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I drained every last drop of the cool water, and when I set the glass back down, I noticed the lead box containing both Devouring medallions and my relics was there too, along with Honora’s knife.

I waited to feel the relics vibrating or to hear Dominique’s voice, but thankfully, there was nothing. Perhaps after Caspien’s nameday ball, I would hold a séance and finally get some answers. But for right now, I was content with knowing all the relics were safe inside a warded box.

I dressed in a set of clothing that had been laid out for me at the foot of the bed. It was a simple black dress that didn’t require any assistance to put on. It would seem he heard my annoyance and acted accordingly. I found Yves at his desk in the adjoining study, already dressed for the day in a fresh shirt and deep green linen waistcoat, and busy at work.

He glanced up from his correspondence and grinned. “Good morning.” He gestured with the tip of his pen to a small table beside the windows. “There’s breakfast on the table for you.”

I selected a fluffy croissant and returned to his desk, peering over his shoulder. “Who are you writing to?”

“The Duke of Mistfall,” he replied without looking up.

Before I could read what he’d written, Yves folded the letter into thirds.

“What about?”

He let out a tight breath. “Renaud wants me to ensure he has the votes necessary to become High Prince,” Yves said. “I’m verifying that he doesn’t.” He pressed his seal into a pool of green wax. “And never will.”

There was something deeply attractive about the finality with which he said it. A week ago, Severin had been managing his meetings while Yves remained on his balcony. Now he was deciding who would rule the Unified Territories before breakfast.

I should have been relieved. Instead, I thought of Renaud’s reasoning. He wanted to break the old ways, formally marry a woman who wasn’t his mate, and legitimize their children. With the memory of last night fresh in my mind, I couldn’t deny Renaud’s argument wasn’t appealing.

“Would it be so terrible if Renaud became High Prince?” I asked.

Yves stopped working to look at me. “You met my brother, haven’t you?”

“He’s a self-important ass, but that hardly distinguishes him from the rest of the aristocracy.” I leaned against the edge of his desk and attempted to sound as though the question meant nothing to me. “What harm could really come from him taking the position?”

I took a bite of my croissant while I waited for his response.

“The High Prince is the keeper of the Blood Treaty and the old ways that have held these territories together for five centuries. Renaud speaks of those traditions as inconveniences because they deny him what he wants.”

My gaze drifted toward the bloodstone resting against his chest. I felt a twinge of guilt when I said, “Old doesn’t necessarily mean good.”

“No,” Yves agreed. “But before a man tears down an ancient accord, he should understand what it was built to contain.”

“It was meant to contain the witches.”

“No. It was meant to contain us.”

That answer caught me by surprise.

Yves ran a hand through his hair. “Cora, we were made to be guardians of peace, but our power needs limits. Renaud thinks more vampires are the answer to every threat against that peace. I remember why our numbers were limited in the first place.” He glanced at the sealed letter. “More than that, Renaud expects me to betray one brother and manipulate another.”

“I thought you were all brothers. Isn’t that what Mon Sang means?”

“The oath made us blood. It did not make us equal in one another’s trust. Marius and Bastien earned mine long before any of us held these titles. Renaud has not.”

I set the croissant down. “What did he offer you for your loyalty?”

Yves hesitated. “The ability to take a wife who was not my mate.” His gaze found mine. “Then he mentioned you.”

The room suddenly felt smaller. “Me?”

“He caught your scent on me after our first night together.”

“So he knows you’ve broken the law.”

“It isn’t against the law for me to have an intimate relationship with a blood nanny.” His mouth tightened around the title. “If exposed, it would surely ruin my reputation and yours in polite society, but it isn’t illegal.”