6. Laude
Chapter 6
Laude
Lucas escaped Cosme’s sitting room with one target in mind: Beatriz. He’d wasted his efforts ever since the ceremonia all those months ago. She drank in every one of Zichri’s letters as if they fed her parched soul, and I couldn’t blame her. Zichri had risked himself for her over and over again. But Cosme’s friend had a mysterious sort of appeal that made me wish I had more friends to match and watch live happily ever after. I blurted something to her, and Cosme shut the door.
Cosme’s sitting room welcomed me with morning sunshine lighting up the dust that had gathered at Cosme’s continued denial of a maid entering. A tall fellow with tight curls lounged in an armchair, and Mouse Face stared at me from another seat.
On the small couch, Minerva hung her crossed ankles off the side with matching crossed arms as if she were trying to make herself unseen. She couldn’t achieve invisibility in that gown because it was simply a work of art. The sleeves hung like wine-colored flames from her elbows, and the gold stitching on her underdress formed a lattice pattern.
“ Buenos días .” My tone contrasted with the dreary sensation in the room. I had to choose to see the possibilities in each day or I simply might melt into oblivion.
“ Buenos días. ” Minerva’s whispered response was all I got.
“Love the dress. Where’d you get it?”
“Himzo.” Again, she shrank into herself.
My eyebrows rose at such happy news. I’d have to add to my list for living in Himzo: good fashion.
Cosme walked around me without a hint of compunction for leaving Beatriz in ignorance. “We’re having a Dotado meeting at Milo’s estate. Jaime said that you have information for us.”
I shot Minerva a sidelong look. She bowed her head and curled her shoulders, not meeting my eye. She had the I’m-guilty-of-something posture. The man from last night had a hold on her, but I couldn’t make the accusation until I had more information. She waved a glowing palm over the corner of the room. The air swirled and sparkled in an oval shape. Through the portal, Milo’s sitting room appeared as if through a fog. I guessed this girl could whip up different types of portals. Very interesting.
Cosme’s curly-haired friend strode through, and though his appearance was a horizon away from Blondie—as I liked to call Lucas, he had something alluring about him. Blanca, my old maid friend, would have gawked at him, but she’d abandoned talking to me like all the rest, so that wouldn’t happen.
“Go ahead, Laude.” Cosme gestured toward the portal but plopped into the seat beside Minerva. His attention was consumed by the secretive girl. “When will you join us?”
“Midday.” Minerva grasped the armrest and pushed herself up.
Cosme inclined his body toward Minerva. “What is it?” He caught me staring. “Go ahead, Laude. I’ll be right behind you.”
Eavesdropping through the portal might not be so easy. I gnawed on my bottom lip and meandered across the polished floors playing the dolt.
“I can’t say.” Minerva dropped her voice low, sneaking glances in my direction.
Cosme waved at me. “Do you need me to hold your hand?” Cosme reached for my forearm, but I yanked it back. “You look nervous, that’s all.”
With my fiercest glare, I pinned him under my attention. He hadn’t been sarcastic like he had the habit of doing with Beatriz, but the idea of the prince touching me didn’t sit well. I sucked in a breath and jumped into the portal. White light filled my vision, and a force yanked my body forward. My foot caught on the floor. I pitched forward and flung my arms out to try and catch my fall.
“Whoa there!” Zichri caught me and swept me up like a baby. “It’s good to see you again, Laude.” His dark eyes smiled down at me with amusement.
Beatriz should be here.
Heat raced up my neck and to my cheeks. Snickers erupted around the seats in Milo’s sitting area. While the light in Giddel glowed with yellow sunbeams, this room had a dim quality made darker by the orange stain on the wood panels covering the walls.
“Those Giddelian ladies really know how to make a big entrance.” Blas smacked Jaime’s back and laughed.
My eyes rolled upward and then toward Zichri.
He fluttered his lashes and smashed his lips into an unamused line. “I’m looking forward to hearing about what you saw yesterday. Could you do me a favor?” He set me on my feet like the dashing beau he’d always been with Princess Beatriz.
“Maybe. I mean yes, but what is the favor?” I pushed back the curls that were supposed to be tamed by my tight braids but, of course, had their own ideas.
Zichri plucked a folded paper from his pants pocket. “Could you leave this note for Beatriz to find?”
I took the parchment. “You know she’s going to grow suspicious about how you manage to send her new letters so quickly?”
His mouth tipped into a crooked smile. “She might need some encouragement.”
“What are you two talking about?” Blas shouted from his seat two arm spans away. His blue-green eyes waited with expectation as if he deserved to know every detail.
“About yesterday, ehh?” I asked loudly and nodded to Zichri. With quick movements, I stuffed the letter in my pocket, deciding to leave it on her desk. She really did need something to lift her spirits, and this just might do the trick.
Mouse Face snuck in through the portal and lurked around the edges of our circle. The man had the gift of hearing which made for an amazing lookout, but the way his nose twitched, and how he always remained quiet, sat like a lump of coal in my stomach. But the man probably couldn’t help that he looked like a mouse.
Cosme walked through the portal with an easy gait, as if he did this every day, which he likely did. He strode across from me and paced behind Gonzalo and his two Dotado friends. “What did I miss?”
“She’s about to share what happened last night.” Zichri pulled two stools from the kitchen and walked around the open portal with Cosme’s sitting room visible on the other side.
Minerva gave us a sad smile through the portal. A light burned along her neck, and she vanished. I flinched, but Jaime didn’t blink twice and neither did Zichri, Cosme, or any of the other fellows in the room. How would I expose her if they all trusted her? How would all these men respond to her betrayal?
Cosme perched on the stool beside Zichri like the king of the muddy boots because, of course, his boots were leaving trails of dirt.
Jaime retrieved a tray of empanadas from the kitchen and set it on a table between the fellows. He kissed my cheek in greeting, his lips leaving warmth with me, his nearness a very welcome balm. He gestured for me to take the couch seat next to him, and I did. Everyone’s attention followed me with expectation. They stuffed their mouths with empanadas and snuck questions in between bites.
I told them every last detail, including every word Minerva said. Part of me wished I hadn’t exposed her; but judging by their lack of response, I shouldn’t have felt too badly.
“So, was the fellow more fit around the shoulders?” Gonzalo puffed out his chest and sucked in his gut.
“I think so.” I cracked my knuckle.
“What designs were on his doublet?” Zichri leaned forward on his stool. “Was it more like a mountain horizon or a triple moon?”
“Ehhh…I didn’t see those details, and it was very dark in the passageway.” I smoothed my yellow dress over my lap, straining to grasp the adrenaline-filled memory. The details screaming through my mind weren’t exactly helpful. Imagine if I told him my heart had pounded hard enough to open a hole in my chest and the shadows were dark, really dark. I smacked my tongue and decided now was the time to lay out my concerns. “What about the fact that this fellow was insisting Minerva take him to Pedroz?”
Zichri raked his fingers through his cropped hair. “That could be either of my brothers.”
“Well, shouldn’t you ask Minerva about these details?” My voice grew louder. “She’s the one being threatened by your brother, and she obviously knows more than she’s saying.”
Zichri started, “Yes, but she won’t say.”
“So, why do we all trust her again?” I met Jaime’s handsome face and then looked past him to Blas. No objection resided in their wide-open eyes. Then Gonzalo gave me a giant nod, affirming I hadn’t been crazy in asking the mountain-sized question they all were avoiding. Cosme’s two friends turned their stony expressions toward Cosme, as if they couldn’t think for themselves. Cosme’s stare could have burned me with its intensity.
“She’s not our enemy.” Cosme’s nose flared with barely contained anger. “If you knew her story, you’d understand that there’s more going on here.”
“Cosme.” I tried to steady my voice because I had seen his tongue become caustic many times over. He meant well and strove to be honorable, but he also had passion pumping through his veins. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t know her story, and I heard the man threaten her lady—whatever that means.”
“My sister.” Zichri’s tone came out flat. “Minerva is my sister’s ward.”
I gulped, understanding my need to tiptoe around making accusations. Both princes had an attachment to this girl. “It just seems like Minerva has warring allegiances.”
The air went still as everyone held their breath. Would Cosme batter me like a bull hitting its target, or would he be levelheaded?
“You said it better than I could.” Cosme got to his feet and adjusted his tunic. “I asked her what was wrong before we came here, and she said she’s forbidden from talking about her problem.”
“Forbidden?” Blas’s astonishment echoed up the walls. “Come on, that sounds ridiculous. I should start using that one.”
Gonzalo laughed. “I don’t think even that could shut Blas’s trap.”
Jaime covered his mouth though his cheeks twitched.
Zichri held out his palms to calm the laughter, but it only served to increase the volume.
“Enough of your teasing.” Cosme strode around the couches and pointed toward the exit. “You all can say whatever you’d like about Minerva, but she’s not a liar. Let’s find out who threatened her last night.”
“What does he mean?” I clutched Jaime’s strong arm.
Zichri got to his feet. “I can’t go, but don’t worry, I brought a horse. The country estate’s not too bad a ride.”
“Where am I going?” I whispered to Jaime, but my words got lost in the shuffle of the men rising to their feet.
“Don’t worry, Laude.” Jaime intertwined his fingers with mine and pulled me along to Cosme’s side. “We’ll be with you.”
“Where are we going?” I screeched.
The men all stopped moving and cocked their heads toward me.
Jaime said, “You’re going to identify which of Zichri’s brothers threatened Minerva.”
“In the palace?” I scrunched my nose and my palms grew sweaty.
The answer was evident in each of their nods. I’d have to see the mean brother and maybe meet him. Princess Beatriz was going to be so mad that I took so long in Cosme’s room.
“Can I at least fix my hair before we go? I mean, they’re royalty, right?” I asked.