Kazia waves. “Don’t mind me.”
“His Highness was just leaving,” Radovan says. His hint falls on deaf ears, as Kazia doesn’t move.
Sei gestures to the pile of trunks. “Are you going somewhere?”
“I am, in fact.” Radovan pats down his dusty robe. “I’ve hit a snag in my project for Queen Aliza, and I won’t get the new research results for at least six months. So, I’ve agreed to join you and Prince Marek up north after all.”
Sei brightens. “To work on the teleportation experiment?”
“That’s the one.” Radovan smiles. “I’m traveling by horse, which means if I leave tomorrow, I should reach Talorna by the time you and His Highness fly up.”
“I’m sorry your project is delayed, but I’ll be glad to have another friend up north.” Life in Draskora has been easier since Marek stopped avoiding him, but Sei is still nervous about starting over in yet another new place.
“I’m glad as well.” Radovan’s smile fades at the sight of his laboratory. “I apologize for the mess. I find packing rather stressful. Most of this isn’t even coming with me. But I have to store the more sensitive items away, to protect them from meddling hands.”
His glare at Kazia isn’t subtle. Kazia ignores it.
Unlike Kazia, Sei can take a hint. “I find packing stressful too. I’ll leave you to it and see you in a couple weeks.”
Kazia hops down from the counter. His boots echo against the floor. “Yes, Lord Radovan is very busy. Walk with me instead.”
Sei glances at the guards—who simply wait for Sei to move.
Marek probably wouldn’t want Sei to hang out with Kazia, but Sei isn’t exactly afraid of angering Marek anymore. So, Sei submits to his curiosity. “Yes, Your Highness.”
He follows Kazia from the laboratory, and the guards trail after them. After several turns, they end up in an unfamiliar corridor, which opens into an equally unfamiliar library. Comfortable tables and chairs fill the wide chamber. The glass-enclosed bookshelves only rise halfway towards the ceiling, leaving the rest of the walls free for ornate tapestries.
Scalestone fragments shimmer overhead, wrought into an elegant chandelier. Lavender light reflects here and there throughout the room, punctuating the soft golden glow of the ordinary lamps.
Kazia points to the chandelier. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
Sei hesitates. “Why does that sound like a trick question, Your Highness?”
“Because you’re less stupid than I expected.” Kazia gestures at the guards. “You two can wait at the door. I’m not going to eat him.”
At Sei’s nod, the guards take up positions at the door. Sei follows Kazia on a winding path between the tables. “If you’re not going to eat me, whatdoyou want?”
Kazia stops at a table on the far side of the room and braces his hands against the back of the chair. Scalestone reflections pass over him, the same color as his long hair. His face is as sharp as ever, but for a moment, the young prince looks incredibly lonely.
Sei leans against the chair next to him and waits.
Eventually, Kazia asks, “Does sharing magic hurt for you?”
“What?” Sei stares, but Kazia doesn’t repeat the questions. “No. Of course not.”
Sei has only shared his magic a few times. Guild mages draw power from the grails at various points in their training. Just enough to confirm the grail’s magic works as it should, and to teach the grails how it’s supposed to feel. Sei found the process satisfying, for lack of a better term. Strange at first, but it didn’t hurt.
“Your Highness.” Sei lowers his voice even more, so the guards across the room can’t hear. “Why do you hate grails so much?”
“The chandelier is new,” Kazia remarks instead of answering. He twists a strand of hair around his finger. “Mother had it installed before the Fellrian ambassador visited. The old chandelier would have been so awkward to explain.”
Uneasiness itches behind Sei’s neck. The Fellrian ambassador was Lady Naoko. Why is Kazia bringing up Sei’s mother?
“Ages ago, Queen Eliska the Second had a favorite grail,” Kazia continues. “A beloved pet. The man’s name isn’t recorded anywhere. Guess what happened to him.”
Sei shakes his head.
“Eliska burned out her pet during a war with Silaise. She was a gracious queen, so she kept the man around even though he was deranged and useless. After the grail died, Eliska turned his bones into a chandelier. The skeleton has hung in this room ever since—until this summer.”
