Theodore’s mouth pinched. “Bloody Gods—I’m not. I’m saying that the empress will think I’m slighting her and her daughter if I bring such an uncommonly beautiful woman with me into the negotiations.”

My cheeks warmed. “Oh.”

Lachlan and Agatha stared at us for a moment, wide-eyed. Finally, Lachlan spoke in an oddly careful voice. “I’m your right hand. Have her come in on my arm and say she’s your cousin, eager to meet her new family member.”

I shot Lachlan an unpleasant look. Meeting the princess of Obelia, Theodore’s fiancée, did not make me feel eager in the least. It made the bond in my stomach coil and strain with jealousy.

Lachlan shot me an unpleasant look right back. “You’ll have to be nice.”

Theodore huffed and looked toward the carriage ceiling. “Fucking Gods.”

“I have to agree with His Majesty’s sentiment,” I said. “Bringing his pesky current wife to meet his future one is an awful idea.”

“Vomiting on the Empress of Obelia is a worse one,” said Lachlan.

Agatha nodded. “Lachlan’s right.”

“Thank you.”

“Hush.” Agatha pursed her lips, her eyes darting between me and the king. The look on her face was the one she always wore before she started an argument, gaze narrowed and lips quirked. I braced myself as she took a deep breath. “Your Majesty,” she said, sweetly. “We also need to discuss you ordering Imogen to the Mage Seer.”

Theodore closed his eyes. “Not today, Agatha.”

“Please, let me speak, Your Majesty.” But she didn’t wait for his permission. “I am willing to accompany her on her trek. It’s wretched of you to insist on sending her, but even with soldiers and a healer and me at her side, she will still be in danger.”

At her words, Lachlan seemed to fill with hollow anger.

“What’s your point?” Theodore’s every muscle had clenched.

Agatha crossed her arms haughtily. “In the event that your bond does not settle—which at this point seems highly likely given it’s been nearly three days—I’d like to know if you are prepared to accompany her yourself?”

Theodore’s face went slack. “It’ll settle.”

“What makes you think it will?” Agatha challenged. “It should be two days. The stories say it’s always two days. I expect there’s something off, I can’t imagine what, but regardless, how will you handle being on opposite sides of the island? Both of you will go mad with sickness and worry.”

Just as the palace materialized through the mist and the wheels crunched over the gravel of the wide main drive, I saw something in the king of Varya that struck me with unease: panic.

It was such a small thing. So small, I doubted Agatha even noticed—but Lachlan did. His mouth thinned into a hard line as he watched Theodore’s chest rise and fall with slightly increased breaths. I felt another layer of tension fall over him. His lovely eyes widened for the briefest moment, and it made my heart slam into my ribs.

Lachlan leaned forward and casually patted his knee. “We’ll discuss this at another time.” His smile was effortless, but there was a new trouble in him too. He looked out the carriage window. “We’re here, so let’s focus on the first terrible task on the list, shall we?” He clapped his hands. “Let’s go meet your fiancée.”

OceanofPDF.com

We exited the carriage to a horde of eager-looking servants and soldiers, all arranged into neat lines. Theodore strode up the wide steps first, mumbling quiet greetings to the official-looking assembly nearest the door. I kept close to Agatha, eyes down, and felt entirely out of place in the face of such opulence. My hair was undone and wild. I wore no chemise, or stays, or shoes. I was grateful that the hem of my gown was long enough to cover my bare feet.

We slowed just inside the soaring entry hall, where Theodore was accosted by a willowy woman carrying a stack of envelopes on a silver tray. I looked around, taking in the shining details.

The gilded, frescoed ceiling. The curving black marble staircases. One wound up to the eastern wing, the other to the western. Pale statues of Great Gods, their beautiful, stern faces fully intact, lined the railings. Their unseeing eyes were fierce, their hair upswept, their strong bodies carved into flowing swaths of fabric. I searched for Ligea but could not find her. They held candles, illuminating the risers, looking down on us with the same look of authority and self-importance that Theodore so often wore.

No one would doubt he was a God.

Lachlan turned to me. “Don’t let them intimidate you. They were a lustful, violent, pigheaded lot. You’ll fit right in.”

Agatha tsked before their gazes caught on one another and lingered. Lachlan beheld her with fondness, with heartbreak. He set an absent-minded hand to his chest like it ached. “My rooms are the same, Agatha.”

Agatha only gave him a sharp, cold nod, then looped her arm through mine.

Head bent, Lachlan started up the western stairs, taking them two at a time, then disappeared into the shadow of the hall.

“What the hell are you doing?” I chided. “You still love him. And he still loves you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Lachlan loves everyone. And everyone loves him. He’s charming and roguish and too witty.”

“Opposites attract.” I looked up the staircase he’d ascended. “I think he’s hurt that you’re willing to leave him again.”

“I tried to explain it to him.” She shook her head. “I told him I’d go with you when the king sends you off in search of Eusia too.”

I stiffened. That was something else entirely. There was no way of knowing where the hunt for Eusia would take me, but it would most certainly be dangerous. “You can’t come with me, Agatha,” I said, firmly. “I’m hardly qualified for the task, and you have even less power than I do. I won’t see you get hurt. I’d only blame myself for it.” Her mouth fell open, her chest filling with a protest. “Please. You’ve looked after me for so long. You’ve given up so much for me. You should make up for it now.”

“I’m not sure how.” She looked overcome. I was not the only one who had been ripped from her old life, I was not the only one starting new. Selfishly, I was grateful to not be alone in the terror of it.

“Your Majesty!” A jovial voice echoed through the hall. A stout man with a bright smile approached the king. His face was as round as his stomach, his skin a dark, smooth brown. His crinkled eyes were a faceted amber. “It’s good to have you back.” He stopped before Theodore and gave him a grand bow. “Was the Isle of Seraf just as we suspected?”

Theodore’s dark brows lowered. “There were a few surprises.”

“Ahh, well. The empress and the princess have been here for nearly two days. They’ve been content to rest and wander the gardens, but I think it would be wise to plan the negotiations directly.”

Theodore nodded. “Thank you, Eftan. Is all well with them?”

The man’s wide smile dropped ever so slightly. He let his booming voice soften. “The empress is a woman of… high standards. I suggest the meeting be held in the Garden Room. I’ll have the servants set the table.” His eyes brightened, and he leaned in conspiratorially. “The princess, however, is lovely. Lucky for you.”

Theodore gave an unaffected grunt.

“And who are these young women?” Eftan set a hand to his belly, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“This is…” Theodore strained for words. “Lady Imogen Nel. She…” He gave up searching for an explanation for my existence and gestured to Agatha, absently. “And this is Commander Mela’s former wife, Agatha. She was my governess once. Perhaps you remember her.”

Eftan’s face creased with distant recognition. “Why, yes. Agatha. I believe I do remember you.” His cheeks rounded further with a full and friendly smile. “I’ll find you both comfortable rooms. Come with me.”