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The newcomers also bowed to the queen, then took their seats next to Lucius. Beside me, Lysander fidgeted in his seat. I looked at him then. His head was down, his lips pressed tightly together.
This Lucius person must not be well-liked, I surmised. Even Fadon, whose expression seemed bored, seemed to sit tensely in his chair.
Lysander snapped his fingers, startling me, and a servant came running with a silver tray holding one lone crystal glass and a decanter of amber liquid.
I heard Fadon sigh. He was eying his brother, still looking bored, but I knew him well enough now to sense the undercurrent of impatience, whether at his brother, the dinner party, or his having to be here at all.
Beside him sat Demos. My eyes softened when I studied his face—I couldn’t help it. The hunger for his attention was unfortunately still active inside me. I missed him. When his blue eyes caught mine, I dropped my gaze.
“I’d like to introduce everyone, since some of you are strangers to one another,” the queen said. “I’ll start on my right with my soon-to-be sister, Sierra of Providence. We are so honored to welcome her into our family and to House Trajan.” Her habitual smile, I was learning, was a marriage of both wickedness and warmth, and I smiled back at her with feeling. I couldn’t help but like her.
“Her betrothed,” she continued, “Prince Lysander. My personal adviser and House Seer, Lady Cybil Lourdes. And our court adviser, Caziel Trajan.”
I leaned forward to get a better look, memorizing their names. I wondered if Caziel was their uncle.
The queen then introduced the people on her left, those I already knew, in addition to Zion Trajan, the House Scholar; Lucius Dega; and Cornelius L’pon, the man I’d seen this morning in the courtyard, whose title was adviser to House Dega.
Lucius introduced the remaining two men, both without titles. Perhaps they were just close friends of his.
The first course of the meal appeared, and conversation broke off into segments between adjacent guests as dinner parties usually do. I kept my ears to it all, however, as I dug into a plate of crisp spiced cabbage, almonds, and cranberries tossed in a sweet vinaigrette.
Beside me, Lysander barely spoke, nor did Fadon. Demos and his neighbor chatted about the Owl that led into a discussion about the Clan Wars. Lucius was speaking across the table to Caziel, talking about trade routes and some new port tax.
The queen sat observing, swirling her wine with one hand, and the other delicately piercing cabbage onto her fork.
“Sierra,” she said after the second course—a braised meat in wine sauce. “I am so excited about showing you some of the gowns I have my tailor drawing up for you as we speak. And your wedding dress, of course! Which I hope you will find to your approval.”
“Oh, I am sure I will, Your Majesty.”
“I hope you will complete a whole wardrobe order with Hemly tomorrow. I’m sure he has an assortment of things already made that you can add to your trousseau for after the ceremony, as well. The rest shouldn’t take more than a week at most.”
“Sierra and I would like to celebrate with a nuptial tour,” Lysander said, speaking for the first time since we had been seated and signaling for another drink.
I blushed. I was hoping he’d ask about the tour in private with his sister.
“Oh?” She lightly put down her wine. “Is this something you’d like, Sierra?”
I nodded. “The way Lysander explained it, my queen, I think it sounds lovely, actually.”
“Lovely?” Fadon butted in, sounding amused. “Aren’t you tired from our journey, Princess? That’s three or four days before you’d set off again. Way too soon to be leaving without more rest.”
“I feel fine, Captain.” I looked at Lysander and smiled. “It sounds like fun.”
“And very romantic!” enthused Lady Lourdes, who leaned forward to smile at us.
Fadon mumbled something and shook his head.
“That’s what I would do,” Lucius Dega said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “A beautiful bride all to myself. I’d take her away as soon as the vows were said and not return home for months.” He raised his wine glass and drank deeply, his gray eyes gleaming at me like a wolf.
“Any destination in mind?” Demos asked.
Lysander and I looked at each other. I shrugged. I was leaving all of this up to him.
“She’s never seen the ocean. I was thinking a sea voyage to Iris Isle.”
Cornelius coughed and started choking. All eyes were on him as a servant brought him a glass of water. Beside him, Lucius slapped the man’s back a few times.
“You alright there, Neil?” Lucius didn’t sound concerned, though. He was grinning.
