Page 18 of A Filling of Fables and Firelight

KAMARAN

“Remind me, Zamar—how exactly does a garden party help you determine desirable qualities in my future spouse?”

Kamaran clasped his hands behind his back as they stood at the edge of the palace gardens, surveying the scene that played out before them. Brightly colored canopies were interspersed among the lush greens, offering shade from the afternoon sun. Water droplets from the large, cascading fountain in the center of the garden created tiny rainbows, and the sound of the water was a soothing backdrop for the bright tones of chatter and laughter. Tables of refreshments had been set up nearby, with tiered platters of fruit, cheeses, and delicately frosted cakes, as well as a crystal bowl full of rose-colored punch. Guests meandered along meticulously manicured paths or congregated in small groups, talking and laughing and in general seeming to be enjoying the afternoon much more than he was.

“The ladies were all responsible for the planning and execution of the event.” Zamar looked up from his clipboard of notes. “Excluding Fatima, of course.”

The brash, overconfident woman had been the first to be eliminated from the contest, a fact that Kamaran was only disappointed by because it meant that Lady Yasmin was still in the running.

“What you see is a result of their combined efforts and organizational skills.” The vizier dropped his notes to his side and smiled as one of the contestants approached, carrying two crystal glasses full of light pink liquid. Her blush-colored dress was beautiful, but not eye-catching, and the only embellishment she wore were the pearls that studded the thick, dark braid that fell over her shoulder.

Aliyah, Kamaran reminded himself as she drew closer. From Nabil, in the western region of the empire. Her grandfather was the grand vizier when Father was a boy, and somewhere in the family tree there was a union between an uncle and one of the princesses. She listed economics and political strategy as areas of interest, but who knows if she said that because it’s true or because she thought it was the right answer?

She stopped an arm’s length away, forcing his thoughts to still. Her smile was soft and charming as she held out the drinks in offering. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. I saw you both standing here in the sun and thought something to drink might be a welcome refreshment.”

Zamar reached for the glass and Kamaran followed suit. “Not nearly as welcome or refreshing as your smile,” he said smoothly, falling into old habits with the same ease as slipping on a pair of well-worn sandals. He lifted the glass in a silent toast. “Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.”

“And noted, perhaps?” There was a teasing sparkle in her eye, an arch lift of her brow that reminded him a little of Rana.

The thought of the prickly princess quickly sobered him, and he dropped the flirtatious edge.

For all her accusations, I’m not cruel. I didn’t ask for this, and I certainly don’t want to lead any of these women on.

He hadn’t missed the pointed commentary in her story when she said that some princes were simply lizards, and he had enough intelligence and self-awareness to know that she was directly referring to him when she said it. Though he knew he should take offense—in fact, he would have, had the insinuation come from anyone else—instead, he found himself wanting to dig in his heels and prove her wrong.

He wanted a different ending to the story.

But despite returning to the room every night for nearly a week, he had yet to find where she was keeping herself. Even now, he kept catching himself searching the crowd for an intriguing pair of dark eyes and a mischievous smile.

“Your gesture has been noted,” Zamar answered with a little too much enthusiasm for Kamaran’s liking, drawing him out of his thoughts and back to the present. “We appreciate your thoughtful awareness of your guests.”

Aliyah acknowledged the words with another bright smile. “It’s truly a pleasure. I have to get back to my duties, but let me know if you need anything else.”

She wiggled her fingers over her shoulder in a wave as she melted back into the crowd. Zamar sipped his drink thoughtfully. “She could be good for you.”

Kamaran froze with his own cup halfway to his lips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She’s polite, but not fawning. Goodness knows you need a wife who won’t just tell you the things you want to hear and make your head any bigger than it already is.”

Once again, thoughts of Rana and the challenging spark in her eyes flitted through his mind. She certainly doesn’t have a problem knocking me down a few pegs.

Rather than voicing his train of thought, he answered drily, “Such a flattering opinion you have of me and my head.”

“I just want to ensure your crown will still fit. It would be a shame to have to have it resized.”

Kamaran snorted. “Back to the party—what exactly are we learning? How well your contestants can play with others?”

His eyes did another sweep of the gardens. Yasmin was stationed beside a table of refreshments and was holding court over a small crowd of admirers. Aliyah was moving through the guests with a practiced ease, while Nour and Laila busied themselves with making sure the glasses of punch never ran empty. Inara was lost somewhere in the crowd, but he could hear her cackling laughter over the buzz of conversation.

But where is Rana?

“That, and how they respond when everything falls into chaos.”

His attention snapped back to Zamar. “What?”

Someone let out a startled yelp that turned into a scream as a tiger bounded over a low hedge into the courtyard, hot on the heels of Rana’s fox. They tore through the gathered guests, leaving pandemonium in their wake as people shoved and jostled one another in their haste to get out of the way. Zade darted under one of the tables and the tiger followed, pulling the edge of the tablecloth with him and sending the tiers of cakes and fruit tumbling over. Yasmin shrieked as she tried to push her way through the people in front of her to get away from the mess, but tripped and fell backwards into the table with her arms spinning like a pin wheel.

“Is that Jasper’s tiger?” Kamaran wasn’t even sure where to look next as what had been a pleasant afternoon started to resemble a war scene. “What is it doing here?”