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“A congratulatory cup,” Lio answered.
“What?” Xandra demanded. “Do you know something we don’t?”
Cassia knew Lio would leave it to Rudhira to decide how much to tell his family regarding Kassandra’s prophecy about his Grace.
Lio just smiled. “I thought he needed a reminder of what he has to look forward to. What all of us believe in for him, even when he doesn’t.”
“Oh, Lio.” Nodora clasped her hands. “That’s so thoughtful.”
Mak wiggled his eyebrows. “My guess was a copy of theDiscourses on Love.”
Xandra snickered. “Rudhira doesn’t need a book on that.”
“Maybe,” Kia suggested, “he is the anonymous author of the most recent addition to the canon.”
“That’s…awkward.” Mak made a face.
Lyros laughed. “This from the one who hunted through Laskara’s vaults with me, trying to find her sculpture of our accomplished prince.”
“If you ever find it,” Kia teased, “Nodora wants to see.”
Nodora put her hands to her cheeks. “Don’t you dare say that loud enough for anyone to hear.”
“Oh, I see,” said Cassia. “It’sthatkind of statue of the First Prince.”
Lyros lowered his voice. “It’s my sister’s private portrait of him. After they stopped sharing, she locked it away. She does her best not to acknowledge its existence.”
“Rudhira prefers not to acknowledge that entire century of his life,” Xandra said. “He was devastated when he realized they weren’t a match, and unlike Laskara, he hasn’t met his Grace since.”
Cassia watched Rudhira sip a festival drink while he talked with Konstantina and her Trial circle. “Now I think I have at least some sympathy for why Laskara was willing to support Konstantina’s plans.”
Lyros nodded. “My sister was worried about Rudhira, too.”
“Well,” Cassia said, “now I have to know. Who was Nike’s first love? Please tell me it wasn’t Epodos.”
Nodora was the first to burst into laughter. “Definitely not.”
“By all accounts,” said Mak, “Nike’s heart is not easily won. She likes to have fun, though. She’s admired for her exploits in both love and war.”
Lyros rested his hand on Mak’s chest. “You passionate Argyroi. I had to beat a long list of admirers off Mak to get to him first. My Stand training served me well.”
Mak ran his hand down Lyros’s back. “I made my list a long time ago. There was only one person on it.”
“You know,” Xandra said, “it’s worth remembering Methu was Kona’s first love.”
“Konstantina and Prometheus?” Cassia paused, her mouth open. “I can definitely see that, actually.”
She could not bring herself to disrupt their pleasant talk by voicing her sorrow that Methu had never met his Grace. Perhaps they were together in Sanctuary.
Lio, of course, sensed her thoughts. “Methu was blessed to find love, if not Grace, more than once over the centuries.”
“Konstantina has her Grace now,” said Xandra. “She got over not being Methu’s match, but no one in Orthros ever got over losing him.”
“Bloodborn’s path is hard to get over.” Cassia slid her arm around Lio’s waist.
He pulled her close. “But it can be overcome.”
The others looked expectantly at Lio and Cassia.
