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“Cousin! Lord Beric!” Cali’s cousin greeted us as if she wasn’t a rat in a ball gown, waving her ringed finger at us. “I don’t believe you’ve yet met my fiancé, His Grace the Duke of Westershire.”

The duke looked sickly pale as he greeted Cali. Almost immediately he avoided eye contact with me, distracting himself with his glass of wine. It was uncanny how much these two deserved each other, and how much neither of them deserved to be here.

“Congratulations, Ann,” Cali said, in a far more gracious tone than I could have ever mustered. God, she was perfect. “When will the wedding be?”

“I was thinking this autumn, when the leaves change,” Anise said, excitedly. “But James has to go back to the continent in a month’s time, so it’ll be in a fortnight, instead.”

“More than enough time for a splendid wedding.”

Anise chuckled. “Oh Cali, if they could pull yours together in a day, certainly mine will be even more spectacular in two weeks.”

There would be no royal attendants planning and arranging her wedding—that would be financed by the duke, not the crown. And no event on earth could top a royal wedding. But, as I glanced at Cali and caught her looking at me, it made me realize that we were so close to being rid of her cousin that there was no sense in starting an argument now.

And yet, if I had to converse with her much longer, watch her disrespect my knight, I may well open my mouth and say too much.

“Lord Beric,” said an approaching guard. “Deus Rex would like a word with you.”

Thank God.

“Slow down, darling,” Anise fussed quietly at her duke, righting his glass. “We only just arrived.”

“I’m thirsty,” he muttered.

“Hurry back, please,” Cali said, giving me a pleading look.

I nodded and caressed her soft cheek, nearly melting as she leaned into my touch like a content kitten. I did hate leaving her with these awful people, but she had her maids with her, at least. It was better to give the king what he wanted quickly, then come back and enjoy Cali’s company for the rest of the day.

The king was on his throne, elevated on a platform, under a large canopy. He truly did hate the outdoors, so the fact that he was out here at all was a miracle.

I bowed before stepping up onto the platform, crouching down beside his throne so I could be close enough to speak quietly while out of the way of his antlers.

“Is something wrong, sire?” I asked.

“Absolutely nothing.” He leaned on the arm of his throne to get closer to me. “Would you like to tell us why you were in Calliope’s room this morning?”

I fought not to blush, heat creeping up my neck. “Not for indecent reasons.”

He made a sound of disappointment. “How dull.”

Part of me wasn’t sure if I should tell him, what I should say. Perhaps since he wasn’t close to Cali, he might not mind that I was. And besides, contradicting him now would just be calling him a liar, and people were killed for less.

“Well…” I said, “perhaps not entirely decent either.”

“That’s what we thought. And you’re arm in arm in public, so it’s clearly not just physical.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders to pull me closer. “Don’t get shy on us, Beric. It’s perfectly natural, after all. And, in your case, it’s about time.”

He laughed, and I felt the corner of my mouth twitch into a smile.

“Look at you,” he said. “Smitten.”

“Yes, sire,” I admitted.

“Well, we’re glad to hear it. We thought for certain you would die alone, just you and that horse of yours. This is much more normal for a boy your age.”

I winced at his choice of word. Normal. “Yes, sire. Thank you.”

He released me, and I heard the smile in his voice when he said, “We just wanted to confirm our suspicions. Now go be with our little muse, with our blessing.”

I bowed and left him, immediately looking around for Cali. I sighed, shaking my head as I spotted Eliza and Sunny flirting. This was a nice event—different than normal—but it didn’t mean Cali wasn’t still our priority.