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Judging by the heat coming off of Solia, so had hers. “That is not what we agreed. My sister will ride with the Kyrians.”
“Oh, what an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Flavian replied. “The Kyrians have gone ahead of us into the villages.”
“I insist on riding beside you,” Solia said.
“That is the place reserved for my liege lady,” said Flavian.
“Not today.” Solia’s voice rang across the courtyard. “The places of lord and lady shall be occupied by the people’s two possible future monarchs. We agreed to present a united front.”
“I would not ask that of you, Your Highness,” Flavian said with mock concern. “The rumors our Fire Dance stirred are already troubling for you. Let us still the wagging tongues and do things properly. Clearly, my betrothed should perform the duties of the liege lady.”
Eudias was murmuring to Master Gorgos, as if desperate to talk him out of something. The young mage cringed when his superior boomed, “It is tradition and law. A man should not ride the Progress with a woman to whom he is not married or related. Highly inappropriate. Clearly, Lord Flavian’s betrothed should be at his side to set an example of morality and curb the bestial tendencies of the peasantry.”
Flavian gave Cassia a false smile. “We are honor bound.”
Cassia could feel her bond with Lio pulling her back toward the keep, even as this mortal man expected her to ride away with him. Who did he think he was? When he had once foolishly dubbed her the Lady of Ice, he’d had no inkling whom he was dealing with.
It was already time to put her contingency plan into action.
THE KIND ONE
Cassia pulled Freckles alongside Sabina and whispered, “I have a plan, but I will not go through with it without your approval.”
“I’ve had enough of his games,” Sabina hissed. “Tell me what you have in mind, and I’ll tell you if it’s harsh enough.”
If Flavian was alarmed at the sight of his unwilling betrothed and spurned lover conspiring, he didn’t show it. Solia kept debating with him about Cassia, and their rising voices covered Cassia and Sabina’s conversation.
“Do it,” Sabina finally said.
“Are you certain?” Cassia asked.
Sabina gave a tight nod, pale with fury. “If he won’t be swayed by that, then I want nothing more to do with him.”
Cassia guided Freckles to her sister’s side and gave Flavian her sweetest, most menacing smile. “I will ride with you. I value the opportunity for a private conversation.”
No roguish, handsome grin on Flavian’s face now. He knew she was up to something. Good.
“Are you certain?” Solia asked Cassia. “It will be a long, demanding day, visiting the villages and greeting their elders.”
Once again, Cassia wished herself far away, with nothing to worry about but leaving her favorite wool socks in the other hemisphere before migrating. “I must do this.”
“Do not exhaust yourself,” Solia ordered. “If you need to return to the keep before the Progress ends, we will have someone bring you back to rest.”
“I will not overly tax her,” Flavian promised.
“To keep that promise,” Cassia said, “you would have to put an entire kingdom between yourself and me.”
“There was one, until you returned to Tenebra to disrupt my Council.”
“The Council you called on my instructions.”
Side by side, they led the procession out of the courtyard, with Solia on Cassia’s right and her retinue following. Other members of the Council privileged enough to ride in the Progress fell in behind. They continued down the hill in front of the keep to the cheers and, no doubt, gossip of the lesser nobles, servants, and soldiers.
Cassia kept an eye out for Hoyefe, and a glance over her shoulder revealed him guiding his horse seamlessly into the procession. He and Severin, on the other side of the column of riders, did not so much as glance each other’s way. Only because Cassia was watching for it did she notice the subtle change in Severin’s body language that betrayed his awareness of Hoyefe.
Flavian bestowed manly waves and kingly smiles upon the crowd. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sunbind him and his charisma. While he was occupied charming his potential supporters, he failed to notice the note that passed from Hoyefe’s hands, through Kella’s and Solia’s, to Cassia’s.
As the Progress made its slow, showy way between tents decorated in banners and the last garlands of summer, the arcane pull in Cassia’s chest became a physical ache. The growing distance between her and her Grace made her angry, too angry to ever regret what she was about to do.
