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A moratorium on all thinking generally, in fact. A line in the sand. No more of any of that.
What if, however,his treacherous brain suggested,we think about His Highness’s mouth?
No. Absolutely not. Hadn’t they just had that conversation about what Evemer valued in himself, and hadn’t he bragged (and oh, gods, he cringed in embarrassment now to think of it) about his discipline? Never mind that he hadn’t kissed anyone in more than a decade. There was a certain personal standard to uphold.
And really, if you looked at it from one angle, Kadou had been saving their lives again. That person might have been armed. They could have been a much better fighter than even Evemer and Kadou put together. It was entirely possible. They’d had a lamp, and Kadou had been in a vulnerable moment—so many things that person might have used to their advantage! And how catastrophic would it have been if the counterfeiters knew they were being investigated? They’d pack up their operation and flee, and then His Highness would have to start over.
His Highness really had been terribly smart and quick to assess the situation and come to such an efficient solution. Evemer was being both ungrateful and disrespectful by letting himself become distracted into thinking of anything but the tactical genius of it.
Indeed, His Highness would be ashamed and embarrassed if he knew how Evemer’s thoughts were straying. Not even embarrassed of himself, but embarrassed of Evemer. Embarrassed to have a kahya so . . . so easily swayed into—whatever that line of thinking had been.
He couldn’t imagine what sort of brilliant plan Kadou might have come up with if he’d been calm and collected in the moment, instead of seizing upon (seizing him, pulling him in,orderinghim) whatever first came to hand—oh, gods, no, that was a terrible way of phrasing it. He wasn’t thinking about it.
He wasn’t thinking about it.
He wasn’t.
Who was he,Tadek?
There, that seemed to do the trick.
As soon as they returned to the palace, the kahyalar at the gate gave Kadou a message from Eozena, summoning him to Zeliha’s chambers. He went immediately, Melek and Evemer following in his wake. He had very nearly calmed down—or so he kept telling himself. He felt more on edge than ever.
Zeliha and Eozena were whispering intensely to one another when they entered, and Siranos was brooding out the window. Zeliha looked Kadou over and clapped a hand to her mouth, muffling a laugh. “Oh, Kadou! You look like ahorsemonger.”
Was everything in the world out to wear down his patience and wind him to the breaking point? “It’s a disguise,” he said, more sharply than he’d intended.
“It’shilarious. Hey, how much is a pretty pony for my daughter? Do you have any that aren’t painted with bootblack?”
Kadou clenched his jaw and tried to keep his temper. “You summoned me?”
“Yes, I also want to buy a mare—but a good one, not just an old nag with some peeled ginger up her ass—”
Kadou tugged at the turban, unraveling it from around his head.
“Oh, no, don’t do that!” Zeliha cried, unable to stifle her laughter any longer. “It’s notbad—you’re a very cute horsemonger, Kadou, the very cutest horsemonger in the city—oh, gods—”
Hair loose and tumbling down his back, Kadou bundled the fabric of the turban into a wad and flung it on the divan. “I’mtired. Do you have something you want, or should I tell you about whatIfound?” he demanded.
Zeliha got her sniggering under control and cleared her throat. “Right. Yes. Besides the best stallion you have—Sorry! Sorry! I’m fine now. I’m stopping.” She wiped away a tear of mirth from each eye and flicked her other hand at the table. “It’s nothing in comparison to youradorableoutfit. I’m just looking over a pile of evidence that suggests you’re committing treason, that’s all.”
All Kadou’s irritation and distraction vanished in a flash. “What?” His heart and stomach lurched again and he wobbled, putting out one hand—one of his kahyalar caught him. He wasn’t sure if it was Melek or Evemer. Whoever it was lowered him onto a divan near the table.
“Apparently you’re trying to raise support to usurp the throne,” Zeliha said, perusing the papers and selecting a few of them.
“I’m not! I’d never—I don’t evenwantit!” His eyes were stinging—not this, notagain. What was she going to do now? Maybe she’d really exile him this time.
“Oh, sorry, was I unclear?” she said, glancing over at him with a mild look. “We already know it’s a forgery, we got thisdaysago.”
He stopped. Stared blankly at her.
May the gods rain curses down on sisters. Except not really, because he very much didn’t want the throne, not even the possibility of it. Collecting his wits by hand, one by one, he said, “What?”
“I’m shocked and angered that anyone would try such a thing,” Siranos said unexpectedly. “I can’t imagine who would care to attempt to blacken Your Highness’s good name.”
“Right?” Zeliha said cheerfully. “It’s actually good news, when you look at it a certain way. It means that either you or Eozena is shaking things up enough that whoever is behind the counterfeits is getting scared. So well done, one or both of you.” She tapped the edges of the stack of papers she’d selected on the table to neaten them, then held them out to Kadou. He looked blankly at them.
“This is all the more reason to bring them to justice as quickly as possible,” Siranos proclaimed. “I only wish that I could be of any use.”
