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“My Queen,” he said. “What an honor. Come in.” He opened the door farther and welcomed me into the warmth of his home. He set the child down and bent to be at her level. “Camille, go tell Nanny we’d like some tea, please, and you can have a cookie.”
She ran down the hall in a patter of eager footsteps.
I studied him until finding what was different. “You shaved the mustache.”
He touched his upper lip. “She said it itched.”
“I didn’t know you had a child.”
He chuckled. “I have three. Someday I hope for three more. Come in. We can rest in the sitting room. The hearth has warmed the rugs.” He steered me to the same room where I’d once painted for him and his guests, the same place I’d decided to join in an alliance with him. It seemed fitting to be in that room as I called upon our alliance now. I sat on a beige lounge chair with a curved back near a doll house, its associated toys sprawled across the room.
Lord Winster sat across from me. “Did you receive the breads I sent?”
“Yes,” I said absently before truly remembering, then repeated the word more firmly. “They were delicious, thank you. That one with lemon zest was my favorite.”
He beamed. “Mine as well. I’ll send some more.”
“You don’t have to,” I told him. “There is something else I need.” I checked to ensure no one else was nearby. “Is it true you’ve seen the true face of a certain ambassador?”
Lord Winster’s smile dropped. “What of it?”
“How much control do you have over this ambassador?”
His lip twitched. “A fair amount. Why?”
The words caught in my throat. For Lord Winster to have seen her true face, he might have tricked her into it and would care little about how he lorded his power over her. But another possibility was that she had removed her mask willingly for him, which would make this a more difficult ask than I’d anticipated. From the way his fingers curled tightly over his armrest, I guessed which it was.
“As your ally, I need your help.”
If she had removed her mask willingly, and there was a bond between them, he wouldn’t agree to steal her power. I ought to have thought this through before my arrival, but for now, I did the best I could. I came up with a lie. “I have questions about my selection, and I need her to answer them.”
His fingers relaxed. “Then ask her.”
That confirmed which ambassador it was. “I did.” My lie continued. “She won’t tell me. I need to force her.”
He drew his thick brows inward. “You wish for me to order her to tell you about your selection? What are you so desperate to know?”
It took unbelievable effort not to squirm. “Simply details of the day I’ve forgotten. I need you to order her to say yes to anything I ask.”
The answer hung in the air as Camille returned, her ringlets bouncing as she trotted in, spilling tea from the rims of glass cups. Lord Winster stood to take them from her, and she settled on the floor with her dolls while he passed a cup to me. He didn’t seem to mind her presence at our meeting. He lowered into his chair once more to stew over the request, blowing on the tea. His brows were knitted so tightly, they formed one straight line, and the steam from the tea made a home in them.
“I’ve never asked you for anything,” I said in a sweet manner for Camille’s sake, but with a hard look in my eye for Lord Winster’s.
He frowned. “I know. And as peculiar as it is that you haven’t formed a multitude of alliances, I’m grateful. But to betray Hellen like that . . .” his voice trailed off.
I sipped on my tea. “Was she”—I glanced to Camille—“special?”
Camille paid us no attention as she brushed a doll’s hair with a silver comb encrusted with diamonds. Lord Winster was very focused on his tea. “Once. Not now. Still . . .”
This one request was all I needed to grant me freedom, and I felt his answer swaying unfavorably. I set down my tea harder than intended. I could offer him something in return for this favor, but we had an alliance, and that meant we worked together. I was no longer concerned about guarding my words because of Camille.
“I need one day where she says yes to anything I ask. That’s all I request, and then I will remain your grateful ally. If not, our alliance is over.”
He set down his own cup. “My Queen, I would not deny you as an ally. You may have what you wish. One day.”
“Queen’s Day,” I specified. “That is the day I need.”
“Queen’s Day it is. Is that all?”
