his voice, a polished reflection that revealed nothing of what he really felt. “You go from person to person, striking up a conversation, able to speak to anyone. It’s an amazing skill.”

  Uh-oh. He hadn’t figured out what she was doing, had he? Riana gave him a baffled look. “A skill, my lord? I hardly consider it that. I just enjoy speaking with people.”

  “And you excel at gaining their attention,” he crooned while taking a step in. It forced Riana back a step, caging her in that much more effectively against the wall. “I’ve watched you. Everyone smiles while speaking with you, genuinely, and continue to smile even after you walk away. Do you know how many people there are that can honestly be liked by the whole Court?”

  It clicked in that moment. Riana realized that Axley wanted her to be an advocate for his cause. His reputation, and his minions, were not favorable in Court. He needed a voice that people liked and would pay attention to. Not—her eyes darted to Larcinese—avoid.

  “I would be thrilled to have a woman with such excellent social skills campaigning for me.” Axley took another step in, this time basically pressing her back against the wall. Even through her dress and cloak, the stone felt cold and she shivered. “Do you know much about my stance as a candidate for the throne? No? Do let me tell you the gist of it.”

  Riana pretended to pay attention as he started running off at the mouth but in truth didn’t hear a word of it. Really, what did this creep think he was doing? Did anyone charm someone to their side by pinning them against a cold wall and forcing them to listen to some egotistic monologue?

  He showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Riana grew seriously tempted to break her cover enough to punch him in the throat. If she maimed him, just a little bit, he wouldn’t be able to talk for the near future. Surely they’d give her a medal for that, as no one really liked the man anyway.

  There was the sound of a door opening and Riana glanced in that direction, hopeful that it was Bexton back with a rescue.

  Savir stepped through with Bexton at his side.

  Her eyes widened. Bexton had fetched the prince?! Why him, of all people!

  Something about her expression caught Axley’s attention and he faltered mid-word, turning his head to look. When he caught sight of Savir a slight snarl curled his lip before he took a half-step back, making it less obvious that he had been looming over Riana.

  “Lady Saira,” Savir greeted, chiding her with a warm voice, “You are late.”

  Late? Oh. Riana gave him a slight curtsey—the best she could manage with her back still against the wall—and apologized, “I am sorry, Your Highness. Lord Axley had something he wanted to tell me.”

  “So I see.” Savir approached and extended a hand toward her.

  Woelfel and Ash would likely yell about this later, but Riana was profoundly thankful for the gesture and she took that arm without a second of hesitation. This might have been jumping from frying pan to fire, but at least the fire she knew would not be damaging her cover story or her reputation.

  Axley audibly ground his teeth in vexation. Savir’s enigmatic smile was somewhat mocking as he gave a nod to the men. “I’m afraid your conversation is at an end, Axley.” Permanently was the unspoken word. “You’ve monopolized my companion long enough. She’s mine now.”

  Larcinese and Bexton both choked. It took considerable effort on Riana’s part to not do the same. What did he just say?!

  Savir turned that innocent expression on her, as if he hadn’t just proclaimed something outrageous. “Shall we go, Lady Saira?”

  “Of course, Your Highness.” She kept the smile on her face although it felt like her face would crack under the effort of doing so. As they walked away, she could feel eyes burning into her back. Axley was not one to take such interference well. “Your Highness, I am grateful for the rescue.”

  “But you shouldn’t have said ‘She’s mine now’ to them,” Savir added, fully knowing how she felt about that little remark. “I’ve always wanted to try that line. ‘She’s mine!’ and then walk off confidently with the girl in question. It was quite dashing and romantic, don’t you think?”

  Riana gave him a weary look. “Your Highness, as a boy, how many times did you put a stick into a hornet’s nest or down a snake hole?”

  Savir blinked, expression nonchalant. “I didn’t put any sticks in the holes. I merely found them. Maddox always did the investigating.”

  And that indeed was the perfect summary of the twin’s relationship. Even now, Savir wasn’t stirring up any hornets’ nests, just finding them and neatly maneuvering his way around them. “You say that, but you came to my rescue, did you not?”

  “Indeed I did. But then, you’ll repay the favor in kind, will you not? The next time that I’m surrounded by a hornet’s nest.”

  Ah-ha. So she was to be his next stick-holder while Maddox was gone? Riana had just known there was an ulterior motive lurking beneath that smile somewhere. She was of a mind to box Bexton’s ears. Why the prince, of all people? “I suppose I should at least return the favor.”

  “That’s the spirit!” he encouraged, smile becoming genuine. “For now, I understand that you were on a tour of the palace? To familiarize yourself with the place? Where did you leave off?”

  Surely the man wasn’t suggesting…no, he truly was, he intended to complete her tour with himself as the tour guide. “We had just entered this courtyard when Lord Axley caught me.”

  “Is that so? Well, it’s dangerous to linger here, so let’s go elsewhere and then return, shall we? I doubt the man will stay here for the rest of the afternoon after all.”

  Riana had no choice but to follow his lead. Mentally, she resigned herself to a lecture later from Ash and Woelfel. Bad enough to be rescued by Savir, but now to spend the rest of the day with him? And she wasn’t going to be able to fulfill her objective of getting a good look at the treasury security, not with the prince literally at her elbow.

  She’d better find a way to turn this to her advantage, otherwise she was doomed.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  For the first time since their arrival, Ash
left Woelfel’s townhome. He was dressed in layers of grey and black, as was Riana, the better to blend in with the shadows. Woelfel was not with them on this mission for one vital reason—if they were caught, he needed the plausible deniability. Not that he wouldn’t be on thin ice, but they had a few plans and stories in place to make it possible for him to cut ties with her if need be. They had to. It was vital that they not lose one of their best agents here in Court.

  It neared four in the morning, the perfect time to sneak into the Royal Accounting Offices and the treasury vault that lay in the basement of the building. No one was about at that hour, and the guards that were positioned in the palace compound were more or less asleep on their feet. Hopefully they could sneak in and at least get a layout of the place. Riana didn’t for a minute think they could somehow haul off the whole treasury (in spite of Edvard’s wild fantasies to the contrary), but it didn’t hurt to see how much damage they could do to the Iyshian economy.

  They silently crossed through a side gate into the palace compound, one that only the servants knew and used. It was also one of the few still open at this hour of the morning, as the bakers usually started about now in getting the morning bread mixed up and rising. Guards patrolled by regularly, but no one was actually stationed there. Riana found this odd but Woelfel explained to her that every possible man that could fight was stationed elsewhere—either headed toward Estole or along the Overa-Iysh border to keep peace there. Overa was apparently a very restless neighbor.

  Making it through the palace wall and into the courtyard was one thing. Actually getting to the right building was another. The various offices here all looked the same—big, blocky buildings made of the same hewn stone and tiled roofs. Only the signs differentiated them and they all hung out in front. Riana had no intention of waltzing along the main path. Her heart already thumped so hard it was likely to leap its way out of her chest soon. It didn’t need any extra encouragement.