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But she needn’t say more. She had me at—
“Chess? You play that here, too?”
Thank God! Chess was something I could actually do to help pass the time.
“Well…” Nicolette winced ruefully. “I’ve never actually played it myself; I don’t know how. But I know Brentley can, and sometimes Caulder will.”
“Do you want to learn?” I asked. “I could teach you.” Teaching chess might actually take up more time than simply playing against someone who already knew how. I hoped she was willing. I needed something to fill my days, or I’d go mad.
Nicolette’s face lit up. “Would you? Really?” She gazed at me as if I’d just saved her life. “That would be marvelous. Thank you. We can start directly after dinner if you’d like.”
“I’d be honored,” I started, only for the queen to clear her throat loudly enough to gain the attention of everyone at the table.
“Don’t you have math or spelling lessons or something with your tutor after dinner, Nicolette?” she asked pointedly.
The princess wrinkled her nose as she sta
red back. “No. All my tutoring sessions end before noon, Your Majesty. And I believe you explicitly forbade my tutors from teaching me my numbers past adding and subtracting.”
Yasmin merely lifted her nose. “Yes, well. Like I said, there’s no need for a lady of substance to learn such frivolous subjects. You’ll thank me one day when your husband wishes you to sing a pretty tune for him, when all you would’ve been able to do otherwise is divide four from twelve.”
“It’s three, you old hag,” Nicolette muttered under her breath.
No one else could hear her but me, of course, but that didn’t mean the queen hadn’t seen her lips move.
“What was that?” Yasmin demanded, narrowing her eyes.
Flushing, Nicolette cleared her throat. “I said, yes, I understand completely.”
Yasmin clearly didn’t believe her. Scowling haughtily, she opened her mouth to say something, but her sister suddenly blurted, “Princess Allera!”
I’d been doing so well at mostly ignoring her presence in the room. But the moment her voice entered my ear, a jolt of need flushed through me, chilling and heating my skin like a lust-filled rash. Damn, but I liked her voice. It was low and melodious, like a mother singing her child to sleep. And yet, despite the peaceful qualities infused within it, it stirred an anxiousness in me, a want and need that fueled my blood like a drug.
I was instantly aroused.
Next to me, my sister jumped to attention before turning from Brentley and wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Yes, my lady?” she finally said.
Lady Vienne’s smile was tense as she glanced cautiously between Nicolette and Yasmin. As she turned her gaze back to my sister and pressed a hand against her heart, I realized she was trying to divert the queen and princess’s attention away from having an argument. “Sorry for the interruption,” she started. “But I just remembered I wanted to thank you for the gift you left outside my chamber door today.”
Oh…shit.
Realizing this could go south so very quickly, I sank lower in my seat and became quite fascinated with the salad a servant had just set before me.
Next to me, Allera froze solid before slowly saying, “G-gift, my lady?”
“Yes.” Vienne’s voice was filled with rueful embarrassment. “I didn’t realize our conversation about my passion for grumpackers would prompt you into leaving two heaping baskets of them outside my bedchamber, but I’m most delighted by them. Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness.”
“I…” Allera started slowly, only for Brentley to exclaim, “Oh! Is that why I had to show your brother the way to the market square earlier? So he could procure the baskets of fruit for you, my lady? Now, it makes sense.”
Allera stared at him blankly a moment before she sharply turned my way. I sent her a quick, mute—guilty—glance. The scowl she returned told me I was going to be in so much trouble as soon as she got me somewhere alone.
But then her smile bloomed, and she turned back to Vienne. “Well, I was just… I was inspired, my lady, by…by our conversation this morning. And I… I wanted to make a good impression on you.”
Vienne nodded gracefully. “Well, it worked. Thank you again.”
“Anytime.”
Under the table, Allera grabbed my leg and sunk her fingernails harshly into my thigh, warning me of what I already knew was coming.
