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“Do you think people will recognize me?”
“Hmmm. We’ll see.”
A knock came at the door, and Mhrandir answered it. Klaus stepped into the room. I blinked when I saw him. He wore a silk, burnt-orange tunic paired with a black jerkin embroidered with oak and leaves in shades of amber and scarlet. He had chosen black trousers with leather riding boots.
Mhrandir presented me to him. “You think Araki—er,” she glanced at me, blushing, “I mean, our Lord King will like what I’ve done?”
I blushed. “You didn’t even do anything with my hair.”
“Course not. Your hair is gorgeous, my dear.” Mhrandir patted my shoulder and laughed as she turned to the tub of water.
Klaus offered me his arm. “Araki sent me to escort you to breakfast.”
“Right,” I muttered, unsettled. We stepped into the empty hallway. There were no guards to greet us. I frowned, then twisted to make sure Mhrandir wasn’t following us. “Why’d she call him by his name?”
Klaus offered me a soft smile. “Araki doesn’t like to stand on formalities in his own home. He has those servants who are most trusted. They use his name.”
Another thing I wouldn’t have expected from him… at least, I wouldn’t use to expect it.
“This is a good chance for you, Reilyn,” Klaus said as he escorted me to the staircase. “To prove that we can trust you around the court.”
I looked at him. “What do you mean by that?”
Klaus smiled and didn’t answer.
“Are you at least going to tell me the plan? I haven’t seen much of Araki these last few days. I have to know what’s happening if I’m going to play my part,” I pointed out, annoyed at his silence.
Klaus paused as we got to the second floor. He hummed, then directed me to the left. “Breakfast will be held in the main parlour. Araki has told the council that we are receiving a woman from Vërbyr for the festivities. You will be a second cousin of my wife, Nadine.”
My eyes widened. Klaus was married?
“Don’t look so surprised.”
I couldn’t imagine anyone falling in love with the grouchy fae. Klaus was handsome but his personality not very so. I was curious about his wife and how she might be. Araki certainlysurprised me over these last few weeks. Why shouldn’t Klaus have surprises, too?
Still, I had questions. I was surprised I would be passed off as a distant relative to his wife. For them to claim I was from the neighboring kingdom of Vërbyr would be why nobody had seen me before… “But, if people recognize me as the same girl who was trying to be a Banbridge cousin at the last ball—”
“Nobody is going to accuse the word of the King’s general’s wife,” Klaus interrupted softly. “Even if they don’t believe the story we’ve spun. Unfortunately, we can only do so much, given your grand entrance and departure last time. Just pretend to be Nadine’s cousin and, rather than follow Mhrandir’s advice, feign ignorance about who the Banbridges are.”
“Okay,” I agreed, still feeling hesitant about the plan. It was a fickle plan. I didn’t like that I hadn’t sought out my opinion before coming up with the plan. Klaus soon led me to a double door carved with the scene of a great feast. Servants and a fae woman waited on either side of it. Klaus beamed at her, and she beamed back. The obvious love between them made my breath catch in my throat.
“Ah, Reilyn. My dear cousin.” The woman stepped forward and, though Klaus tensed, embraced me.
I awkwardly patted her back. “Cousin Nadine,” I said, knowing this had to be my supposed relative. “I am so grateful for your invitation.”
Nadine stepped back and adjusted her shawl. “You’ll love it here, my dear.”
I took the opportunity to look at her. She was willowy and almost the same height as I was. Her sleek black hair had a tinge of blue, like a magpie’s feather, when it caught the light. Unlike my hair, hers was pulled into a jeweled net. She wore a beautiful amber-gold gown made of silk with a lacy shawl over otherwise bare shoulder. It complimented her creamy skin wonderfully. She slid her arm into Klaus’s free arm, and he nodded to the servants. They opened the doors to reveal a long, low table.
The room was strung with red, yellow, and orange banners that hung from the ceiling. Servants were busy coming in and out of a door to the other side of the room, bringing with them steaming dishes. The smell of spiced meat met my nostrils as my eyes swept over bowls of fruits and vegetables.
A dozen men already sat at the table. Filmy curtains hung over the windows in the same shades as the banners overhead. They were thin enough to allow the sunlight to come through while providing privacy for the diners. It bathed the men in shades of gold and orange. Nadine and I were the only women in attendance, it seemed. The men all stood as Klaus led us to the head of the table, where Araki’s seat was empty. There were three empty chairs to the right. Nadine took the first one. Klaus held out the second chair for me and sat in the chair closest to Araki’s.
“Gentlemen,” Klaus greeted. “You all know my wife, Nadine.”
She inclined her head graciously to the murmured greetings.
“This is my wife’s cousin,” Klaus gestured to me. “This is her first time visiting our kingdom, so I expect you all to treat her as you would your daughters.”
