"See that it doesn't—much depends on this," Lendill Schaff walked out the door.
"We haven't gotten drunk together in a long time." Norian looked at Lendill. They'd returned to Le-Ath Veronis and now sat in a bar in Casino City.
"True. What did Reah say about not saving me?" Lendill was half-drunk already.
"She said she'd think twice about saving your tight ass."
"She said my ass was tight?"
"Those were her words." Norian was beginning to slur his s's.
"You think she looked at my ass?"
"Well, that was the impression I had. I don't think she knows you well enough to speculate on your spending habits."
"I saw the vid—they cut her hair again."
"I know."
"She doesn't like that."
"It's the only way she'll pass as a boy."
"You didn't treat Lissa like this."
"I know." Norian tapped his glass so the bartender would give him a refill. "I just crawled right into her bed as the lion snake one night." Norian hiccupped.
"I wish I could do that."
"Lissa would have your head."
"I wasn't talking about Lissa."
"You'll sleep here." I was given a closet next to the royal suite. The Prince's bedroom was surrounded by those of his three wives. Guards stood outside his doors and I was going to sleep in a closet. A small cot had been brought in, but it didn't look comfortable. I'd had better at the military station. Clothing, too, had been brought—a young boy's clothing by the looks of it. Blue and gray, like the uniforms worn by the other servants. I hugged myself tightly as I sat on the edge of my cot, surrounded by my meager new wardrobe.
Auri? I sent. He was far away and unlikely to hear. It surprised me greatly when an answer came.
Reah? When did you gain mindspeech?
Yesterday, I returned.
Reah, you sound lost, love.
I am lost. Aurelius, they have me sleeping in a closet.
Lara'Kayan, it will not always be so.
I know. But it is small and closed in. I shivered, just thinking about it.
Love, I am only a thought away. If it becomes unbearable, call out to me. I will help you get through this. Try to sleep, love. You are still not fully recovered. A promise lay in Aurelius' words—a promise to get back at Norian Keef, somehow, for sending me out before the healer thought I was ready.
I'll try, I sent and crawled into my tiny bed. I was nearly asleep too; I was more tired than I thought when another message came. I love you was sent to me, and it was no voice I'd heard in my head before that moment.
"Wake!" The side of my small cot was kicked, nearly upsetting it. I stared in alarm at one of the Prince's wizards. "The Prince wants something to eat. Get up and cook!"
There would be no sympathy and even less patience from this one—he had a cruel mouth and disdain in his eyes. I rose, slipped into the clothing I'd worn earlier and followed the wizard to the kitchens. I cooked. The kitchen was well stocked and I was used to what Mandil had to offer already. Cutting thin slices of fowl, I dredged them in flour, fried them quickly and made a sauce to go with them, in addition to fresh fruit and sweetened cream. The wizard and the Prince were both staring at me as they tasted their food.
"Where did you learn to cook, boy?" The wizard demanded.
"My family taught me." I hung my head. I was telling the truth.
"And why did they turn you out?"
"My father had many sons. I wasn't necessary," I said. Well, it had actually been my grandfather—I knew that now.
"Then we will be glad of the surplus," the Prince declared, eating the rest of his fowl with delight. The dessert was a plus—he liked that very much. As did the wizard. I was allowed to return to my bed as soon as the plates and utensils had been cleaned and put away.
"Re, wake up." The voice was whispering right next to my ear, causing me to gasp and sit up in alarm. I was crushed against a uniform I recognized. "Re, hush," Delvin held me tightly against him so I wouldn't scream.
Chapter 4
"Little girl, be still," Delvin gripped me tightly against him, whispering the words. "Come now, get dressed, the Prince wants his errand boy."
I wanted a bath, but that wasn't to be. I was set to running errands immediately, before I got breakfast, even. I was hungry, too—I hadn't gotten any of the food I'd cooked the night before, and I hadn't gotten dinner, either. That's why my stomach was growling as I handed a message to Alvis.
"You haven't eaten, and my guess is you haven't gotten a bath, either." Alvis had given me a good sniff when I arrived at his quarters. He had a small room down the hall from the Prince's suite.
"Yes on both, Master Alvis," I ducked my head respectfully. He was older, with silver in his dark hair. His brown eyes, too, looked wise to me, as if he'd seen many things during his life.
"Then come, we will go to the private bath together." That frightened me into immobility. Alvis took one look at me, grabbed my hand and led me along. We went into the Prince's private bath, which was decorated with beautiful tiling and gold fixtures. The bath was large—at least twenty people might have fit around the edges comfortably. A bit of steam wisped up from the surface of the water.
"Little girl," Alvis hissed, "Never let those wizards know you're female." He shot the bolt behind us, locking us in. If I'd been inside the bath alone, that might have frightened me. Alvis was there, so that helped.
"How did you know?" I muttered, keeping my eyes down and not looking at him.
"I know a great deal. The others are fools and do not look past the surface of things. That will be their downfall. Come, we will bathe and then I will take you for breakfast. The Prince only thinks of his own belly, most of the time."
The bath felt good to my still-aching muscles. If I were anywhere except where I was, I might have fallen asleep. I stayed awake, cleaned myself and dressed right alongside Master Alvis. We walked out of the baths together and down to the kitchens, where servants were busily preparing the noon meal. Alvis and I were served a decent breakfast, cooked fresh just for us. I carried a message from Alvis to the Prince when we were done.
"Ah, Alvis, you are my conscience," the Prince muttered after reading the note. "Re, you will remind me from now on if you have not eaten." I nodded at the Prince Royal.
"These are the fields." Bel swept his arm out as Tory and Ry stared. The drakus seed plants seemed to go on forever.