Chapter 18
Eighteen
“Princess,” Brevan greets me. “I’m here to escort you to the ball.”
“You left my door,” I say, noting the stiff formal uniform he’s wearing. It’s the first time I’ve seen him without the leather armor. Well, besides that first night when he removed it to sleep in my room.
“The emperor wanted a formal event tonight.” He looks uncomfortable in the starched collar and shiny silver buttons.
I hate how attractive he is in the uniform. I’ve seen other men in the Night Legion’s formal uniform, but none of them wore it the way he does.
“Is Caiden back?” I ask.
“No, he’s still away. He might be gone a while.”
“Oh.”
“Disappointed?” he asks.
“He is my betrothed,” I reply.
“That’s not an answer.” His expression is smug.
“It’s not really any of your business, is it?” I snap.
“I suppose it’s not. Aside from the fact that while he’s away, I’m required to be your shadow.”
“You left to change,” I point out.
“Seven men stood outside your room while I was away,” he explains.
“Seven? What exactly are you all worried about happening to me?” I ask.
“It wouldn’t be a good look if Iskvaland’s princess died on Pendralian soil, would it?”
Anxiety spikes and my stomach twists. She already did, but he doesn’t know that. “No. Not at all.” The dead princess’s face flashes in my memory. Pale skin, lifeless eyes staring at nothing. Blood everywhere. So much blood.
“We should go, they’re expecting you.” Brevan takes a few slow steps, waiting for me to join him.
I blink away the memory, then catch up to Brevan. “Why are we having this ball?”
“Because the emperor required it.”
“Is this something he does often?” I ask.
“No.”
“So almost nobody sees him for three years, and suddenly, he reemerges and then decides to throw a ball the night his mistress is poisoned?”
He pauses in front of a staircase, then turns to me. “Yes.”
I scoff. “You’re not going to give me any information, are you?”
He sighs as he descends the staircase. It’s a rare show of frustration that isn’t aimed at me. In fact, I’m not sure I ever saw any indication of annoyance aimed toward the emperor before. My insides twist. This can’t be good.
I grab his arm and he freezes, his attention going to my hand. I drop it quickly. “You have to tell me something. What am I walking into? She was my lady, Marian. And now she’s dead. I don’t know how things work around here.” I swallow, then blurt out something I know I shouldn’t. “I’m scared.”
His brow furrows. “I didn’t know you were afraid of anything from how you so quickly dismiss your safety.”
“I’m more afraid of the emperor than I am the rebels.
” My eyes widen and I press my lips together to prevent myself from saying more.
That was so stupid. Why can’t I keep my mouth closed around this man?
It’s like I just have to hear myself speak around him.
Or maybe it’s because I want to hear him speak.
I’ve been here too long. This man killed my brothers. “Forget it. I’m sure everything is fine.” I resume my descent, not looking back at the enforcer.
Footsteps follow at a distance, but I continue beyond the stairs, down a hall, and into another. If I make a wrong turn, he’ll correct me.
“I don’t know why he did this. As far as I know, he’s never called for a ball without notice and a reason to celebrate,” Brevan suddenly says.
I pause. “So I have a right to be concerned?”
“I have no idea.”
I wait until he’s alongside me, then allow him to lead us the rest of the way. Thankfully, I manage to stay silent for the duration.
We stop in front of the closed double doors. A pair of legionnaires opens them for us so we can enter.
The ballroom has been transformed. Every surface is draped with dark green vines. They climb the walls and dangle from the chandeliers. They wind up chair legs and weave around tables laden with delicacies. Even the servants are wearing wreaths of the same vines.
I tiptoe around the plants, afraid to touch anything. They remind me of the vines that overtook the garden I found. And considering Marian was just poisoned, I don’t think this is a coincidence.
People in formal dress mill around, conversing and drinking from crystal goblets. None of them demonstrate any signs of concern. In fact, they’re laughing and smiling and enjoying themselves.
Charlotte waves to me from across the room.
I wave back, then look over at Brevan. Even in a room full of courtiers, he stands out.
The uniform fits like it was designed for him.
The fabric just tight enough over his shoulders and chest to show his impressive physique.
His hair is slicked back in the current style, and while I think he looks better with it loose and messy, there’s no denying he pulls this off well.
I hate that he’s the most handsome man in the room.
“Go on,” he says. “I’ll be nearby.”
I also hate that I feel better knowing he’s here.
I join my ladies, complimenting each of them on their gowns. Katherine is missing, though. I scan the crowd for her and hope she’s somewhere in the mass of people.
“Princess Sabina,” a male voice says.
I turn and face an older man with a gray beard and thinning gray hair. He’s dressed in black but has a purple handkerchief stuffed into his breast pocket.
He bows. “It’s an honor to meet you. I am Sir Lennox.” He straightens. “I met your father during the Ruby Wars before you were born. He’s a fair and powerful man. You must pass along my well wishes when you next visit.”
“Of course,” I say, inclining my head. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
He gestures to the women standing next to him. One is probably his age. She has silver hair and an elegant face, though she looks like she’s never once smiled in her entire life. The other is younger, probably twelve or thirteen summers. “My wife, Lady Carol, and my daughter, Margaret.”
“Nice to meet you both,” I say.
The women curtsy.
“It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Princess,” he says. His wife and daughter dip into a half curtsy, then the family walks away.
“They’ve been social climbing for generations,” Antonia whispers. “Only earned that title two generations ago, but they’re desperate to go higher. He’s trying to marry off his daughter to anyone with influence.”
“Poor girl,” I say.
“Only if she gets a bad match. If he’s successful, it’ll raise her status and her children’s status.”
“Is that what you want?” I ask. “To marry the highest-ranking man you can find?”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing?” she asks.
For a moment, I forgot that I’m seen as nothing more than a princess who will marry a prince. “You’re right. I suppose that’s the best we can hope for.”
“No, the best we can hope for is a man who won’t beat us,” she says.
I suddenly wonder if that’s why the empress had so many books on poisons.
A hush falls over the crowd, and the hairs on my arms stand on edge. I follow the direction of everyone’s stares to a raised platform featuring a single black throne.
A dark-haired man dressed in black velvet, trimmed in silver, approaches the stairs that lead to the platform. He’s followed by several night legionnaires in their dress uniforms. When he reaches the throne, he stands in front of it, then extends his arms toward the crowd.
Everyone drops into bows or curtsies. I follow their lead as my head swims. This can’t be the emperor, can it? He wasn’t able to gain back his immortality until Darkfall, right?
“My most faithful and loyal friends,” he says with a booming voice.
Everyone stands.
“Tonight, I have called you here to celebrate life. As you know, we lost one of our own today. Lady Marian was a loyal, longtime companion to my late wife. She served her empress and her empire well.”
People make the sign of the gods or bow their heads. I lower my own head in respect.
“The culprit was no doubt aiming for me, thinking me weak in my aged form. While we both drank the poison, the gods saw fit to revive my immortality before the poison could harm me. Unfortunately, Marian was not gifted by the gods.” He takes a breath and lowers his eyes.
When he looks back up, there’s a glimmer of something sinister in his expression.
“She will be missed by everyone who loved her, but her death was not in vain. You see, this tells us that we have a traitor in our midst. A spy. An assassin. Maybe more than one. So I called you all here tonight in the hopes that my message will reach our spy. My eyes are everywhere and will find you.”
My pulse is so fast it’s practically vibrating. He’s immortal again. And he knows there’s at least one traitor in his court. We lost our chance.
“Tonight, we celebrate the return of my immortality and many more centuries of my rule!” He claps and musicians begin to play. “Dance! Make merry!”
The courtiers around me clap in return, then begin to pair off to dance. I step back so I’m not on the dance floor while I let the news sink in.
We failed. Even if I find out where the emperor sleeps, how are we going to kill him? That was my original task. Find his weakness. If the gods renewed their gift of immortality because someone poisoned him, how are we to overcome that?
“Princess Sabina,” a deep male voice says.
I turn to see the emperor himself standing in front of me, his hand outstretched in offer. “My son is not here to accompany you, but perhaps you’d allow me the privilege?”
The ladies behind me gasp, and I think Antonia is swooning so hard she might faint.
I set my hand on top of his. “I’d be honored.”
He smiles, then escorts me to the dance floor.
I position myself the way I practiced with Caiden and am quickly swept into the dance.
The emperor is light on his feet and graceful.
Up close, I can see how much he resembles his son.
He’s got the same brown hair and nearly amber eyes.
The same strong chin. The same serious expression.
He could almost be Caiden’s twin. Especially since he hardly looks any older than him now.