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“News?” Princess Alder responded, shaking her head so her curly, blonde ringlets bounced around her face. She was a pretty woman, if not a bit round. With her large, brown eyes, pert nose, rosebud mouth and pink cheeks, she had the look of a young child though I guessed her to be in her middle or late thirties.
“Your friend, Duke Wylder, is a traitor,” Nicolo stated matter-of-factly.
“Is that so?” Princess Alder asked, not in the least bit thrown off by the mention of Wylder’s name. In fact, she was still wearing that cat-in-heat expression on her face and hadn’t yet removed her eyes from Nicolo, even though her insipid husband stood just beside her.
Nicolo nodded. “Last night Wylder attempted to assassinate your royal brother.”
“Attempted?” Duke Prius finally got a word in as he took a step forward, apparently to assert himself. “I take it the assassination wasn’t successful? I do hope the prince is quite unharmed?”
“Quite unharmed,” replied Nicolo, his eyes never leaving Alder’s face.
“Thanks be to the Great God,” said Duke Prius on a long sigh as he shook his head. It sounded to me as though he meant his words and I had to wonder how much he knew of his scheming wife’s plans.
“While that is quite terrible news and I am… simplyoverjoyedto know my brother still lives, I do not understand why that brings you here,” Alder’s tone was now edged in ice and her chocolate eyes were narrowed on Nicolo’s.
“We’re in pursuit of Wylder.”
“And you believe he came this way?” she asked with a little laugh that said we were all ill-informed and possibly even stupid.
“I have it on good report, yes,” Nicolo answered, his lips tight.
“Do you?” Alder asked.
“I can think of at least one good reason why Wylder would seek you out,” Nicolo responded.
“Master Nicolo,” the duke spoke up, angrily “are you accusingmeof treason?”
“Absolutely not, your Grace,” Nicolo clarified as he dignified the duke with a pointed look. “I’m certainyouhad no idea of the sorts of friends your wife was making.”
“How dare you!” the duke railed.
It was hard to tell if the duke was more enraged by the slur against his wife or by the idea that he had no control over her or knowledge of what she was doing, but he stepped forward, all the same.
“You forget you are talking to your better!” the duke yelled, drawing his sword.
Nicolo’s sword was out of its sheath in an instant—so fast, I didn’t even see it happen—and in two strokes, he’d disarmed the duke and kicked him to the ground. The duke seemed as flummoxed as the rest of us, his face and four chins as red as the silk wrapped around his abundant belly.
The duke’s own guards rushed forward, but our men were ready for them.
“Stop!” Nicolo’s blade now pointed at the princess, though he addressed her guards. “You are all soldiers of Queen Nell. I will not have you brawling. But if you obstruct my men in the execution of the queen’s duty, then I shall consider it treason.”
The guards backed off and Nicolo addressed his party.
“Search the place and leave nothing unturned. Tear the tapestries from the walls if you have to. If Wylder himself isn’t here, someone is.”
The soldiers hurried off to do his bidding and Nicolo lowered his sword, offering a hand to the duke.
“I apologize, your Grace, but time is of the essence and the life of the prince is at stake.”
Duke Prius said nothing. He didn’t take Nicolo’s hand, but righted himself (which took quite a bit longer than it should have and I had to wonder if the duke had weak knees), shooting a dark look at his wife before he strode out of the room. Princess Alder watched him go with very little interest then turned to Nicolo.
“You shouldn’t allow your jealousy to get the better of you, Nicolo.” That coquettish smile was back in place and she took a few steps away from Nicolo but watched him all the while.
Nicolo sneered. “I am not a man who has ever nor will ever know jealousy.”
I wanted to snort at that but managed to keep it in.
“And, yet, here you are, Nicolo, brandishing your sword skill and making a silly example of my husband… does not that wreak of jealousy?”
