delicate furrow appeared between Sirin Greyâs eyebrows. âI should think it unlikely that His Majesty would still be contagious after all this time. I must say, my lords, this seems like an overabundance of caution.â
âWhen it comes to the health and well-being of His Majestyâs closest advisors,â Highmount said, âthere is no such thing.â
âI quite agree, Chancellor,â Rona said. âIf Lady Sirin or anyone else were to succumb after being permitted to break the quarantine, you would never hear the end of it.â
âWell,â Liam said, beaming until his face hurt, âthat settles it. Iâm sorry, my lady, but Iâm sure Erik will be touched that you stopped by to wish him well.â
âAnd who will inform him? One of the servants, presumably, since Iâm sure you would not dare take the risk of exposing yourself to illness.â Pale blue eyes met Liamâs, locking him in an icy embrace. âOh, but waitâthe servants donât see His Majesty either, do they? Meals, laundry, everything passes through the royal guardsmen. Why, the servantsâ quarters must be positively abuzz!â
A month ago, Liam might not have recognised the threat. But heâd survived the crucible of Onnani politics, learned the rituals of courtly duels. He knew a challenge when he heard one, and Sirin Grey had just called them out. Not a gauntlet thrown, but a silk glove gliding silently to the floor.
Iâve got eyes and ears among the servants.
The message was clear: She knew the prince and the chancellor were up tosomething, and she was making it her business to find out what.
âIâll take my leave, my lords,â Sirin said, rising. âPlease be sure to keep my family apprised of His Majestyâs condition. We do worry for him so.â She was halfway out the door when she paused and turned back. âOh, and do give my regards to Lady Alix, Your Highness.â She smiled. âWhen next you see her.â The door clicked shut.
Liam said something decidedly unrefined.
â
Really
, Your Highness,â Highmount spluttered.
âI wouldnât have chosen quite the same language,â Rona said, âbut I certainly share the sentiment. We have a serious problem.â
âNot an unexpected one,â Highmount said, ânor am I surprised that it should be Lady Sirin who positions herself as our adversary. She obviously feels compelled to prove her loyalty to the king in the wake of her brotherâs treachery. On top of which, she has no love for me, given my role in Prince Tomaldâs execution. I feared she might be tempted to scrutinise our situation, though I had hoped we would not begin trading blows
quite
so soon.â
Liam swallowed a sudden dryness in his throat. âWhat do we do now?â
âNothing at all.â
âAre you sure thatâs wise?â Rona asked. âSheâs made it clear sheâs getting information from the servants.â
âThe servants know very little that could worry us, at least for now. In factââHighmount made a steeple of his fingersââI rather think this could be turned to our advantage. Servants delight in nothing so much as rumour and scandal. No doubt they have already devised a number of wild theories. We can encourage that by planting a few seeds of our own.â
Liam had a feeling he was about to ask a stupid question, but . . . âWhy would we do that?â
âHave you ever seen a garden overgrown with weeds, Your Highness? It is terribly difficult to spot the flowers.â
Liamâs brow smoothed. âThat,â he said, âis bloody
brilliant
.â
âI am gratified you think so, though I daresay some of the most likely rumours will not please you.â
âWhat do you . . . ?â And then he understood.
Alix.
She was behind those doors too, allegedly, with Erik. Alone,
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