“Since finding out our sweet Lina’s birthright I have set up a system to prevent as many prying eyes as possible, including removing a few servants from the Ladrole.” Varan took the tray and brought it over to the low table in the sitting area.
Nadyah brushed invisible dust off the couch before sitting. It looked more…battered than before. The chaise was also new. “Redecorated?” she asked.
Adelina sprawled on the chaise, one leg up on the cushion and the other firmly planted on the ground. She was the picture of nonchalance, but Nadyah knew better. There was a tenseness to the princess’s jaw and every once in a while she could see Adelina clench her teeth as though every movement was a trial to keep up the appearance of humanity.
“I had a bit of a brawl, nothing irreplaceable was damaged.” Varan served them both tea and selected a few choice bits for each of them before he sat on the couch as far away from Nadyah as he could get. He must still be irritated with her about what had happened at Adelina’s coming-of-age party.
Finally, those emerald eyes studied Adelina and she stiffened, so slight none would notice but those who knew her well. “That prick Hayden deserved it, and more,” Varan finally said.
The muscles in Adelina’s shoulders relaxed and so did Nadyah. “I need an update,” was all Adelina said. She left the food and drink untouched.
Nadyah sipped at the steaming, fragrant tea. It was delicious and gave her something to do. Varan was too observant; he’d eventually notice her sneaking glances. She’d have to ask him at some point, and the thief would want to know why she needed his DNA. Should she tell him the truth, or a half-truth?
Varan tossed his shreve to Adelina. “I have a few mercenary companies that have agreed to work for me. They are willing to take the oath. There are also the warriors I have access to. You will have to decide if you want them knowing the truth or not. No matter how good your disguise is, a few of them will notice similarities. All in all I have fifteen thousand profiles for you to go through, approve, and choose who comes with. They all know they will be taking our ships and not theirs, and that you will require them to wear your uniforms.”
Adelina’s eyes sparkled at that and she took out her own shreve to compare. Her fingers flew as she made notations. “I’ve actually been working on a new type of armor,” she confessed. “My factories will start producing it tomorrow if you have a few people willing to meet with me, and then test it. It should be stronger than anything – short of Corinthian tech. It will also be light enough you can’t even feel it.”
Varan leaned forward to watch her transfer data and pull up various different designs.
Nadyah hadn’t been told about the plans for the spidersilk armor, but she still monitored Adelina’s shreves, picking and choosing what to share with the Spider; whom she still had to speak to before they left. Perhaps Jael would come to the palace, or perhaps she and Adelina could request a visit to the House of Kismet.
If Adelina’s design held true it would be a breakthrough in strong and lightweight armor thanks to the help of a few of the weavers. It could save countless lives. Nadyah wondered if Adelina would share the design with Raena or not.
“I brought the tech Nash gave me to put into the starships,” Adelina continued, not once looking away from the shreves. “I’ll be taking one starship from our personal fleet, and the other two will be purchased for this occasion,” Adelina explained. “Once I became of age, I was supposed to be assigned a flagship of my own so this works out perfectly.”
Varan smirked and yanked her shreve right out of her hand. “Raena is allowing you to purchase starships? That is a lot of gold.”
Adelina snatched back the shreve and glared at him. “I will be paying for the starships myself. They will be owned by me personally so any attempts from the Crown to commandeer them have to go through me.”
Nadyah’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure how much starships cost these days, but if the princess had that kind of gold lying around where did she keep it all? Then she smirked at Varan’s look of surprise; at least she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t known. It was good to know he didn’t have his fingers in as many pies as she’d originally assumed.
“Will we be shopping soon?” Nadyah asked, sipping her tea.
Adelina shook her head and made a few more transfers. “No, Varan will be.”
The male actually scoffed and those predatory eyes slid to him. Instantly Varan turned it into a cough and leaned back casually. Nadyah knew it was actually to get out of reach of those nails of Adelina’s. “I actually have already started searching, having anticipated the need,” he said simply, hands palms out.
She gave him a small smile and went back to work. “Perfect, we will need two starships – previously used, but with enough room for at least fourteen thousand between them. I can fit another five thousand if need be on my flagship which you, Varan, will help me choose as the most trustworthy and loyal out of them all. Then I will transfer the gold. Make sure to find a mechanic for me. One we will entrust with Nash’s tech. We will completely redo each of the starships including my flagship…and I want them done in a week.”
Adelina finished and tossed Varan the copy of Nash’s tech.
The thief wisely said nothing and Nadyah crossed her arms to wait and see what he would say.
“You said we weren’t leaving for at least two weeks,” he said, accepting his shreve from the princess.
Adelina placed a piece fruit into her mouth and Nadyah watched as she set it on her tongue, sensual enough Nadyah tucked her legs underneath her and looked away. It was the first time the two of them could really relax in days, or was it weeks? Even in the privacy of their rooms the weight of the palace was constantly on their minds. Raena’s room was too close for comfort.
Nadyah had gotten some good information from Caspian earlier and had already begun her own work to gather the supplies they would need for the trip. The budget Raena had sent over on a cast was so pitiful she’d nearly laughed. It was as though the crown princess wanted them to fail, to be unable to make the trip.
Varan shrugged. “I have a mechanic, but they will need a team to do what you want in that amount of time.”
Adelina simply stared at him. “I don’t care what it costs, Varan. Get this mechanic an entire army if you need to, but I want those ships ready as quickly as possible.”
Varan tapped those long, sinful fingers against the arm of the couch. “She is downstairs,” he said slowly. “Would you like me to bring her up here?”