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“Theory number one,” Tadek said thoughtfully, “is that when Their Majesties’ boat was shipwrecked fifteen years ago, with all those nobles and all those heirs, the ugly tangle of inheritance claims somehow ended up dumping a title on you. But no, that doesn’t make sense, you wouldn’t be ranked high enough to be called—Well. Actually, now that I think about it—”
“I’m not taking part in this conversation,” Kadou said with a brightness that was only masking panic. “Looks like you’ve got this under control, Evemer.” He pulled the seal off the cooled wax and went to the door, presumably to hand the letter off to a kahya.
Tadek was looking ever more thoughtful. “Iguessa case could be made for someone to call you Highness if you were some long-lost Mahisti by-blow. Or a foreigner, of course.”
“Tadek. No theories.”
“Are you secretly a prince, Evemer?” Tadek asked, his eyes glittering.
“No questions.”
“Oh, come on, give me just this one.”
“I am not secretly a prince!” Evemer snarled. “No questions!”
Tenzin cleared her throat. “A lie.”
Tadek’s face lit up. He leaned around Evemer to look at her, gleeful. Evemer glared fiercely. Tadek ignored him and said, “What did you say your name was?”
“Tenzin.”
“Hello, Tenzin. My name is Tadek, and I think you’re an unmitigated delight. Do you know why he’s a secret prince?”
“Said earlier that he’s one,” she said promptly. “That’s all I’ve got, and I don’t really care.”
Kadou came back inside. “Oh, dear. Is this still happening? Tadek, please make this not be happening, I have to write a message so Zeliha knows I’m not dead, and then I have to figure out where Melek is soçeknows I’m not dead too. Please have this not happen.”
Tadek tried to push Evemer back, out of his space. Evemer made himself an immovable wall. “Didyouknow about this, Highness?” Tadek said, squirming in vain.
Kadou said, slowly, “No?”
“Lie,” Tenzin said.
“You’re not getting paid for this!” Kadou cried. “You know that, don’t you?”
“I’m getting paid as we speak,” she said with a grin, slouching down into her chair and crossing her arms. “I’m getting paid inchaos.”
“An unmitigated delight,” Tadek said again, rapturously. “Highness—either Highness—youmusttell me everything.”
Evemer turned his glare on Tenzin. “Another word and you’re dismissed.”
“Yes,” Kadou said. “Yes, we won’t take you back to Her Majesty.”
She considered this for a moment, shrugged, and nodded. Kadou relaxed and sat down at the table to write again.
“Not a word,” Evemer hissed to Tadek. “I will drown you with my own hands.”
“But I want toknow,” Tadek whispered back, imploring. “Are you the real Kadou, switched at birth with an impostor in Vinte?”
“What?”
“Tadek,” Kadou said warningly. “You watch too many plays.” “Are you a forgotten Mahisti scion, the product of a passionate forbidden tryst, returning to make a claim on the throne?”
“Of course not!” Evemer said, appalled.
“Oh, good. Are you—”
“Evemer,” Kadou said. “Do whatever you need to do.”
