Chapter 35 #2
“Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad.” I start walking, my ladies on either side of me, Nate taking up the rear.
Alan and Landon are with him again today, following along wherever he goes.
It’s been the same few most of the time, and they seem to defer to Nate whenever something comes up.
I want to know if they’re aware of his goals but I haven’t had a moment to speak to Nate alone since the day at the queen’s temple.
Ludis and Genevieve are waiting at my door. I suppress a groan. Genevieve gives me an apologetic look.
“My darling sister, we need to talk,” Ludis announces loud enough for anyone even remotely close to hear.
“Not now,” I pass him and reach for my doorknob.
He sets his hand on mine. “It’s important. Something I want to alert you to before you hear it from other sources.”
My brow furrows, and I look toward Genevieve in the hopes that she can give me some kind of signal. She looks as confused as I am.
“Whatever it is, just out with it,” I say.
“You aren’t going to invite me in?” He gasps, then clutches his chest dramatically.
“You’re the worst.” I pull my hand away from his.
“You wouldn’t want me any other way.” He grins, as if it’s all some kind of playful sibling banter.
I might hate him more than anyone else. With a sigh, I nod. “Fine. But make it quick. I need to prepare for dinner with my husband.”
“Of course, we all know how important that is. How glad you must be that he returned in one piece.” He reaches for the doorknob. “Allow me.”
“This better be good,” I mutter under my breath as I step into my room.
I’m greeted by a team of people I don’t recognize and back away toward the door. Ludis is there to prevent my exit.
“What is all this?” Antonia asks from behind me.
“Empress, do you need me to call someone for you?” Nate asks.
Ludis glares at him. “You can wait in the hall. This is a family matter and well beyond your rank.”
“Do not speak to my guards that way,” I warn.
Ludis chuckles. “Are you fucking this one, too?”
I slap him across the face, and Charlotte makes a surprised squeak. I’m pretty sure Antonia is trying not to laugh. My hand stings, and the only thing preventing me from throwing him to the ground is the fact that Antonia and Charlotte grab me and pull me away.
Genevieve screams and darts between us, making sympathetic noises as she comforts Ludis.
“You’re lucky you’re my sister,” he snarls.
“I am the Empress of Pendralia, and you are a disgraced prince with no power unless I help you win it back. You say another disrespectful thing to me or any of my friends, and I will make sure nobody can find your body.”
“You wouldn’t,” he seethes.
I glare at him. “Try me.”
“We can come back another time,” one of the strangers says.
Our attention shifts, and I notice that there are bolts of fabric, trunks, and other random things scattered around the room.
“No. She needs everything ready in a fortnight for the journey.” Ludis returns his attention to me. “They’ll ensure you have a proper Iskvalandian wardrobe so you don’t freeze to death. Gods know, we don’t want that to happen.”
My stomach rolls. “We can’t go yet; the snow hasn’t melted enough.”
“We received word that the passes are starting to thaw and the royal family has agreed to meet us at the base of the mountains in Pendralia. Which means, it won’t be long before you get to give your dear parents a hug.
” He holds out his hand for Genevieve. She accepts it and for the first time, I catch the slightest wince from her when she touches him.
“Can’t she stay to help me?” I ask.
“I think you can manage with your other ladies. Besides, you can only bring one with you and we all know the one you want is probably dead.” He grins. “See you at the lunch tomorrow, dearest sister.”
I clench my jaw and ball my hands into fists. There’re so many things I want to say to him, but none of it makes much of a difference right now.
Then I catch the pink handprint on his cheek, and I smirk.
“What’s so funny?” he demands.
“You might want to get some ice on that.” I spin away from him with a flourish, eager to put my back to him. It’s a power move, and I only wish I could see the look on his face when he realizes I’m not letting him get the last word.
“Let’s begin,” I announce. “I expect my husband will want to see me soon.”
I don’t glance back at the door until I hear it close. Thankfully, Ludis is gone, but so is Genevieve. I hope he doesn’t take his anger at me out on her.
The entire process of being fitted and measured happens in a blur. Antonia and Charlotte try to distract me, but I’m struggling to concentrate. I wanted to have a better plan before we left the estate. I certainly wanted to have Anya back.
Ludis’s words circle my head and I feel like folding in on myself. Does he know something? Does he know Anya is dead? Did he find out information and not tell me?
“Arm up, just there,” the tailor says. “Good. Now the other.”
I oblige, half listening while my mind continues to race. I wish I could summon Genevieve back and ask her to find out if Ludis knows about Anya. As I stand there, I start to replay all the things she shared with us. Not a single useful item.
Some of the tidbits she brought back might seem helpful on the surface, but nothing she heard makes any difference for us.
After all, she was certain we wouldn’t be traveling to Iskvaland until spring had melted all the snow.
That was the news she brought us a few days ago.
Then today, he arrives with this, making it clear that was never the plan.
He’s using her. He knows. He’s feeding her what he wants us to know. If that’s true, we can’t act on anything Genevieve tells us. I suppose it was a matter of time considering what she was feeding him about me. He must know none of it was accurate.
Which means, it’s possible he wasn’t out chasing some lead she gave him. He left the estate, while Caiden and Brevan were gone, using me as an excuse.
Ludis is up to something, and it can’t be anything good.