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“Oh, wait,” Zeliha said. She looked earnestly at Kadou. “Eyne hasn’t seen you in a few weeks either. Do you want to hold her?”
Yes. Yes, he did. He missed her suddenly and ferociously. He was about to say as much when Siranos said easily, “Oh. Yes, of course,” and that was shocking too. Perhaps Siranos was only being polite because they were in front of Zeliha. Kadou watched him, suspicious, as Siranos stepped forward and handed Eyne over to him.
“Thank you,” Kadou said carefully. And he was glad he was already sitting when Siranos . . .smiledat him. He hadn’t smiled at Kadou in months. Not since before Zeliha had announced her pregnancy, at least.
“Of course,” Siranos replied. Then, half to Zeliha, he said, “I’m getting used to everyone wanting a turn with her.”
“Can you blame them?” Zeliha said, grinning.
“Not at all. She’s as beautiful as her mother.” He took her hand, kissed her knuckles, and then dipped to kiss her cheek. Straightening, he nodded once more to Kadou, saying softly, “If you’ll excuse me.”
He left. Kadou stared after him. Why was he being so polite? What was he up to? Kadou might have spent an hour picking apart every word Siranos had said, but the spite and paranoia vanished like morning mist in the sun the moment he looked down at Eyne. “Mother of all,” he said with astonishment. “She’s gottenbig.” She was appreciably heavier than the last time he’d held her, two—three?—weeks ago. Her eyes were a purer, darker blue, and her chubby cheeks had gotten so round and fat andperfectthat he couldn’t quite comprehend how she was possible.
He couldn’t spare a second thought for Siranos. When Zeliha said something, it wasn’t until several moments later that Kadou realized she had been addressing him. He looked up sharply. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, ‘What did you want to tell me about?’” she said, with an amused half smile. “But take your time.”
“Oh. Um.” He tore his attention away from Eyne. “Eozena has just arrested Lieutenant Armagan of the ministry of enquiry.”
“Gods above and below. On what charges?”
“Suspicion of çir involvement with the incident at the Shipbuilder’s Guild,” Kadou said, settling on the reclining couch and shifting Eyne in his arms so she was cuddled against his shoulder. “We’ve uncovered some new evidence. Eozena is having Armagan’s quarters searched.”
“But Armagan is a kahya,” Zeliha said blankly.
“I know.” It wasn’t a comfortable thought—the kahyalar were supposed to be unfailingly loyal. “We’re not completely sure yet, of course.”
“But you had reason to believe it.Eozenabelieved it.”
Of course she’d put more stock in Eozena’s judgment than his. He couldn’t blame her.
“When will she know for certain?”
He shrugged the shoulder that didn’t have a baby on it. “Soon, I imagine.”
Zeliha nodded. Her expression was drawn, ill at ease.
“I’m sorry,” Kadou said suddenly. “For interrupting, I mean.”
“Don’t be.”
“You were having a nice afternoon with Siranos and I’ve . . . barged in and mucked it up.”
“You haven’t mucked up anything,” she said, half reclining again. She sighed. “I shouldn’t have promised Siranos—well. Never mind, that’s nothing you need to worry about. Was that the extent of your news for me?”
“Roughly. For now.”
She nodded, sighed again. Her gaze flicked up from Kadou to something behind him. She gave another one of those slow, pleased half smiles, though this one was somewhat more tired than before. “Lieutenant Hoskadem,” she said. “I take it you like children?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Evemer said. Kadou half turned to look at him, and found that Eyne had at some point reached out to him. Evemer had apparently reached back, and now Eyne had one of his fingers gripped in her perfect little hand and was trying to eat it. Evemer apparently had no objection to this. He was nearlysmiling. Kadou could just see the edges of it around his eyes.
Baffling and unexpected. Kadou turned back.
“Do you have any of your own?” Zeliha asked.
“No, Your Majesty.”
“You just like them?”
