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Edmund gave an elven shrug—a gesture too subtle to be noticed by the humans around them. “You are an elf. It would be unusual if you didn’t want to see the flowers.”
Jalissa’s shoulders sagged in relief, then a real smile crossed her face.
Edmund flourished a wave in the direction of the booth. “Come along, darling flower. I know how you love plants.”
Jalissa was just about bouncing on her toes by the time they reached the booth. Once there, Edmund let her go to wander through the booth. She trailed her fingers over the plants, and each of them perked up a bit at her touch.
At the far corner, she halted by a small, white orchid, her fingers lingering on one of its leaves.
Edmund sauntered to the proprietor and pointed at the orchid. “How much for that one?”
When the man told him, Edmund handed over the bills, then strolled to Jalissa. He rested a hand on her lower back and leaned in close. “It’s yours.”
“Really?” Jalissa picked up the tiny orchid in the pot and cradled it to her.
If they had to flee, Edmund would make sure that orchid came along, no matter what it took. He wasn’t going to ask her to leave it behind when he could see how much she had already bonded with it.
* * *
That evening after supper,Edmund left Jalissa in the drawing room with the other ladies. Most of the noblemen retired to the smoking room. A few stood around, sipping brandy and talking. But a group of them gathered around the table, and one started shuffling a deck of cards.
Edmund plopped into an open seat, reached inside his velvet, burgundy jacket, and tossed some of the bills he’d saved from the morning’s jaunt onto the table. “Well, gentlemen, what are we playing for? Bragging rights, or real money?”
Several of the noblemen exchanged looks, before the one shuffling cards grinned. “Real money, of course. If that doesn’t go against your uptight Escarlish morals, Prince Edmund?”
“The rumors of Escarlish morals are greatly exaggerated.” Edmund waved airily, then swept up the cards he was dealt.
He worked to keep his expression empty, even as he studied each of his opponents. As the hands progressed, he mentally counted the cards, picking which hands to win and which hands to lose.
By the end of the night, he had won enough to double the meager stash of money he’d started with. It was a decent amount, but not enough to raise eyebrows. Several of the men at that table had won far more—while others had lost amounts that would have been huge for anyone but these far-too-wealthy noblemen.
As the night grew later, Edmund finally bowed out and strolled toward the parlor to collect Jalissa to catch some sleep before he left for another night of spying.
A few more evenings of cards like this, and he’d grow his money into quite the sum. Hopefully it would be enough for his first choice of escape route out of Mongavaria if things went wrong here. He had alternate escape routes—and an alternate stash of money hidden away in one of his trunks—if this current plan didn’t work out. But this first option was the quickest and safest. As long as he could amass enough money without the king or his son thinking anything of it.
ChapterFive
As they left yet another luncheon, Edmund steered Jalissa down the hallway that led to the king’s bedchamber. Sarya and Alvin trailed behind them.
Jalissa’s eyebrows scrunched. “Where are we going?”
“I need to search the king’s bedchamber while he’s gone. I can’t do that at night while he’s sleeping in the room.” Edmund glanced around as they hurried down the halls as quickly as he dared.
As he had hoped, the king’s suite wasn’t guarded during the day. Which likely meant that he didn’t keep any incriminating paperwork here, but it was worth a look.
It was locked, but a few seconds and his lockpicks quickly fixed that problem.
“Keep a look out, will you, Sarya?” Edmund glanced at her as he slid his lockpicks back into the hidden pocket in his shirt.
Sarya nodded, then took up a station next to the door.
Alvin pointed at the next door down. “I’ll check the crown prince’s room.”
Edmund nodded, then steered Jalissa inside the king’s room. An opulent sitting room in light blues and golden yellows spread before them. “Could you search this room? Pay attention for any hidden levers or panels. I’ll check the bedchamber.”
Jalissa nodded, then set to work searching through the books on the small bookshelf to one side. It seemed to be more decorative than anything else, but it wouldn’t hurt to check everything.
He stepped inside the bedchamber and started at one side of the room, checking the wall, the floor, and all the furniture as he made his way in a circle around the room.
