Chapter Twenty-Four
The Capital
“Allie!” Vivi burst towards me and wrapped me in her arms, squeezing me so tightly that I thought I might explode. “I missed you!”
“I can’t breathe,” I gasped, patting her sides. “Vivi!”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” She pulled back and gripped my upper arms instead, obviously looking over every inch of me. “You have all your appendages—at least I assume so. You do have ten toes still, don’t you?”
“Lady Vivian Trelawney, what kind of person do you think I am?” Kalon asked from the doorway, casually leaning against the doorframe.
“Alicia, I know I said I pay no mind to the gossip about me, but you may have to enlighten me after all. I was unaware that your closest friend believes I may have cut off your toes.”
Vivi froze, but she quickly regained her composure and released me to drop into a curtsey. “Your Highness. Forgive me. It was rude of me to entertain such baseless rumours.”
“Hmm. I never said those rumours were baseless, Lady Trelawney.” He eyed her with a teasing glint I’d come to recognise. “But I suppose I shall forgive you just this once.”
“Kalon. Don’t be mean to my friend.” I frowned across the room at him, adding a pout for good measure. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a meeting. Oh, Vivi, do stand up. You’ll break your back bending like that.”
She straightened, staring at me with wide eyes.
“I was on my way there when I heard your enlightening conversation.” He eyed Vivi again before turning his attention to me. “What use would your toes be to me? They won’t make an interesting decoration for the castle gates at all. Your head would be far better.”
Vivi really did freeze this time.
“Kalon! What did I just tell you?” I stormed across the room and grabbed his arm, pushing him out of the door and ignoring Vivi’s gasp as I did so. “You’re being mean. If you’re not going to apologise, then you should leave.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.” He shook off my grip and cupped my face, then bent down and kissed the top of my head, letting his lips linger there for a couple of seconds. “We will have dinner with my father at six-thirty, so I’ll come to get you shortly before then.”
I peered up as if I could see the top of my head. “I’ll be ready.”
“Good.” He kissed my head again before turning and leaving without bothering to say goodbye to Vivi.
I pressed my hand to my face and closed the door, turning to face her. “I apologise on his behalf. I’ll have a word with him, although I’m not quite sure what good it will do. He really doesn’t care what people think of him.”
Vivi took a step back and collapsed onto the chair behind her. “Did you just… Did you just shove the Grand Duke out of the door? And did he just kiss you? Twice?”
“Um.” I scratched my chin. “Yes?”
“Allie!” She sat upright and stared at me, wide-eyed. “What on Earth has happened in Stein?”
“We… get along?” I replied, sitting down opposite her and picking up my teacup. “We should drink the tea before it gets cold.”
“No, no. I cannot believe I’ve just seen the Beast of the Battlefield kiss you on the head. Twice. And let you push him out of a door.” She shook her head. “Do you… have feeling for him?”
I waved my hand, forcing myself to swallow my mouthful of tea. “No, no, it’s nothing like that, but I suppose we do get along.”
“You suppose? Goodness, Allie. You call him by his name, and he looks at you so tenderly—how can you say such a thing? It’s quite clear that you’ve become close.”
“You’re running away with your delusions, Lady Vivian.” I sipped my tea one last time before setting it down. “Do calm yourself.”
She sighed. “Very well. If you’re not ready to discuss it, then that’s another matter entirely.”
I wasn’t ready.
Too many feelings were warring within me, especially for how little time we’d spent together. Even if we had gone from strangers to living together, I couldn’t quite fathom this indescribable pull I felt towards him.
It was terrifying and comforting in a way I didn’t understand.
“Thank you. Do you mind if I embroider while we talk?” I pulled out the embroidery hoop I’d hidden behind the throw pillow next to me. “I’m behind on my handkerchief.”
She dropped her gaze to the hoop. “You’ve only just started.”
“I forgot!” I threaded the needle through the fabric. “Between us, I wasn’t sure Kalon would accept one, so I think I subconsciously didn’t focus on it.”
“That, and you’ve been extremely busy with your aid policy, I hear.”
“Has the news of it reached the capital? Goodness.” I focused on my work. “I’m sure it’s been much embellished, but that’s enough about me. Tell me more about the news you shared in my letter.”
She sat forwards, her eyes glittered. “Oho, you mean about your family?”
“Of course. What’s going on?”
“Well, it’s as I said. Marchioness Vermillion blamed the invitation scandal on Lady Sophia to save face, and your father withdrew her from high society in order to undergo a proper noblewoman’s education.”
“Interesting. What triggered such a move? I recall he didn’t much care when we were children.” Or perhaps, given his own prior admission that he was unaware of what was going on in his household, he genuinely didn’t know.
Both were as likely as the other.
“Rumours of your monster aid policy reached us before you’d even presented it to the Stein nobles.
After all, you were the talk of the capital after your engagement to the Grand Duke was confirmed, and people were desperate to learn more about you.
The rumours of your hidden political prowess stoked the fire that the marchioness and Lady Sophia had started.
” Vivi sipped her tea. “And, as I said in my letter, the servants were all too quick to share what they knew. Your father had no choice but to put his foot down with your stepmother and your sister.”
“It took him long enough,” I remarked. “I’m glad they’re both facing the consequences of their actions.”
“Indeed. You played a smart hand at Georgina’s tea party with the way you navigated her showing up.”
“I had to. I could no longer stand how they treated me. They went too far.”
“I daresay that pushing someone down the stairs could count as bad treatment, yes.”
“What a fantastic imagination you have, Vivi.” I smiled, keeping my gaze cast downwards at my embroidery. “I actually have a favour to ask of you, if you don’t mind.”
“How could I ever?” she replied sweetly. “What is it?”
“We’ve come accompanied by the head mage and a few others from Stein. Lady Aerwyna wants to forge a closer bond with the Magic Tower, and I hoped you might be able to help with it.”
She paused, pressing her lips together. “I can’t promise much with the current group of old guys in charge.
They believe that the tower should be the singular home of mages across the empire, and they’re particularly stuffy about Stein.
The mages are said to be exceptionally talented, perhaps more so than many of ours here. ”
“What about Lord Ivan?”
“That’s about all I can do. My father’s hands are tied by the council of mages, but Ivan’s situation is very different. He often does things like this on my father’s behalf, and he doesn’t have a good relationship with all the older mages anyway.”
“Why not?”
“His noble rank. Why else?” She held out her hands and shrugged like it was the most obvious answer.
“Between us, His Majesty has already decreed that Ivan will receive the title of Marquess when he takes over as the Head Mage from my father, but they don’t like that the position is going to someone not from the top families. ”
Right. The Head Mage was usually from House Trelawney or one of the other major noble houses. Lord Ivan’s power had come out of left field for many, and it made sense that a lot of the older mages had an issue with him.
Personally, I thought that a little bit of new blood was a good thing.
“Are you sure that working with Stein’s mages won’t make things harder for him?” I briefly set my hoop down so I could sip my tea. “I would hate it if you both suffered because of my request.”
“Nonsense. Ivan is the future Head Mage—who else would be better than him to cultivate a relationship with Stein?” She smiled warmly. “Don’t you worry. Just introduce us at the ball, and I’ll take it from there.”
“All right. Thank you, Vivi.” I returned her smile. “How are the other ladies?”
“Practically chomping at the bit to see you at the hunt. I hope your tent will be open to us, because I don’t think Georgina will leave you alone. Oh, unless you’ll be sitting with the Imperial Family?”
I laughed, resuming my stitching. “No, I won’t be. I believe it was proposed by the Empress, but Kalon refused on the grounds that I’m not officially yet a member of the Imperial Family.”
“That’s right. When are you getting married, anyway? And where will it be? Here or Stein?”
“I’m not sure. We’ve decided upon a slightly longer engagement.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Is that because of your aid policy?”
“Partially. It’s a big job, and I want to fully settle IN before assuming all the duties of a Grand Duchess.”
“I wonder how long that will last. His Highness is surprisingly affectionate with you.”
I paused. “It shocks me on occasion, too. Then again, he did say that he convinced His Majesty to agree to our engagement by telling him that he fell in love with me at first sight.”
Vivi blinked at me. “He what?”
“That’s exactly what I said to him when I found out.” I sighed. “Anyway, that’s enough about that. You mentioned that you had something for me in your letter.”
“Ah, yes!” She sat up. “Tilly!”
The door opened, and a maid I recognised from our trip into town appeared. “You called, my lady?”
“Fetch Lady Alicia’s gift.”
“Of course.” Tilly stepped back out of the room before swiftly returning with a small box in hand. “Here you are, my lady.”
“Thank you.” Vivi immediately handed it to me. “Here.”