I FIGHT THE urge to run after her and slap her across her too-pretty face. Perhaps with the back of my hand, which bears two sharp rings. But Lady Cyn isn’t the actual problem. She’s simply desperate. She’s about to lose the only dream she’s ever truly held in her entire life; after that awful moment in the Hall of Mirrors, I should have expected one last, desperate act of malice from her.
Still…
A tip, the guard said. No one would search the future Queen on a simple suggestion from an adolescent lady of the court. No, even if Lady Cyn was the betrayer, the order would have to come from the King himself. I tipped my hand when I allowed him to see how much I needed Saber. When Lady Cyn ratted out her own supplier to her lover, she must have hoped the King would see me for what I really am—and throw me over, just days before the wedding.
Foolish whore. All she did was hand His Majesty a reason to separate me from the one person he thought I might sneak away with, leaving her path clear.
I spin from wherever Lady Cyn is headed and aim for the King’s public rooms instead. He’ll be there, likely surrounded by a dozen cronies, forcing me to face him very much in the court’s eye if I want to confront him at all. Sure enough, I find him in the Salon d’Apollon enjoying apéritifs with what looks like half the governing board. It’s strange to see him there with a group of powerful men, each no less than fifteen years his senior. I see for the first time just how hard he must work to hide his youth from them. But there’s no room in my heart for sympathy today.
“My liege,” I say with a calm smile.
“My love,” he replies, raising his glass jovially.
My insides explode, like the crystal diffuser I threw against Marie-Antoinette’s wall, but I don’t let myself betray so much as a flicker of my eyelashes. I simply stand, arms in careful ballerina arcs, fingertips touching in front of my skirts, with my head tilted slightly to the side in a pose of anticipation.
The men’s eyes keep darting to me, and I can feel the tension around us rise as I stand, so obviously wanting His Highness’ attention; His Highness so clearly ignoring me.
Finally he can avoid it no longer. “Do you require something, darling?”
That I don’t lash out at his false show of affection in this crucial moment is possibly the greatest victory a dance instructor has ever won.
“A brief word, Justin?” I ask, lowering my eyelids and bobbing the shallowest of curtsies as I commit the grievous sin of addressing him by his first name in front of his much-older toadies.
“A word and a kiss, perhaps?” he says, challenge glimmering in his eyes alongside anger.
Silently, I offer him not my mouth, nor my cheek, but raise my gloved hand.
The men around him burst into laughter, and though he shoots me a swift glare, His Majesty joins them.
“Methinks my lady is displeased with me.” The wry comment is made in Duke Darzi’s ear and behind a gloved hand, but easily loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. There are mutters of good-natured ribbing, and the King steps forward, makes me a deep, elaborate bow with multiple flourishes, then rises and offers me his arm.
“A turn about the salon would be lovely,” I say, making it clear that we are not to adjourn to his private office.
“The better to be seen, my dear.”
“My, what large teeth you have,” I reply. The brandy on his breath makes my stomach simmer. As we depart the gentlemen, I tilt my head toward his as though I have secrets to share. “You’ve just deprived me of my personal secretary, two days before my wedding. I fail to see how you expect me to get anything done.”
“Not to worry—I’m bringing in a dozen extra staff this evening. Any and all of them are at your disposal.” He makes no attempt to deny that it was his doing.
“There’s so much that will need to be redone without Saber’s presence.”
“I’m replacing him with twelve ladies,” His Highness says, putting a clear emphasis on the new staff members’ gender. “I’m confident you’ll manage.”
I quickly glance around us. “Abandon this pretense, Justin. Why?” I stop walking and turn to look him square in the face.
“I was informed that this outsider was bringing illicit substances into the palace. You know I can’t turn a blind eye to that.”