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Sarya gave him a look but headed to the door. She stepped inside. A few moments later, she stepped back into the main room, followed by both Alvin and James in states of sleepy befuddlement.
Crown Prince Jimson’s jaw worked, his eyes sharp as he turned back to Prince Edmund. “I apologize for disturbing you. It seems my guard was mistaken.”
He spun on his heel and marched from the room, the door shutting with slightly more force than necessary.
Jalissa held her breath for a few more minutes before she sagged against Edmund. “That was close. What happened?”
Alvin winced. “I was spotted. Prince Edmund was on his way back and caused a distraction to help me get away.”
“And I wasn’t fast enough ducking around a corner. One of the guards and a maid got a glimpse of me.” Edmund shifted his grip on the blanket he was wearing.
“I see. And what are you wearing?” Jalissa raised her eyebrows at him. Not that she did not find him rather distracting shirtless, but he was definitely going all-out to sell the ruse.
“Don’t you mean, what am I not wearing?” Edmund smirked.
She rolled her eyes and slapped him slightly on the arm. “Really?”
“I had to sell the I’ve-been-with-you-all-night story.” Edmund shrugged. “Not to mention, my clothes were covered in ash, and I couldn’t risk the prince catching a glimpse of them.”
“Ah.” Still did not make this less embarrassing.
Edmund glanced from her to his two spies. “We’ll have to lie low for the next few days. I found some incriminating evidence in the king’s study, so at least we have what we came for, even if we don’t get a chance to search for anything else.”
The two spies nodded, then retreated into the bedroom once again.
Edmund faced Jalissa’s guard. “Sarya, could you secure the outer door with your magic? I would prefer there are no more interruptions for tonight.”
“Yes, amir.” Sarya hurried to the door to the hall. Green laced around her fingers a moment before she touched the door.
That reminded Jalissa. She turned to Edmund. “How did you open the door? I secured it with my magic behind me.”
“I am not sure. It resisted for a moment, then it was like I could sense your magic. And it just kind of…gave for me. I can’t explain it.” Edmund opened the door again, as if to prove that he still could. “Your magic isn’t tied to any heart bond we might be forming in the way Farrendel tied his magic to his heart bond with Essie. But is it possible it is starting to recognize me somehow? Perhaps I’m immune to your magic or something like that?”
“It is possible. Heart bonds are mysterious things and are especially mysterious when it comes to a marriage between a human and an elf.” Jalissa held up her fingers, letting her magic twine around her hand. She held out her hand, palm up.
Edmund took her hand. Her magic twined around both of their hands, not reacting to Edmund.
Huh. She had not expected that. “Do you think this means we already have the beginnings of a heart bond?”
Edmund met her gaze, his eyes solemn and warm. “I hope so.”
ChapterSix
Edmund leaned forward, gesturing animatedly as he spouted some nonsense about his favorite barber in Aldon. Even he wasn’t sure what he was saying. He didn’t have to sound intelligent.
What mattered was that he blocked both his plate and Jalissa’s from the sight of King Solan and Crown Prince Jimson, giving Jalissa a chance to check for poisons.
Across the table, Lord Crest eyed them. If he looked closely, he probably could see the flicker of Jalissa’s green magic.
But he was part of the faction that didn’t seem to trust the king, so hopefully he would keep his mouth shut.
Even as a stranger here in this court, the division between those who supported the king and those who sided with various members of the Consular Prime was obvious. Lord Crest and some of the top members of the Consular Prime sat along one side of the table, looking at the king with thinly veiled disgust while the Crown Prince and the king’s supporters lined the other side of the table. The least powerful gentry chatted with an almost desperate geniality, toadying up to both sides just to be safe.
The Escarlish court had its factions. Even the elven court did.
But at least in both of those places, if a noble disagreed with Averett or Weylind, they still respected their king. Averett and Weylind were both good, noble people. No one could argue with that.
Here, even Edmund could see that those who opposed the king didn’t respect him, even if they hid it under a veneer of politeness. Granted, King Solan wasn’t a good man, and his son Crown Prince Jimson was even more shifty.
