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Your Majesty. Your Majesty. The murmurs moved through the tent on the lips of the women of Tenebra. It became a measure more real to Cassia. Her sister would be queen. If they succeeded.
“Please, Lady Hadrian,” Solia said. “Rise and let me embrace you.”
“You honor me, My Queen.” Lady Hadrian stood and held Solia to her. “When my lord told us the news, I could scarcely believe it…but here you are in my arms again.”
When they released each other at last, Solia gave Lady Hadrian a curtsy of her own. “As a girl, I spent so many happy hours in your weaving room, learning from your example. May I join you around your loom once again?”
Lady Hadrian’s eyes shone with tears. “It would be my great joy.”
Solia held out her hands to Sabina. “I hope we can renew our friendship.”
“Of course, My Queen.” Sabina took her hands without hesitation, but her gray eyes were shuttered.
Whatever reservations Sabina harbored, overcoming them might prove to be the key to breaking Cassia’s betrothal to Flavian.
Lady Hadrian welcomed Kella as warmly as Solia and Cassia, and they all settled around the fire to speak where men couldn’t hear. A time-honored tradition, whether among Tenebran ladies in a free lord’s camp or Azarqi trader-queens in their nomad tents. They exchanged pleasantries that acknowledged each other’s power and paid compliments to rekindle years of respect. They demurred, wearing masks of weakness to conceal their hidden strengths and preserve their advantage of surprise.
When Cassia was satisfied that Kella and Solia were holding their own, she excused herself to sit with Perita. Despite how Cassia hated returning to Tenebra, here was a happiness she had never dared hope for. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again.”
Her friend beamed, looking more like herself, her light brown curls tucked under a clean kerchief. “I didn’t think you’d ever be back in Tenebra, my lady.”
“Neither did I.”
“I’m so glad you get to meet him.” Perita resettled the dozing infant in her arms.
Cassia looked into his small, wrinkly face. His world appeared very simple. He was as close as possible to his mama, and that was all that seemed to matter.
“He is remarkable,” Cassia said.
“Say hello to my lady,” Perita cooed.
Cassia touched the impossibly soft skin of his tiny hand. He wrapped all his warm little fingers around one of hers and made an endearing nonsense sound.
His first day in this life should never have been so dangerous. Cassia would not let Perita and her family come that close to the Collector again. She must find a way. “I wish you two would go somewhere safer.”
“Nowhere is safe,” Perita replied. “The king is consorting with all sorts of foul mages. Who knows when a stray spell will fall on the head of a commoner who’s in the wrong place at the wrong time? If civil war breaks out, I’m staying as close to Callen as I can.”
Cassia wanted to argue, but she couldn’t. No one could pry her from Lio’s side in the face of danger, either. “I understand.”
“Of course you do, always putting yourself in the thick of things. Like the other night.” A shudder went through Perita, but then she gathered her composure. “You meant what you said about the Hesperines honoring their life debt to Callen and me. Or bond of gratitude, I suppose they call it. ”
“How are you feeling?” Cassia asked.
“Like I want to get off this cot and get to work. That Hesperine healing is something else, my lady. Now I know why Callen wouldn’t stop dancing around the room with me after Queen Soteira fixed his knee.”
“You are not to put your feet to the floor. I see the other handmaidens are in firm agreement about this,” Cassia said, as Lady Miranda approached with a cup of something for Perita to drink. Cassia offered the young woman a smile.
Miranda ducked her head, searching for somewhere to put the cup down as if she were in a hurry to leave.
“I’ll take it, if you have duties elsewhere,” Cassia offered.
“She doesn’t,” Perita said, “or if she does, I dare say Lady Sabina will forgive us for delaying her. Sit with us, Miranda.”
“I really must return to my duties.” Miranda pressed the cup into Cassia’s hands as if she feared being burned, then with a hasty curtsy, went to rejoin Sabina by the fire.
“I’m sorry, my lady,” Perita said with a frown. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her. After I’ve sung your praises to her all this time, I thought she’d be nearly as thrilled as I am to have you here.”
“I can hardly blame her,” Cassia said. “I have never been well liked among the women of Tenebra. If it isn’t my illegitimate birth, it’s my betrothal or my political ambitions. If it isn’t any of that, it’s the fact that I gave her a scare in the company of heretics.”
