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Cassia hurried forward and put a hand on Knight’s back, just in case. “Please allow me to apologize. He isn’t usually this exuberant.”
The Hesperine laughed again, standing helpless under Knight’s shower of affection. The look she gave Cassia was all curiosity. “No need to be sorry. I had no idea he’d like me this much. He’s not at all what I expected.”
“I see his reputation precedes him yet again.”
Cassia’s visitor looked to be a youngblood almost Lio’s age. She was also pretty. Very, very pretty, with rosy lips, lustrous pale skin, and jet black hair braided against her head in a coronet.
“I don’t know the first thing about dogs.” The lovely Hesperine asked, “Where should I pet him?”
“Ah, how about a rub on the ears?” Cassia suggested.
The Hesperine gave it a try, and Knight melted into shut-eyed, tail-wagging bliss.
The only Hesperines Knight had so loved at first sight were the Queens. He had even seemed to sense them in their eldest son and begged the fearsome First Prince for affection.
Cassia eyed the youngblood’s homespun robe with doubt, but thinking of Queen Alea’s temple vestments, ventured to voice her theory anyway. “May I ask if you are a relation of the royal family?”
The Hesperine shook her head at Knight. “You’ve given me away. Yes, I’m the eighth princess. The youngest, you know.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Princess.”
“Oh, please don’t bow. It will get very inconvenient. I’m one of Lio’s friends, and I hope you’ll be spending a lot of time with us.” She stretched out a hand to Cassia.
Cassia’s jealousy caught up with her, an injustice to the warm welcome she had just received. Lio was friends with one of the princesses. One who was his own age. And beautiful.
And kind. Cassia put on a smile and extended her hand. She and the princess exchanged a Hesperine wrist clasp and the leftovers of Knight’s slobbery greeting. A puff of berry fragrance filled the air, surely a cleaning spell.
The princess grinned. “All of us have been looking forward to meeting you ever since Lio confessed you’re his share.”
A pleasant blush spread across Cassia’s cheeks at the casual acknowledgment that she was sharing her blood and pleasure with Lio. The Hesperine euphemism was almost quaint, and yet said so much more than Tenebrans’ mercenary terms for courtship. “I’ve looked forward to meeting his friends, as well.”
The princess’s eyes lit with the promise of pure fun. “We’re excited to show you Orthros. Lio has told us so much about you.”
“I’m sorry I can’t say the same about you. Lio doesn’t speak much about his connections to the royal family.”
The princess sighed. “Isn’t that just like him?”
Lio had many friends here at home. Some of them were female. Cassia must not entertain such envious feelings every time she met one. “Since Annassa Alea trained him in light magery, you must have known him for a long time.”
“Our families are close. It’s tradition for bloodlines with temple heritage in common. Elder firstbloods from the same temple are always Ritual parents to each other’s children. For example, Hypatia and Khaldaios are Ritual parents to all Argyros and Lyta’s children, and vice versa.”
“Hypatia is Mak and Kadi’s Ritual mother?”
The princess made a face. “I’m afraid so. Her children get along well with Argyros, though.”
“So the First Prince is Lio’s Ritual father because both your bloodlines started at Hagia Boreia.”
At the mention of her eldest brother, the princess’s face brightened. “Yes, he is. It wouldn’t be fair for the Queens to be anyone’s Ritual parents. You really didn’t find out until you met Rudhira? As much as we all adore him, I thought for certain Lio would tell you about him at least.”
“He mentioned his Ritual mother once, although I also did not learn her name until the welcoming ceremony.”
“Elder Firstblood Kassandra is Ritual sister to the Queens, so that’s why she’s Ritual mother to Apollon’s children as well my siblings and me.”
“So Apollon and Kassandra are your Ritual parents?”
“That’s right.”
Lio and the princess must be like siblings, Cassia reassured herself. Besides, he had made it clear that, for many years before coming to Tenebra, he had only had eyes for a silk maker by the name of Xandra. “You and Lio grew up together, then.”
