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“That bad?” I asked sympathetically. I came over to her and held the skirt out for her to step into.
“The greatest sacrifice I have ever made was bearing this child,” she muttered. “How mortal women do it over and over again, I will never know. The number of times I’ve regretted the decision...”
I finished tugging the skirt around her and fastened the clasp at the back.
Stepping back, I looked at her. Only Orcades could have gotten away with such a combination of styles and materials, I decided. She looked incredibly lovely.
“Of course, you need the child,” I said quietly. “For your revenge. Arthur believes he is gaining an heir. But then, he doesn’t know, does he?”
“Your brother is a man I am using for a purpose,” she said bluntly. “Nothing more. When he has finished serving that purpose, he will be nothing to me.”
I nodded. “I understand. Perhaps more than you know.”
I fished in the pocket of my trousers, then pulled out the piece of folded parchment and held it out to her.
She took it and unfolded the paper.
I watched as she read silently to herself. Her calm expression did not change.
When she finished, she looked over at me and raised her brows.
“Does it mean what I think it does?” I asked.
“I suppose that depends on what you think,” she responded, gliding over to a large mirror that hung over a dressing table where she began to fish through a jewelry box.
“I think that you may be doing something incredibly dangerous.”
She turned to me with a smile on her lips and began fastening a diamond earring. “Oh, Sister. You really do care.”
“I don’t know why, but yes, it seems I do,” I snapped. “What’s more, Orcades, Fenyx found the book this text was written in. I’m sure he’ll have brought it to Arthur’s attention by now.”
Orcades went very still. “Well, that does complicate things.”
“I came to you because I don’t want you to get hurt.” I looked at her belly. “Or your child.”
“Your niece or nephew.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. But yes, I suppose they will be.”
She turned back to the table. “Arthur did not come to me last night.”
I had no wish to know when Arthur did or did not visit her bed, but still, I was relieved. “Perhaps Fenyx hasn’t told him yet.”
“Or perhaps the man is too stupid to understand what he read,” she suggested, fastening a string of amethysts and pearls around her lovely neck. “I’m actually surprised he can read at all.”
I snorted. “Oh, I think he knew the significance of what he’d found, Orcades. Especially since the text was written in at least two of the books he had pulled out in the library.”
She turned to me looking a little impressed. “You followed him? For me?”
“I had no idea it was going to involve you at all. I was simply visiting the library.”
“Still, you came here to tell me.”
“I did,” I acknowledged.
She looked at me carefully. “You tried to warn me. I thank you for that, Sister. But never fear. Your pathetic brother could not harm me even if he tried. Still, there is something I will tell you now. It concerns your brother Kaye...”
There were hammering footsteps outside in the hall. I heard the guard’s voice, then a much louder one.
