A Dance of Shadows (The Royal Spares #3)

Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Raul

N o one could say that Lavirians don’t know how to celebrate. Everywhere I look in the vast square, dresses are whirling in chaotic dances and shimmering streamers in a riot of colors are flashing through the air. Every civilian with a voice for singing—and quite a few others besides—belt out lyrics that call each other to create or to play. A huge gleaming ball as glossy as a bubble bounces from one set of outstretched hands to another.

I doubt Inganne herself could imagine a more vibrant festival in her honor.

The excited clamor and the swells of lively music provide plenty of cover. I watch as one of my cousins diverts Marclinus—in his boisterous Linus persona today—along with several Darium noblemen to sample a spread of rare liquors one of the palace staff has just set out at the far end of the royal section of the square. Then I catch Aurelia’s eye and tip my head in the opposite direction.

No woman has ever owned my heart like Aurelia does. I’d carve it out of my chest and hand it to her if I thought it’d do her more good like that. But I can’t stop it from thudding at an anxious rhythm as she follows me over to where my mother and brother are waiting alone.

What is it about being around my family that makes me feel like I’ve reverted back to a six-year-old being chided for a fit of temper?

I suppose it doesn’t help that I haven’t spent more than a few months total in their presence in the decade and a half since I left home. Almost all of the memories I associate with this place and the people who still live here are from those early childhood days.

There’s nothing to be nervous about. All the Darium and Lavirian nobles are circulating amongst each other. Marclinus shouldn’t notice that Aurelia ever stepped away.

The other members of court won’t care regardless. There’s nothing all that odd about the Lavirian queen and crown prince stepping apart from the crowd for a minute or two. Or about the empress happening to take one of those moments to speak to our hosts. If you’re not a paranoid asshole like her husband, that is.

Aurelia’s personal guards drift to a halt a polite distance away. Mother stays turned toward the group of my younger cousins several paces away, the lot of them sputtering with laughter as they smear each other with various colors of paint, but she glances over at us. Fernam lets his attention linger on the conjured butterflies flitting overhead for a few seconds longer before acknowledging our presence.

As if they haven’t seen these same games and embellishments honoring the godlen of creativity and play every year before. They want Aurelia to feel as if this meeting isn’t all that important to them.

Can they have any idea how important it is to her—or to me?

Mother’s gaze lands on me just for a moment, with a slight pursing of her lips that’s a silent message. Are you really sure about this?

She’s said as much out loud several times over the two weeks it took to pull together all the pieces to arrange this private conversation. No matter how many times I say it, she’ll keep questioning me.

This negotiation isn’t really about me, though. I step to the side to let Aurelia take over.

The woman I love smiles demurely at the current and future rulers of Lavira, her hands tucked over the graceful swell of her belly. She’s chosen a dress that leaves her lower arms bare and her purple potion-brewing scars on display, possibly as a signal that there’s more to her than a pretty face. The bruise that infuriated me has faded from her shoulder, but she’s still careful about moving her right arm.

She pitches her voice just loud enough to be heard over the racket of the revelers. “I’m so glad we could speak just the three of us, if only briefly. You’ve taken care of my court well during our time here.”

Mother dips her head slightly. “I’m glad your early troubles didn’t linger. I hope whatever ailment struck you wasn’t too unpleasant.”

She says it perfectly politely, but she’s digging for information—for potential ammunition. She’s badgered me about whether I know why Aurelia really abstained from the court’s activities that one morning.

I’ve pretended I have no idea, albeit not quite effectively enough to convince her. But the only people who know the truth are Aurelia, Marclinus, and the three of us princes. I’m not expanding that circle unnecessarily.

After all, my mother wouldn’t use Aurelia’s unhappy marriage as a reason for sympathy but a point of leverage.

Fortunately Aurelia’s nerves might be even steelier than any member of my family’s.

“Only a minor complaint,” she says without any trace of deceit. “You must know how a pregnancy can set one’s body off-kilter from time to time. Once our child arrives, I expect to be as steady as ever. So I hope you’ll feel comfortable addressing your concerns to me as well as my husband, as they arise.”

Mother’s implacable expression doesn’t shift. “Of course. Although I assume your opinions on any matter must mostly align with his.”

If they don’t, she’d certainly like to hear about it.

Aurelia’s smile warms. “In most cases. But our areas of focus can be rather different. He has to handle the larger strategies for keeping the empire running smoothly. I have more time to consider the personal interests of those within our domain. It can be hard to fully address the latter when you’re absorbed with the former. Together we can cover both.”

“That would be a boon.” Mother lifts the wine goblet she’s holding to take a sip. “Surely the concerns of your home country must be at the forefront of your mind?”

She asks the question innocently, but my teeth grit at the hidden barb in it. She’d like Aurelia to admit partiality, as if she could be blamed for favoring the kingdom of her birth.

“The entire empire is my home now,” Aurelia says. “And I believe we are all best served when all of the countries within it are thriving at their best. What makes the running of Lavira easier will benefit Accasy and all the other kingdoms in the long run.”

“An interesting perspective.” My brother knits his brow in apparent pensiveness. “I suppose not a surprising one from a dedicat of Elox. Have you expanded your philosophical perspective with any of the clerics or other thinkers in Dariu?”

Another potential doorway into Aurelia’s true attitudes, but not one the empress needs to lie about.

Aurelia shakes her head. “I prefer to meditate directly with my godlen. I don’t believe my way of thinking has altered since my arrival in Dariu.”

She glances across the square. A prickle runs over my skin at the thought of our borrowed time running out, but Aurelia shows no signs of distress.

“Let me present one particular matter to you now,” she says. “I’ve become aware that some of the more prominent Darium citizens have been cutting deals directly with Lavirian merchants rather than following the tenets of our imperial agreements. That must cause you some trouble in keeping trade running smoothly.”

Mother lifts one shoulder in the mildest of shrugs. “It’s hardly an urgent problem.”

“All the same, I’d be happy to exert some influence to return such transactions to the sphere where they belong, so you can give them the proper oversight. You could consider that an opening gesture to confirm that you can count on my assistance should you need it.”

“If we should feel such intervention is necessary, we’ll certainly let you know.”

The tiniest trace of frustration shows in the minute tightening of Aurelia’s jaw. They aren’t giving her any opening at all to show the brilliant, caring woman I know she is.

Her voice softens while remaining steady. “I’ll welcome that. You may also keep in mind that without the intervention I’ve already made on your country’s behalf, there are ten children who’d be getting their lessons from Darium soldiers rather than a temple school that I expect they’ll find more fulfilling.”

Neither Mother nor Fernam give any sign of surprise, but I know them well enough to tell that their initial silence means they didn’t realize it was Aurelia’s doing—and so they don’t have a response already on the tip of their tongues.

Our empress didn’t settle the matter alone. I added a few small shadowy “signs” and Lorenzo conjured illusions of critical voices to provoke a current of uneasiness in the Darium court. Aurelia simply nudged Marc toward declaring that the ten winning children would be best served by attending school at the local temple of Sabrelle to prepare them for later service, with a stipend to their parents to cover the loss of their help around the home.

Mother bobs her head again. “Duly noted.”

Before she can go on with any more of her roundabout prying, Aurelia lifts her hand in a gesture of thanks. “I’d better return to the rest of my court. I appreciate you hearing me out.”

I guess she can tell she won’t be getting any further with them today. It’s a more powerful move to be the one to end the conversation than to have it ended for her.

She glides away across our section of the square, her guards falling in behind her. Mother gathers herself for further mingling with our own nobles, but I plant myself in her path.

“That was a lot of bullshit,” I say, low but curt. “The underhanded trading has irritated you for as long as I’ve been alive, if not longer.”

Mother clucks her tongue at me in that fondly condescending way that never fails to raise my hackles. “You exaggerate the emotions involved, dear boy. The facts may rankle your temper, but we know unfortunate circumstances will always exist and need to be worked around.”

I glower at her. She expects me to be a hothead, so she’ll get one. “You wouldn’t need to work around it if you’d work with Aurelia instead.”

She pats my shoulder with a compassionate but equally condescending air. “This has never been your domain, Raul. That’s all right. We can manage these affairs ourselves. The subtleties of diplomacy don’t come easily to everyone. I can admire the ambition of trying to immerse yourself in that side of the family trade all the same. I know you mean well.”

For fuck’s sake.

Several harsh remarks sear up my throat, but I clamp my jaw against them. If I snap at her, she’d see the outburst as proving her point.

Fernam comes up beside me and gives me a light punch to the shoulder. “We may have learned a bit that’ll be of some use. It wasn’t a total fumble, little brother.”

As if any failures of this meeting are mine.

Fuck them. We’ll stomp down Marclinus and steal the whole damned empire without their help.

Mother hums. “The empress does appear to be a more formidable presence than I anticipated, able to hold her own counsel. We’ll have to keep an eye on her and consider any moves she makes with all due thought.”

Her words smooth the edge off my anger. At least they seem to think better of Aurelia’s capabilities than they do of mine. That’s what was most important.

But even as I look forward to telling the woman I love so, I can’t quite hold my tongue. “You should?—”

Mother shakes her head at me. “I think that’s enough. We have a festival to enjoy, after all. Don’t stress yourself, Raul. We have all these matters well in hand.”

They brush past me without waiting for my response. I trail behind them into the thicker crowd of nobles, fuming silently but so forcefully it’s lucky smoke isn’t streaming from my ears.

Spotting Marclinus—well, Linus—across the courtyard does nothing to improve my mood. He’s swiveled back toward the rest of our mingled courts as well, clutching not one but two entire bottles in his hands. No doubt he snatched up the most expensive options without any thought to whether the rest of us might want to sample them.

Why would anyone not want to shower our glorious emperor with gifts at their own expense?

Aurelia sidles over beside him to play the adoring wife for yet another evening. At the thought of what that act has cost her already, my fingernails dig into my palms.

Linus waggles the liquor bottles in the air and smirks at the members of the court closest by. “I’ve scored some of Lavira’s finest vintage! But I may be willing to share a little. I’ll just have to decide who’s most worthy.”

His gaze skims over the gathered nobles—and lands on me.

Linus’s smirk grows. “Prince Raul! You haven’t made use of your gift in a while. Have a search around and let me know if there’s anyone here keeping secrets that make them un deserving of one of these delightful beverages.”

From several paces away, Mother’s gaze flicks toward me. I harden my stance against the flare of shame that burns through my chest.

But it doesn’t matter that I didn’t outright lose my temper in front of her. I still look like the emperor’s dancing bear.

Because in essence, that’s all I am. All anyone except my foster brothers and Aurelia is aware of, anyway.

I force myself to extend my senses through the shadows that lie across the court nobles’ clothes and within their pockets.

Kosmel, let me find one target to offer up quickly. Let one be enough.

The shadows hug a glass surface in one waistcoat pocket. Delving into the darkness within the vessel brings an acrid tang echoing across my tongue.

Not much, but it’s something.

I offer a lively tone. “I don’t think Baron Rastico requires any additional lubrication. He’s carrying around his own stash of creekvine wine—not bothering to share with the rest of us, either.”

As Linus tsks his tongue chidingly and grins at my performance, I drift to the fringes of the crowd where I’m less likely to catch his attention again.

In a few days, we’ll be back on the road, and I can leave all that niggles at me about my childhood far behind once more. After all, I have bigger troubles to tackle.

And today I may have maneuvered my empress one step closer to claiming the empire she deserves.