fainting.
I released my pent-up breath with all the grace of a wilting flower. I stared at my slippers, peeking out from the hem of my dress. I tapped the toes together, because that was at least mildly stimulating. The inlaid wood of the parquet floor was cutin the same swirling designs as the ceiling above. Why had it ever mesmerized me with thoughts of Anton?
My eyelids grew heavy. I had an itch at the back of my neck. When could I sit down? I was past the point of exhaustion. I peered around the man blocking me to see what was taking so long.
I caught my first glimpse of Emperor Valko.
He was young. I knew that he would be, but didn’t expect him to appear so close in age to myself. The emperor was older than Anton, but he seemed to be two years his junior. I wondered how that aspect played into their relationship. Once my surprise at the emperor’s youthful appearance had subsided, I let myself study his face.
Cool gray eyes. Brows so straight they could have been drawn above a rule stick. A pronounced, wide mouth, running a parallel line below. A handsome nose, if a little short. In fact, his face altogether had a slightly compacted look from his forehead to his chin. But somehow it worked in his favor, making him more alluring, more feline, setting him apart from everyone else in the room—in the empire. Proof, as the nobles claimed, that his bloodline was indeed blessed by the gods.
He stood as he conversed with other men on the dais. Councilors, I presumed. One was a general, by his uniform. The Romska had a humorous song about a general’s fussy regimentals, from his gold epaulets to his red pompons and plumes. The emperor nodded and said something in a low voice to the general, not deigning to look the man in the eye. The honor ofbeing addressed by his monarch, however slight, was enough to make the man puff out his chest. As the general gave a reply, the emperor leisurely held up a silencing hand. At once, the general’s mouth clamped shut and he prostrated himself in bow.
When the general and councilors turned away to discuss something more, the emperor’s nostrils flared with a stifled yawn. He never once turned his gaze to the waiting assembly. As the councilors continued their hushed conversation, the emperor picked his thumbnail on the back of his ornate chair. He was bored, I realized. I had sensed him a moment ago. My sudden disinterest belonged to him.
I breathed in deeply. Honing in on his aura from across the room—singling it out from so many, even before I had seen him—brought me a great measure of satisfaction. I might not lose my head, after all.
Feeling more at ease, I let my gaze drift away. Apart from the councilors, another man stood on the dais. Anton. A little zing shot through my palms and the soles of my feet when I discovered he was already staring at me.
His hair was slicked back, the windblown look from our journey gone. He wore a green silk kaftan. Its hem skimmed his thigh in the new fashion and was belted low at the waist with a brown strap of leather that matched his dark boots. I took in his furrowed brows and pressed lips. I didn’t need to decipher his aura to know he was displeased. His eyes fell to my hair, to my gown, and a feeling of nakedness came over me, worse than when Lenka and my maids had assessed my body. PerhapsI should have worn the fur-lined robe and headdress. Clearly without them, I gave offense. And with them, I’d have had all the more layers to hide beneath.
I glanced away from the prince and lifted my chin, taking a keen interest in a sconce on the wall, surely the most ordinary thing in the room. For all my rapt attention, it could have been a wreath of diamonds.
At length, the emperor and his councilors decided their untimely conversation was over. Valko seated himself, followed by the court nobles doing the same. Together, they were a wave of rustling taffeta and scraping chairs.
My heartbeat quickened. I clutched the skirt of my dress.
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