“Courtships fail,” Emily said, sharply. Lady Barb had had a failed courtship, although Emily didn’t know the details. “It happens.”
She controlled her anger with an effort. “Inform your mother that we are no longer courting,” she said, stiffly. No doubt Sienna would start looking at eligible young women for her oldest surviving son. She told herself, firmly, that she wasn’t going to be jealous when Caleb finally found a wife. “And that we are still friends.”
Caleb blinked. “Friends?”
Emily hid her amusement. She didn’t want him to think she was laughing at him. “We have a project to finish,” she reminded him. “And a university to build.”
He gaped at her. “You still want me to help?”
“We can’t get out of doing the project,” Emily pointed out. They’d both be in trouble if they failed to scrape a passing grade. “I’m not explaining to Lady Barb why I had to repeat Fifth and Sixth Year.”
“I suppose it would be an awkward explanation,” Caleb said. “Mother would not be pleased, either.”
Emily smiled, despite herself. “No, she wouldn’t,” she agreed. It would have been nice to have a parent who cared about her grades, but she could see the downside. “She’d be much more likely to lock you in your room and force you to study.”
“She would.” Caleb looked pensive. “She was always furious when we came home with poor grades or bad reports. Casper couldn’t sit down for a week after his teacher tattled on him for some silly prank.”
“Ouch,” Emily said. She believed him. “And afterwards, we do have to open a university.”
She smiled. Caleb wouldn’t be happy running his family, but he’d have time to work on Heart’s Eye before his parents died. Hell, perhaps Sienna would be interested in helping with the university. She knew a lot of magicians who might be willing to share what they knew…
“If we can,” Caleb said.
Emily held out a hand. “Friends?”
Caleb took her hand and shook it, gravely. “Friends.”
It wasn’t going to be easy, Emily knew, as they resumed their walk towards the northern bridge. They’d been lovers, with all that implied…their relationship would never be simple, no matter what they did. Part of her still wanted to kiss him, even though she knew she could never go back. The girl who’d courted Caleb had died in the Temple of Justice, too.
“I heard that Annabel Vesperian and her son were sighted in Zangaria,” Caleb said. “Do you think King Randor intends to use them?”
Emily shrugged. Vesperian had owned property in Zangaria. No doubt Markus and the rest of the bankers would lay claim to it eventually, once they collected the notes and sorted out what they were owed. Vesperian’s heirs would be wise to run further, if King Randor wasn’t keeping them in custody. They’d have enemies in Beneficence until the day they died.
“I imagine they’re of little use,” she said. She knew next to nothing about Vesperian’s wife and son, but she was fairly sure they wouldn’t be much use to Randor. Unless he held them until they could be traded back to the city for concessions…perhaps he’d send them back anyway, as a gesture of good will. It would get some use out of the hapless pair. “I don’t know what he’ll do with them, if he has them.”
They stopped, for a moment, at the foot of Temple Row. A small army of priests, and builders were already at work, trying to rebuild the destroyed temples. The original statues seemed beyond repair, but a number of smaller statues of household gods had been put up in their place. Emily wondered, as she watched a team of builders carrying a golden relic out of one of the temples, what the destruction would mean for the city’s religions. Who knew what they would come to believe?
“They’re not planning to rebuild the Temple of Justice,” Caleb commented. “Mother was saying that most of the worshippers are dead or gone.”
Emily winced. “That will go down well.”
“Probably,” Caleb agreed, equally sardonically. “But then, there is a gash in the floor that leads down to the sewers, so workmen have to be paid danger money to work there.”
“And wind up swimming in sludge if they’re not careful,” Emily said. They started to walk on. “Has…has your mother started talking about other girls for you?”
Caleb shook his head. “By tradition, there’s supposed to be a three-month gap between the end of one courtship and the start of another. We were careful, but still…”
Emily nodded, curtly. They’d taken precautions against pregnancy, precautions that were supposed to be infallible, but tradition had its uses. Three months was more than long enough for them to come to terms with the end of their relationship. Maybe she wouldn’t be upset when she saw Caleb with another girl…
Her heart clenched. She knew it wouldn’t be easy.
But you’ll have to get used to it, she told herself, firmly. Cursing his future bride is not acceptable behavior.
Caleb gave her an odd look. “And you?”
Emily shook her head. She didn’t have anyone who would try to arrange a marriage for her, no close family who’d start the negotiating process without even bothering to check with her first. Void was the closest thing she had to a father, and he’d made it clear that he wouldn’t arrange anything for her without her permission. He’d also told her that he’d received a number of requests for her hand, but he hadn’t bothered to reply. Emily couldn’t help feeling grateful. The idea that complete strangers, some of them easily old enough to be her father or grandfather, would want to marry her…
Her lips twisted in disgust, then annoyance. She wouldn’t date again for a while, perhaps not until after she’d left Whitehall. And who knew what would happen then?
“I’m sure mother would be willing to help,” Caleb said. “She knows people…”