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There was a sharpwhap,and Siranos said, “Ow! What was that for?”
“You’ve been doing it again, haven’t you? Getting an idea so firmly in your head that you don’t listen to a word that other people say. Doesn’t matter how much of a stupid idea it is. You’re a moron.”
“You can’t talk to me like this anymore—”
“Why the hell not? You’re nobody, and that baby isn’t yours.”
“She is.”
Sylvia laughed aloud, a sharp and ugly thing. “All right, I’m not going to explain something that you should already know. Moron. You’re staying here, to be Zeliha’s pampered little pet until she gets tired of you? Fine. Better work hard, though, if you want to keep in favor.”
“I am,” he said stubbornly. “I misstepped once before, but—”
“Once?” she laughed again. “Try seven or eight or nine times, and that’s just since the last king-tide. Counting your whole life, though? Oh, goodness, we must have reached ten thousand by now.”
“I’m doing what I can.” It sounded like he said it through gritted teeth.
As fascinating and tempting as it was to listen to other people’s family drama, Evemer couldn’t eavesdrop any longer. Kadou would be waiting—he’d have to take the long way around, looping back through the rest of the building to get to the music room.
And then Sylvia said, “Yes, about that. You swore up and down that he was sneaky and conniving and wanted the throne for himself. And yet here he still is, sitting at Her Majesty’s right hand at dinner.”
Evemer, turning away, paused.
“I jumped to conclusions,” Siranos said.
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice silky.
“What do you mean?”
“Haven’t there been any rumors? Hasn’t Her Majesty confided anything in you recently? Surely pillow talk has to be good for something.”
“It’s not that I’m out of favor—”
“I’m sure. Look, you’ve decided to pin your heart to the sleeve of someone who won’t love you back, and I don’t really care. You want to be a big man and announce that you’re giving up your family for that woman and her daughter? Not my problem. You’ll come back to the family in a year or two or three with your tail between your legs. Frankly, if you think you can bear that sort of humiliation in front of our father and your mother and everyone, then go right ahead. But you made me some promises too, and if you fuck me over, then mere humiliation will be the least of your concerns.”
“Don’t be such a bitch—” There was another, louder crack. “Ow, fuck!”
“Make me hit you a third time. I dare you.”
“What do youwant? Just finish it and leave me in fucking peace!”
“Why is he here?”
“He’s the prince.Hissister doesn’t backhand him. I ought to hit you back—”
“You don’t have the balls,” she said crisply. “You said there was a rift between them. You suspected him of angling for the throne—doesn’t she suspect him? Hasn’t there been . . . any indication?”
“I don’t know why there would be,” Siranos said mulishly. “All that rot about Kadou spying—”
“Hush.” She huffed. “Fuck, all right. I’ll take care of things. Just stay out of my goddamn way.”
Evemer couldn’t duck away quickly enough, and there wasn’t any place to hide. Sylvia came striding around the corner. She froze when she saw him. “How long have you been there?” she demanded. Fortunately, she was still speaking Oissika.
Evemer blinked at her and said in Arasük, “I beg your pardon, ma’am?”
She didn’t wholly relax, but subsided somewhat and, with a last suspicious glance, charged past him in the direction of the door out to the Silver Court. Evemer watched her go and went back to the music room, glimpsing only the back hem of Siranos’s kaftan as he turned a different corner up ahead and vanished.
Evemer returned to Kadou, who had not been accosted by anyone, and spoke nothing of what he had heard until later that night when he was helping Kadou out of the gorgeous matelassé robe and taking the pins and braids out of his hair. “I overheard a discussion between Siranos and his sister,” he began, and was surprised into silence when Kadou flinched hard and yanked away from him.
