“I didn’t think it was necessary to point it out, but....” Sonia hesitated a bit and kept her eyes forward as they rode. “Has anyone else noticed that there seem to be more and more people staring at us lately?”
The group of eight guarded by a half dozen imperial knights lazily rode across town with plans to have mid-afternoon coffee at a shop the Baroness recommended before returning to the manor. They’d spend most of the morning and early afternoon exploring the north mine.
Ewan, Constantine, Albert, and the twins did most of the exploring along with four knights and some guides. Ilyana followed Tori and Henrik in Tori’s unofficial crystal cave raid. Both activities were physical and they’d worn thicker clothes with padding on their joints, heavy boots, gloves, and helmets to protect their bodies, but the clothes and equipment had been dirtied and scuffed.
Ewan was taught how to repel into a cavern during one of his training missions and as a result, led the others down crevices and shafts that he told them not to tell Tori about because she’s scold them for going somewhere dangerous, but Sonia did anyway, as she had to explain why they were so dirty and roughed up.
Tori did indeed scold them and Ilyana did, as well. “The mines are not a playground!” Ilyana had said with worry. Now, she banned Ewan from another spelunking adventure.
“I told Ewan to change out of the spelunking clothes, but he didn’t bring another set of clothing,” JP replied to his sister. Being abnormally dressed would of course make them stand out.
Henrik let out a sigh. “I don’t think it’s Ewan that is drawing attention.”
Ilyana shuddered a bit. She’d noticed the increase of gazes, too. Ever since they went to the pie shop, when they were in town, she felt as if she was being watched. At first, she thought it was because they were an eye-catching group of city goers parading through with imperial knights, so the looks they received were out of curiosity. Her mother supplied them with local clothing to help them blend in, but that wasn’t enough.
It was on the fourth day of their stay that Constantine pointed out that they’d run into more of Ilyana’s childhood ‘acquaintances’ with increasing occurrence. Admittedly, Ilyana did just think that word spread that she’d returned and people wanted to gawk and gossip, but to purposely cross paths with her and try to have a conversation?
Either these local peers of hers had matured greatly since she last saw them or they wanted benefits.
The corners of her lips tugged down. “When I was a child, the only time they’d show me any kindness was when they wanted something or were setting up some sort of trap to lull me into a sense of safety. Humph! I won’t be tricked again!”
“Is it at all possible that they’re trying to make amends now that they’re older and should know better?” Albert asked.
“When did you hear them utter a single word of apology?” Tori answered for Ilyana and the group went quiet.
Ilyana’s frown deepened. She knew those acquaintances were insincere, but couldn’t quite put her finger on how she knew. Now that Tori mentioned it, it was so obvious.
None of the young men and women, even matrons, who ‘suddenly’ ran into her never apologized or even hinted at their regretful past. They greeted and chatted with Ilyana as if they were long lost friends.
As if she’d forget how they treated not only her, but her mother.
Truffles let out a snort and shook his head. Ilyana lowered her hand and patted the side of his neck. “Yes, I suspect their intentions are impure, as well.”
“When I spoke to your father, he said that the local nobility and wealthy are cordial with him, but he’s been careful with whose invitations he and the Baroness accept,” Henrik said. “Even then, they don’t stay long and relationships aren’t deep. Still, I shouldn’t lower my guard with them. Many of these families have remained in power and influence for some time for a reason.”
Ilyana knew this. Her parents never forgave their peers for their treatment of Ilyana, but as locals with shared business interests, they had to, as Tori put it, ‘play well with others’. As far as her father saw it, they could do business, but they couldn’t be friends.
“Does Riri have any problems with the local children?” JP asked. Riri was tutored by their mother, like Ilyana was, for general education. Specialty teachers were also brought in, and none of them were local. After all, the Agafonovs weren’t short of money to hire good instructors for a few years at a time.
Ilyana took a deep breath. “Mommy says that while Riri does attend gatherings for children, he is restrained. He will play with them for a bit, chat, and then usually leave before the end of the gathering.”
Tori looked over and raised a brow. “Does Riri not like them?”
Ilyana lowered her eyes. “Riri knows how they were mean to me. That’s likely why.”
Albert scoffed. “My grandma says a chicken will beget a chicken, not a swan.”
“You have a good brother,” Tori told Ilyana with a gentle smile.
Ilyana nodded. “You do, too!”
The corners of Tori’s lips curled up. “Which one?”
Black hair and blue eyes with a teasing, but warm smile filled her mind, and Ilyana tried to fight it, and her flush, back. “Both of your brothers are good!” She replied with resolution.
The group around her chuckled and she was sure the knights also held back their amusement. Her face reddened despite her best attempts. It wasn’t as if her admiration of Lord Kasen was a secret. Besides, it was only admiration. Lord Kasen was far out of her reach.
And even if he weren’t, a stepmother could make Fifi and Robi uncomfortable considering their own pasts and positions in a powerful family like the Gueveras. Ilyana didn’t want to do that to them. Her heart would break if she ever saw fear and distrust aimed at her in Fifi’s big brown eyes.
It was enough to admire Lord Kasen and be an auntie to the children.
“Lady Agafonova, it’s good to see you again!” A man laughed as they arrived at their destination and Ilyana immediately scowled, her happy thoughts of Lord Kasen and the children vanishing at once.
“I’ve also noticed many more young men than women....” She heard Sonia say in a quiet voice. Ilyana ground her teeth.
“My apologies, young sir. It has been some time since I returned home,” Ilyana said, remaining seated on Truffles even as a knight took the reins to lead the horse to be tied. “I am afraid your name escapes me.”
She’d actually forgotten more than half the names of the people she’d run into and for a few of them, she didn’t even recognize them. This time, she didn’t recognize the young man speaking or the three just a step behind him who appeared to be there for moral support.
Not that the black-haired young man needed it. A smile filled his face, as if he suddenly had a chance. He stood up straight.
“Edgar Ivanov-”
“Mr. Ivanov, then,” Ilyana replied in a curt voice. “I am afraid I am unable to stop and speak at the moment. My friends and I are in the midst of an outing and are sticking to a strict schedule.”
Not to be deterred, the young man opened his mouth to try to weasel some more time with her. Ilyana gritted her teeth and prepared to speak sternly to reject him, as the obvious polite rejection was ignored, but an imperial knight stepped forward and blocked the space between them and the young man.
“Sir, please do not interrupt the Countess and her party,” Sir Lloyd said in a low voice.
He would’ve been much more intimidating if he were wearing his uniform instead of just his riding cloak and imperial knight pin. He also would’ve been more intimidating if Alexander weren’t sitting on his shoulder like a bird. Then again, with such a large cat, it only emphasized how big Sir Lloyd actually was.
The young man looked taken aback and once Ilyana had dismounted, Albert and Ewan surrounded her and ushered her into the building.
“Good afternoon, we have a reservation for one of your private rooms.” Tori was speaking to the hostess with a smile. “It was made under Agafonova.”
The young lady greeting them was looking through a flat booklet that seemed to be their reservation list. She had a smile on her face and happily looked through the list. However, when she heard the name the reservation was under, Ilyana caught her freeze.
It was just for a moment. The hostess was professional and continued to smile unbothered. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you’re a bit late. Our policy is that guests must arrive with a completed party ten minutes before the reservation time to be properly seated.”
“What?” Sonia nearly spat out. She narrowed her eyes. “I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous-”
“Perhaps it’s a regional custom,” JP replied, though his look of annoyance mirrored his sister. “However, we did arrive early, just not ten minutes early.”
“We did not encounter this issue with other restaurants,” Constantine said with a slight frown. “Why was this not communicated to us prior?”
The hostess blinked and Ilyana could see the slight blush on her cheeks when Constantine stepped forward. “I...I’m sorry, sir. It must’ve been a mistake. We have a few new employees and they may have forgotten.”
“That’s convenient....” Sonia muttered under her breath.
“Can you not make an exception?” Ilyana asked as she squeezed forward and stood beside Tori. “We made this reservation several days ago.”
They’d wandered around the town until they had to return to the manor for dinner. Most of it was spent taking notes of possible places to eat and visit, then reviewing them with her parents, and some trusted servants, to select which ones were the most promising.
The hostess gave them a helpless expression. “I am sorry, but we are unable to accommodate your party in a private room. However, there is plenty of seating in the main coffee house floor.”
She motioned to the wide space behind her and the group looked over. There were some spaces available, but they’d have to join tables to keep their party together, otherwise, they’d be split across two tables across the room. It would’ve been a hassle to find two tables close together where they wouldn’t bother another party already seated. The shop was rather full. The coffee shop was a fancy one and so the patrons were all reasonably well-to-do.
Her mother warned it was a social gathering place for the town’s wealthy and noble, which was the only reason she’d heard of it. Her mother, for the sake of her father’s business and their family’s reputation, attended occasional coffee parties with the mothers and matrons of other families.
Moreso in the last few months because she was trying to find places she thought Ilyana and her friends would like.
Ilyana’s eyes narrowed. Her mother didn’t work so hard just to have her be blatantly ignored.
“Is that Miss Agafonova?” Ilyana almost shut her eyes as she heard the familiar exclamation of false surprise. She couldn’t help but glance towards the sound of the voice and saw a table near the entrance with seven people: four young women and three young men, all looking at her with glints of predatory intent in their eyes.
Ewan took a step to the side to block their view of her. His head was tilted up. “I like how the buildings here have carved beams. It looks nice.”
The corner of the hostess’ eye twitched. “Yes, it is tradition to carve and paint beams and archways with native plants.”
Ewan nodded. “I see purple hood leaves,” he said. He smiled and looked at the hostess. “If you extract the juice from the liquid and boil off the water, the remains can be used as a poison.”
Albert barely held back a chortle. The hostess frowned and opened her mouth.
“Pardon me, Miss Agafonova?” A young man smiled pleasantly. He’d come from the table of young ladies and gentlemen. “Would you like to join us?”
Ilyana tried to hold back her scowl. “I am afraid that would be inconvenient at this time, as I am here with my friends.”
“Friends can sit with friends! It is an easy arrangement,” the young man said, his smile unwavering. He glanced at the hostess. “Call for Manager Kovachev.”
The hostess nodded her head rapidly and lifted her hand. As if waiting for that signal, another server dashed to the back of the coffee house.
“We’ve practiced hunting enough to know a trap when we see one,” Sonia said as she frowned and crossed her arms.
The hostess let out a light laugh and looked back at the group. “Just one moment and we can seat you with Young Master Yakovlevich’s table.”
Tori frowned. Before she could speak, Henrik squeezed past them, looking a bit ruffled. Despite having been exposed to horses and having had riding lessons since he was a child, he was the slowest of the group when dismounting. This included Tori, who was awkward in getting on and off her horse because of her height and experience.
Ilyana and the others stepped to the side.
“Excuse me. Hello. I have a reservation for Skuldsen. Private room with two tables?”
The hostess immediately brightened. “Yes! Mr. Skuldsen! Your room is ready for you. Is the rest of your party here?”
“Yes, they are.” Henrik gave her a small nod and kept a straight face. He didn’t look at the rest of them, but Ilyana caught the grin on Ewan’s face.
“Mr. Skuldsen!” A young man who looked just a few years older than them rushed forward from somewhere in the main room, completely ignoring the young gentlemen who wanted them to join his table. “I am Sasha Kovachev; my family owns this coffee house.”
“Yes, I remember. We spoke the other day regarding the sale of your coffee beans in Horizon,” Henrik said, shaking his hand. Sometimes, Henrik would wander off when he saw something interesting to find out if there was any way to do resale.
Ewan said not to stop him, as it was Henrik’s way of having fun.
“It is a compliment that you would be interested! We have been looking for a partner to help us break into market outside of Gorask,” the young man said. He laughed. “But, I digress. Allow me to lead your party to your room. It is our best table on the upper floor with views of the square just outside.”
The corner of Henrik’s lip curled up. “Wonderful. I’ve heard much about your coffee. I can’t wait to try it for myself.”
Manager Kovachev looked excited to hear this and had Henrik follow him. Henrik looked over his shoulder and gave the others a nod.
Ilyana held back a smug smile as the knights surrounded them and began to follow.
The young man who’d come to invite her to join their table realized something was wrong and his face fell. “Wait, Miss Agafonova-”
“My title is Lady Agafonova, Young Master Yakovlevich,” Ilyana said as she narrowed her eyes at him. “And this is my business partner, Henrik Skuldsen.”
Manager Kovachev looked even happier. “Lady Agafonova of Baron Agafonov’s house?”
“Yes, and she is Countess Victoria de Guevera, the largest shareholder of Lions Gate,” Henrik said. “The three of us, with the support of our friends, started the company several years ago.”
“And you’re all so young! I heard about Lions Gate through the trade channels....goodness!” The manager began to be flustered as his face reddened. “I thought I was doing rather well for my age, but to meet you three....” He laughed, making him look younger than he was. “I’m being ridiculous, forgive me. I’ve never had such impressive young guests before. Please, follow me. I will take your orders directly.”
“The Countess’ escort of knights will also be joining,” Henrik said. “They must remain with her, as per His Imperial Highness’ instruction.”
“Of course, Mr. Skuldsen! My ladies and gentlemen, please follow me!”
Ilyana felt Sonia and Tori hook her arms on either side of her as they walked across the room, escorted by knights, and led by the shop’s manager himself, and leaving an embarrassed hostess and a dumbfounded young master behind.
“It’s good we didn’t stop Henrik from doing business,” Tori said.
Sonia smirked. “As if we’ve ever been able to stop him from doing business.”
Tori snickered. “I bet Hiedrun can.” The three of them giggled.
They were seated and as promised, Manager Kovachev took their orders, suggested pastries to go with their coffee, and then rushed off so as not to make them wait too long. The knights had a separate table to the side, but the best table was close to the window to treat the guests to a view of the square below.
Ilyana could see Truffles and the others waiting.
“Was this by chance or planned?” Tori asked as she leaned back against her seat and looked at Henrik. Ilyana turned her attention to him, also curious.
“Both,” Henrik said. “I thought about making another reservation because I wanted to have a chance to speak to the manager. I spoke to his father the other day and he said he’d arrange it with his son and to come by. Since we were coming today, I made a reservation. I forgot to tell you I had.”
Ilyana let out a small laugh. “Two reservations were clearly better than one.”
“I bet they’re upset that their plans didn’t go through,” Albert said. “It’s very obvious they were targeting you.” The group nodded and Ilyana wrinkled her nose.
“It’s a bit too late to play nice with me now.”
“I don’t think it’s just to play nice with you,” JP told her.
Ilyana let out a heavy breath and looked out the window. “I’ve seen more of them than I wanted to already. At the very least, the worst of them hasn’t appeared.”
“There’s a worst of them?” Tori asked as she raised a brow. “You’ve never told us about them.”
Ilyana lowered her head and shook it. “I don’t like to talk about them.” Her voice was quiet and she didn’t notice her friends giving each other concerned looks.
“What is their name?” Albert asked. “We’ll avoid them.”
Ilyana closed her eyes and took another deep breath. “Gertrude Alexievich. When we were children, she was the...leader of the local noble children. Her father is the City Lord. His first wife died early, unable to have children, so when he remarried, he really treasured Gertrude. Their family has been in power for almost as long as Gorask has been settled. All the other children listened to her and wanted to be her friend.”
Tori let out a low breath. “I think I know where this is going....”
“Where?” Ewan asked.
Henrik rubbed his temple. “This Alexievich girl turned the other children against Ilyana.”
“And I don’t know why!” Ilyana sat up and slapped her hand on the table. “I never did anything to her! I wanted to be her friend, too, but she said she didn’t want to be friends with a baby that didn’t have a mother. I tried to be nice. I went to her family’s parties, even her birthday party, and I brought her a gift and when we were outside, she told her maid to get rid of it because it was dirty trash from a dirty child.”
She slumped down in her seat and Tori wrapped her arms around her. “You are not a dirty child and I am sure your gift was amazing.”
“No one wanted to play with me, and Lukashenko and the others always played tricks on me, such as leading me somewhere and leaving me in a room while they went to play to please her. One time, they even had boys chase me and threaten to throw me in a fountain. Another time, one of her followers made a chant telling me that my father would abandon me when he and Mommy got married. I’m ashamed to say I was scared.”
“I see....” Tori’s voice was low.
“Do you know anything about her now?” Ewan asked. “The more you know about an enemy, the better.”
Ilyana shook her head. “After she had some children stain my dress with mud at a party for her adopted brother, I made sure to avoid her and her followers as much as possible, even when I was invited and I knew it would cause criticism if I didn’t go. I don’t know what happened to her after I left.”
“You don’t have to care about her,” Sonia said. “Our Ilyana knows how good she is.”
JP rubbed his chin. “We haven’t seen her, but we haven’t seen too many young ladies either. Sonia pointed it out earlier, but I thought it was just me. You’re getting a lot of ‘is that Miss Agafonovas’ from young men.”
Constantine furrowed his brows. “Ilyana has finished Lycée, and many young nobles and wealthy children tend to begin looking for marriage partners at this age. If not them, then their parents.”
Ilyana couldn’t help but glance at Tori, whose face darkened a bit. Ilyana shook her head. “Neither my parents nor I are looking. I have Université to complete.”
“But others may be looking,” JP told her. “And they may think you’re easy prey. This can’t be a coincidence. Look at how many people you’ve run into recently.”
“And there’s a pattern!” Ewan said. The group turned towards him. “First, they will pretend to have run into Ilyana, but when we see them, they aren’t riding, walking, or moving. They’re standing or sitting there, in place, as if they’ve been waiting. Then they introduce themselves. Then they invite Ilyana to join them. Most of the time they ignore us, and all their attention is on Ilyana. I suspected at first that this was because they knew Ilyana, but they didn’t seem to care about Tori and Constantine at all.”
“Why would we matter?” Constantine asked.
“Because Tori is a Guevera and your uncle is the Pope,” Ewan said. “If everyone knows that llyana is here, they must also know that she brought her friends and who she is with. It makes the most sense that the most socially prominent of Ilyana’s friends would be memorable, so it is suspicious that all attention has been only on Ilyana. Therefore, they must be targeting Ilyana for something.”
The group was quiet for a moment and Ilyana’s mind raced to process this. While she didn’t sense danger from those people, she did sense some sort of ulterior motive that she didn’t trust.
“Excellent deduction, Ewan,” Tori said from beside her. Ewan nodded and then leaned forward with a dubious look. He lowered his voice and whispered.
“I think they’re trying to gain trade secrets from Ilyana.”
Ilyana sat in her seat and stared at Ewan. Beside her, Tori slowly turned her head towards the imperial knights. Sir Wagner tugged at the collar of his cloak.
“He...he is still in training, my lady.”
“That...could be part of it,” Constantine offered. Ewan nodded with a serious look on his face.
Henrik was rubbing his forehead.
“They’re interested in being Ilyana’s suitors, Ewan,” JP said in a dull voice. “That’s why they’re paying so much attention to Ilyana.”
Ewan gasped, as if the very idea were a bolt from the sky. He looked at Ilyana with wide, stunned eyes. The next thing that came out of his mouth nearly made her fall off her chair.
“What about Lord Kasen?”
“What about Lord Kasen?” Ilyana nearly choked out. “Ewan, don’t overthink it. I am sure that the only reason these gentlemen have been bothering me is to get on my good side so that I will speak well of them to my parents. It’s all business.”
“Are you sure about that?” Tori asked as she raised a brow.
“Yes!” Though, even as she said it, Ilyana wasn’t fully convinced. “Why else would they, after all these years, show me a hint of kindness?”
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
Her father couldn’t meet her eyes as he stood in front of her. A low breath left him as his face, which had lit up when she entered his study, fell. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew it would upset you.”
Ilyana’s shoulders fell. “How many?”
“Seven,” her father replied. He rushed to hold her hands and led her to take a seat on the plush chaise in front of his desk in case she was unsteady. Warm hands of her mother rested on her shoulders as she helped Ilyana take a seat.
“How long?” Ilyana said in a pained voice as looked at the older woman. The Baroness looked at a loss.
“Even before you left, there were inquiries to your marriage prospects, but Daddy and I never entertained such inquiries,” her mother told her, her voice growing firmer. “Don’t think that we’d ever wed you or even considering doing so without your knowledge!”
Ilyana nodded. She knew her parents wouldn’t. It was just that it wasn’t something she thought was possible considering her social situation in Gorask. Her head lowered as her eyes narrowed and looked down at the desk.
“Why?” she asked as her voice tightened. “All my life, they were so cruel to me. Mocking not having a mother, telling me my father would abandon me, then speaking so ill of you once you became my mother? Why would they even consider me if they hated me so much?”
Her parents both seemed to take a deep breath and exchange looks. Her father sat down on her other side and took one of her hands. “I am afraid this is my fault, Ilyana,” he told her with a pained voice. “All of it.”
“Daddy, no-”
“Listen to me,” he said, squeezing her hand. “If I were more careful, you would not have suffered so. Your mother would not have suffered. And because of the family business, you have always been thrust into the forefront as a possible way to secure a business tie. Not that I never wished you to do so.”
Ilyana’s eyes crinkled up. “If they had such interests, why were they so cruel?”
“They wished for your father to fail,” her mother said with some bitterness. The Baron nodded.
“I am a disagreeable upstart in their eyes. They thought that my success would be short-lived, so while they were civil to me, they wished to see me fail.” Her father sneered. “Before you left, it seemed they understood it wasn’t short-lived, so they began to want to cooperate more. They wanted more connections, more advice, more benefits, and I’m not a fool. I know what they want. I am cautious.”
“And I’m afraid they turned their eyes to us,” her mother said as the Baroness stroked her hair lovingly. “Their wives hoped to influence me to speak to your father.” Her eyes narrowed. “Then, they asked about you. More and more...and I knew what they wanted. I would not give it to them.”
Ilyana’s eyes reddened. How long had her parents guarded her? “When did they start to become more direct?”
“A year or so ago. They began to ask when you were returning and what your plans were. Everything they said made it sound as if they believed you were going to return to Gorask to settle down,” her mother told her.
Ilyana’s brows furrowed. Lukashenko’s exact words had asked if she was returning to settle down. Her eyes narrowed. Even Lukashenko was targeting her.
“Mommy and I have never given them a definite answer, except that you will remain in Horizon for Université,” her father told her in a firm voice. “And that we plan to allow you to choose your own partner.” His face turned ugly. “Unfortunately, this seems to have made them turn their attention directly towards you.”
“Ilyana, my baby, don’t think that you must consider any of them!” her mother said, holding her tightly. “If you don’t want them, Daddy and I won’t let them touch you.”
“You can do whatever you want. As long as you put your mind to something and decide, we will do our best to support you,” her father added.
Ilyana was quiet for a while and nodded. “I don’t like any of them. I just want to go to school and work.”
“All right, then my daughter will go to school and work,” her father agreed. “If they continue to harass you, then there is no need for them to collaborate with them any longer.”
Ilyana’s head shot up. She shook it. “There is no need for that, Daddy.” While they were very wealthy, they still had a shallow foundation. Her father’s title was honorary and not hereditary. Neither she nor Riri nor their future brother or sister could inherit it.
The nobles of Gorask would look down on them further because of this and it was necessary to keep good business relations with them. If it were a regular business, they could pick up and leave, and relocate elsewhere, but they couldn’t do that with mines.
It was too difficult to manage from afar. Even with Lions Gate, she, Henrik, and Tori were always going back and forth from Horizon to Viclya. Tori also had to make small trips to various near-by Lunar Inns with Duke Axton.
“Our business is steady, Ilyana. I am not afraid,” her father assured her.
Ilyana continued to shake her head. “While I refuse to let them use marriage with me to get closer to our family business, we cannot ignore them so easily. There is no need to cut them off unless they do something that offends us.”
“Their existence offends me,” her mother said in a serious voice.
Ilyana and her father froze and looked over at her. Ilyana felt her lips quiver as the tension in the room suddenly gave way. Her father tossed his head back and began to laugh. He leaned across, taking his wife’s free hand, and bringing the back of it to his lips.
“My love, you read my mind.”
Ilyana bit her lips. “Mommy....” She rubbed her head affectionately against her mother.
The Baroness puffed out her cheeks and pouted. “They do! Hurting my babies, trying to sneak their way into our family and usurp the business.” She huffed. “Is it because I have been too polite in recent years?”
Ilyana chuckled. Once her parents married, the Baroness was very careful about the outings she and Ilyana went to. She was very protective of Ilyana, but at the same time, had to play her role as the Baron’s wife and socialize. In order not to offend anyone, she held back her personal thoughts and instead of confronting everyone, she avoided them.
But that didn’t mean her anger and frustration disappeared.
“There is no need to restrain yourself for me,” the Baron said with a smile. “By all means, be a tyrant.”
Ilyana watched her mother’s face relax and then blush.
“Regardless,” her mother said, turning her attention back to Ilyana. “At tomorrow’s ball, do not hesitate to reject them. I do not want you marrying because of coercion, and especially not to any of their sons. Such lazy, whiny little masters who do nothing but drink and play all day. It’s amazing their families have lasted this long....”
She continued to mutter and curse them under her breath as Ilyana and her father watched with amusement.
“Ilyana,” her father told her in a gentle voice. “No matter what they say. No matter what they do, do what you want. We will support you.”
Ilyana thought for a while and then nodded her head. After a few more words, she left her father’s study and headed out, to the back of the manor.
“Is it done yet?” Riri was standing by a grill where Tori was standing, carefully turning skewers of meat.
“Almost,” Tori said. “Chicken needs to be cooked thoroughly or you’ll get sick.”
Riri nodded and looked down at the cat sitting next to him. “Soon, Alexander. Soon.”
“Ilyana, how did it go?” JP asked from where he was seated on a wooden chair, playing a card game with Albert and Constantine.
Ilyana took a deep breath. “Daddy said that there have been seven inquiries since I arrived regarding my plans of marriage and he has rejected all of them with I am studying in Université and am working in the area.”
“While anything can happen, it could give them ideas,” Sonia said. “Perhaps wait for you or send someone down to Horizon to try to seduce you.”
Ilyana balked, but her other friends nodded. “No one is going to seduce me!”
“Never underestimate the determination of people with business interests,” Henrik said as he wrote through some papers. He paused and narrowed his eyes. “Although, if they don’t take no for an answer, then we may need to take additional precautions.”
Ilyana frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Find their weak points and exploit them,” Ewan said. He was next to Tori, basting the skewers. “What are their weaknesses?”
“Their positions and money,” Tori replied. “If they’re targeting Ilyana for business interests, squeeze their business. Make them suffer financially to prohibit growth.”
“What if their intentions are Ilyana herself?” Sonia pointed out.
Tori narrowed her eyes and nodded. “Our Ilyana is beautiful. At least one of them may have unsavory thoughts towards her.”
Ilyana shuddered. “Tori....”
Tori lifted her hand and Sir Wagner stepped forward. Without looking up from the grill where she rotated some skewers, she spoke up. “Distanced guard on Ilyana until we leave.”
Sir Wagner hit his chest with his fist. “Yes, my lady.”
Ilyana’s eyes widened. “Tori, that’s not necessary. They are imperial knights and Daddy has guards at home.”
Tori shook her head. “The knights already have a firm grasp of tomorrow’s security and the layout of the manor and surrounding area. Ewan will escort you tomorrow night.”
Ewan nodded. He lifted his hand to hit his chest, but paused when he realized he was still holding the basting brush. “Don’t worry, Ilyana! I won’t let anyone get to you.”
Riri looked around, confused. “What’s going on?”
“Every time there is an important party, a lot of security should be given to the most important guest of the party,” Tori told him. “And who is the most important guest tomorrow?”
Riri’s face bloomed with a smile. “Ilyana!”
“That’s right,” Tori said as she took one skewer from the grill and blew across it before carefully handing it to Riri. “So tomorrow, Ilyana will be very protected.”
Ilyana felt her heart swell despite not wanting Tori or the imperial knights to bother. After all, the imperial knights were sent to guard Tori, not her. Still, she accepted her kindness and hugged Tori from the side, burying her face in Tori’s shoulder.
It felt good to have friends.
They spent the rest of the afternoon and the next day relaxing at the manor. Riri was given permission by their parents to go to Viclya after speaking to Nanny Luisa, and the child was elated.
Ilyana swore he spent half that day talking to Ava and making plans. Plans that seemed to make Tori rub her head as she listened.
By sunset on the evening of the ball, Ilyana was pacing her childhood room. Guests were arriving in carriages lined up outside their lit-up manor and her long, heavy green dress with gold accents swayed around her. Her hair had been pulled up and she wore what felt like weights around her neck.
Tori had snickered and said ‘I told you they’re heavy’.
They were gifts from her parents, so Ilyana did not decline.
A knock came from the door and Ilyana perked up. The maid attending to her went to open the door.
“Hi, Ilyana! I’m here to escort you!” Ewan walked in, smiling in a suit she’d never seen him in before. She tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brows. That was not the style of evening suits for men in Gorask. Typically, the colors were darker and they were looser.
Ewan’s suit was more of a military uniform.
“Where did you get the uniform?”
“First-tier training knights formal uniform,” Ewan said. “His Imperial Highness told me I should bring it with me at all times in case there is a formal event. Most of the things we’ve attended have been casual and with Tori’s family or something, so I was told it was unnecessary, but His Imperial Highness told me to wear it tonight.”
Prince Piers did? Tori must’ve told them.
“Well...thanks, Ewan! You look great!”
Ewan gave her a lopsided grin. “Right? I have a metal pin with the training insignia, too.” He proudly pointed to the small pin on his left breast and Ilyana laughed.
“I am ready to go. Where is everyone?” Ilyana said as she walked forward. Ewan extended his arm to her.
“Henrik and the others are already downstairs and Tori has to finish a call with Prince Piers, so she will come down and meet us soon,” Ewan told her. Ilyana nodded. The two walked out the door and at once, there were guards and knights following Ilyana. “By the way,” Ewan said as he leaned forward and whispered. “Tori told me to tell you to bring your dagger.”
Ilyana nodded. It was strapped to her calf. “I have it.”
“You should always be prepared,” he said with confidence. They walked towards the stairs and could hear the commotion below as guests entered. As they reached the top, she saw her parents greeting the newly arrived guests. “Riri is with JP and Sonia,” Ewan told her, as if knowing she asked.
Ilyana let out a small breath of relief. She inhaled deeply and put on a pleasant smile as they began down the stairs. As they descended, attention shifted from her parents to her and the crowd quieted down.
Her parents, who had their backs to the stairs, turned around. Her father smiled as her mother looked as if she were about to cry with joy.
“Everyone, my daughter has arrived!” her father said in a proud voice as he looked up at her. “To my eldest, happiest of birthdays and congratulations on not only graduating first in your class at Lycée du Soleil, but being admitted early to Université du Soleil.”
Ilyana smiled warmly at her parents as she reached them. Ewan handed her off to her father so they could step forward and greet the guests together.
“Thank you for coming!” Ilyana said, trying her best to resemble Tori when Tori welcomed people at events. Tonight would be a good night. No matter what people told her, no matter what people did, it would not hurt her. She was not the helpless little girl from years ago. “I am Ilyana Agafonova and I hope you all enjoy your time here tonight!”
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
“Well, you certainly hoped to enjoy your time here tonight, didn’t you?” Tori said as her small frame loomed over two rows of men and women on their knees with their wrists tied behind their backs. They were gathered behind the servant’s quarters just a few paces from the main manor. A few of them were dressed as extra hired staff and a few were well dressed young men. The deadly smile on Tori’s face vanished at once. “Are these all of them?”
Sir Dassler reported. “Yes, my lady. They were found tampering with food in the kitchens and snooping around various parts of the manor that were not open to guests.” He took a step forward and grabbed the head of one of the young men. He squeezed the man’s head in his palm and the man cried out behind his gag. “This one was hiding in the library with tainted alcohol.”
Tori let out a small, bitter chuckle. “Oh, very nice.... Trespassers and assassins.”
When she said the last word, she heard horrified sounds of protests coming from the people on their knees. How could they possibly be assassins? They were just townsfolk.
“These two men were discussing trapping Lady Agafonova tonight. These three appear to be servants of theirs who were planted to drug her ladyship’s drink and lead her to a private room,” Sir Leigh told her. “Sir Wagner is doing a final sweep of the manor and we will continue to do rounds to ensure Lady Agafonova’s safety.”
“Excellent work. Have someone identify these people. Don’t let them leave. I will deal with them after the ball. There is no need for Ilyana or the Agafonovs to deal with this at the moment,” Tori told them. The two knights hit their chests. She looked at the half dozen people trembling beneath her gaze. “I don’t care what your reasoning is or who you are, anyone who tries to hurt one of mine will be lucky if they’re alive, and even then, you may not enjoy it.”
She turned on her heel and a third knight and Constantine escorted her back.
“I had the butler seal any rooms with charms and Ewan just called to confirm that Sir Meyer has stationed himself outside of Ilyana’s bedroom,” Constantine said. “We are free to attend the ball.”
“Good,” Tori said with a dark look still on her face. “I knew they really wanted to use Ilyana to tie their family businesses to her father’s and leech off them, but to think they’d try such a despicable method to trap her.” She ground her teeth together as her skin crawled.
Constantine gave her a worried look. “It’ll be fine, Tori. We caught them.”
“If something happened to her....” Tori said in a tight voice. She shut her eyes, remembering what happened to both Ilyana and Victoria in the original game. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. “Help me keep an eye on Riri, as well.”
Constantine gave her a nod. “Do not do anything too extreme.”
Tori scoffed. “That is subjective.”
They entered through a side door, where the head maid was waiting for them. “The Baron and his family have entered the dining hall for the ball, my lady, Master Zisos.”
‘Thank you.” Tori gave her a curt nod. They marched across the manor and as they closed in, she slowed down and resumed more graceful steps and mannerisms so as not to make her friend look bad.
Constantine offered her his arm and she took it. “Henrik will meet us inside and point out the guests we should be wary of.”
Tori nodded. They walked into the large dining hall that was set up as a ballroom with a long table with snacks and refreshments to the side. The room was filled with well-dressed men and women in elegant suits and dresses, with jewelry adorning all of them.
It made the near chest plate dangling from Ilyana’s neck look modest in some cases. Her eyes swept through the room and immediately found Ilyana standing with her parents, smiling and nodding as older guests seemed to present their children to her.
“Tori.” She turned and saw Henrik. Constantine led them over and released her arm. He gave them a quiet nod and went to stand with JP and Sonia. Ewan remained standing with Ilyana and Tori wasn’t sure if that smile on his face was forced or if he really was excited.
In all honesty, he was probably just excited knowing Ewan.
“Has there been any trouble yet?” Tori asked. Henrik stood beside her and held a glass he wasn’t drinking.
“No, but there are more interested parties than we thought. A good number of these families, I’d say a little less than half, are in desperate need of money to support their families. They are both aristocratic and noble. Five families are in heavy debt after bad investments, and two have sons who expressed interest in Ilyana and want to marry her. Even then, their own families don’t stand up to the wealth of the Baron’s and their titles are just for show.”
Tori tried not to sneer as she heard all of this. “Lovely.”
“And Lord Alexievich is here with his family.” Henrik paused. “Including that Gertrude person.”
“We’re in a large gathering. If she’s smart, she’ll keep her mouth shut and to herself,” Tori said in a low voice.
Henrik gave her a curious look. “And if she’s not?”
“She should just pray she is.” Tori kept an eye on Ilyana. Though a few people approached Tori, she was polite, but distant, making a point to keep conversations about Gorask and what she’d sightsaw while she was there.
Tonight was about Ilyana, and Tori wanted to keep a relatively low profile. Occasionally, she’d check on Ilyana and stand beside her, try to help her relax, and show their friendship. However, the majority of guests who approached Ilyana that night were adults their parents’ age.
The names of many sons, grandsons, nephews, and even some cousins were name dropped. A few bold elders brought some young men forward, to which Ilyana expertly laughed and redirected the conversation to her work at Lions Gate and not her private life.
Confident that Ilyana seemed to be managing the situation well, that the Baron and Baroness were near, and that the knights were watching her like a hawk, Tori began to make her way to the food and drink to one side of the hall. She hadn’t eaten since lunch and her stomach was starting to make sounds like Ewan’s.
A crash was heard when she was inches from the snack table and she whirled around. A commotion was happening right where she’d left Ilyana and Tori swore as a knight appeared in front of her and began cutting through the crowd to get her back to Ilyana.
When she got there, Ilyana was standing in place with a firm look on her face. Her hips were aligned and though she was wearing a dress, Tori could tell she had shifted into a stance ready to fight. A metal serving tray, the ones the hired servers were bringing around to serve guests standing drinks, was on the ground, along with almost a dozen glasses that had half shattered on the checkered tile floor.
A large puddle of mixed wine pooled at Ilyana’s feet and across from her, a young woman with reddish-brown hair in an updo was on the floor, her white dress stained and soaking up wine as a furious expression filled her pretty pale face. Her blue eyes were filled with hatred as she looked at Ilyana.
“Gertrude!” A beautiful woman in an elegant gold dress rushed forward, pushing people out of the way as she scrambled to the young woman’s side.
“Mother, look what she did!” Gertrude lifted a slender arm and pointed at Ilyana. “She pushed me!”
Lady Alexievich whirled around and snarled at Ilyana. “You hateful child! How could you push my daughter?”
Ilyana didn’t take her cold eyes off of Gertrude. “I-”
“Don’t try to deny it!” Lady Alexievich hissed as she and a young woman helped her daughter to her feet. “You never played well with others! Ill-mannered and rude, you’d sit in a corner without talking. I always knew something was wrong with you, but I never thought-”
“Lady Alexievich!” Baron Agafonov was suddenly in front of her, blocking her view of Ilyana. His face was red. Tori didn’t think he could get so angry. “You will not speak to my daughter that way!”
“Your daughter is an ill-bred, ill-mannered, spiteful girl!” Lady Alexievich spat out. “My Gertrude was innocently shoved to the ground and all you can do is defend your daughter? Where is your apology!”
“Baron Agafonov.” A man’s disapproving voice came through the crowd and Tori turned and saw Lord Alexievich approaching with a frown on his graying-bearded face. “My family came as guests to your home and this is how we are treated?”
“Before the verdict, we should find out what happened first, shouldn’t we, Lord Alexievich?” Baron Agafonov said. He didn’t stand down and remained in front of Ilyana as the Baroness pulled Ilyana towards her and shielded her in her arms with the look that reminded Tori of Fifi’s hen when she was ready to fight.
“What is there to find out? My daughter is on the floor,” Lord Alexievich replied, his voice cold. “It is clear that your daughter pushed her!”
“Our Ilyana would not push someone unless it was to push them out of harm’s way!” the Baroness said with an icy glare.
Lady Alexievich sneered at her. “Such a kind mother. You always put on such a good show, taking care of a daughter that isn’t yours. A nanny can’t do a mother’s job. It’s no wonder she turned out as pathetic as she did.”
The slap rang out before Tori blinked and the sound echoed around the silent hall. There were a few audible gasps and a shriek from Gertrude. “Mother!”
The Baroness was seething and holding her hand as a red mark appeared on Lady Alexievich’s face. “There is nothing wrong with my Ilyana,” the Baroness hissed in a low voice. “She never harmed a flea! It is your brat of a child who demeaned her, spread rumors about her, and ordered other children not to associate with her, pushing my daughter further and further away from any possible friendships she could’ve had, no matter how hard she tried. I am not the one who raised a malicious little monster!”
“Oh....” Albert looked impressed as they gathered around Ilyana.
Filled with indignation, Lord Alexievich scowled and glared at Ilyana’s mother. “Baroness Agafonova, you will watch what you say-”
“Lord Alexievich,” Tori cut in and stepped forward. All eyes turned to Tori, who stood up straight with her head up and her shoulders back. Her cold eyes lingered on him and then turned to his daughter. “I don’t want to hear insults. In your words, what happened.”
The young woman stood up straight and Tori wasn’t sure if she was trying to match her energy or what, but she eyed Tori up and down and frowned. She began to sneer, but her father coughed.
“Gertrude, tell Countess Guevera what happened.” Her father gave her a serious look and Tori resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This girl didn’t even know who she was.
“My lady, I was walking forward to greet Lady Agafonova and wish her a happy birthday and congratulations, but just as I approached, she pushed me into a server, knocking over the server and spilling these drinks all over.”
Tori gave her a nod. She looked towards the server, who was frozen at the side, pale and trembling. “Did this young lady run into you?”
He tensed and looked at Tori and then at Gerturde. “I-”
“I should remind you, young man, that though I am young, I am still a Countess and the daughter of a march,” Tori told him with a cold smile. “I expect you to be honest with me.”
“She did indeed run into me, my lady!”
“Which side?”
“My left!”
“How were you carrying the tray?”
“Like this!” He immediately lifted his arms up.
“What direction were you facing?”
“There!” He turned in the direction he had been.
“Did you see this young lady coming towards you?”
“No, my lady!”
Tori glanced at Ewan. Ewan stepped forward and looked him up and down. “The stains from the spilled drinks are on the front of his body, mainly on his left side. He was hit from his left side while holding the tray up with his left arm. He may not have seen her because the tray blocked his field of vision.” Tori nodded. That was legit.
“Ilyana, what happened?”
“I was speaking to Madam Melnyk when I saw the perpetrator approaching. She was closing distance quickly and so I moved a quarter step to my right to avoid her in case we collided. She caught my dress, tripped, and fell against the server behind me.”
“Liar!” Gertrude shouted at once and Tori lifted her hand to silence her. Tori looked at Ilyana.
“Turn around and let me see your dress.” Ilyana did so and Tori had Ewan kneel down and move the folds around.
“There are pulled threads and this piece of lace has been ripped off by force. It is very possible that it was caught in the perpetrator’s shoes when she fell.”
Gertrude choked back a cry. “Don’t call me a perpe-”
“My lady this is all a coincidence! My daughter was pushed. The server said so!” Lord Alexievich told her righteously.
“The server said she ran into him and he did not see her being pushed,” Tori said. “To push someone would be a very obvious action. Did anyone actually see Ilyana push this young lady?”
She looked around. Everyone was trying to look for any witnesses. Gertrude’s eyes flickered over the crowd. Tori watched her carefully as she looked towards a small group of girls nearby. As if suddenly realizing they were being summoned, one opened their mouth to speak up.
“I-”
“Gertrude,” another man’s voice cut through and from the side, a tall young man with dark reddish-brown hair and blue eyes was frowning. Despite his expression, he was a rather good-looking man. “It was an accident.”
“Big Brother?” Gertrude looked like the wind was knocked out of her. Tori looked from her to the man who did appear to have similar features. Her brows furrowed. Didn’t Gertrude have an adopted brother? Why did they look so similar?
“Nicolai, what are you talking about?” Lady Alexievich glared at him.
“I was standing nearby when Gertrude passed. I thought we were going to speak to Lady Agafonova, so I went to return my drink to a server. When I turned around, I saw Lady Agafonova turn. Gerty suddenly tripped and ran into the server. I suppose it was on Lady Agafonova’s dress,” the man said as he motioned to Ilyana’s dress.
Lady Alexievich’s face heated up and Gertrude grit her teeth.
“Why are you taking her side?” she cried out.
Nicolai frowned. “Gerty, I told you repeatedly to leave Lady Agafonova alone. Don’t think I didn’t know what you were planning.”
“I wasn’t planning anything!”
“Are these siblings always like this?” Tori said as she leaned towards Ilyana. Ilyana shrugged.
“She adores her brother and always seemed to do whatever he said. I didn’t interact with him much, so I don’t know him that well,” Ilyana whispered back.
“Why are you always so nice to her!?” Gertrude suddenly screamed as her entire body seemed to turn red. “Always telling me to be nice to her! Always telling me not to pick on her and to thank her for her poor gifts!” Nicolai opened his mouth, but his sister wouldn’t let him talk. “Do you still like her after all these years?”
The accusation rang through the room and Tori’s draw dropped. She and her friends turned towards Ilyana. Ilyana’s eyes went wide, clearly not having expected it at all.
Tori snapped her head back to Nicolai and found that his face had reddened. He looked away, appearing suddenly shy. “Oh, no fucking way....” she said, unheard.
Nicolai glanced at Ilyana. “Miss Agafonova....” He blushed. “I...I’ve always-”
“No!” Gertrude screamed. “Don’t say it! Don’t say it!” She lifted her hands and covered her ears. “I don’t want to hear you say it!”
“Gertrude, what is wrong with you? Calm down,” her mother urged as she reached for her.
“No! No, I don’t want him to marry her! He should marry me! I love him! I’ve loved him since he came home!” Gertrude cried out.
Her parents paled. “What?” Her father rushed towards her. “What do you mean? Are you in love with your brother?”
Gertrude nodded her head with tears in her eyes. “Father, I love Nicolai! I want to marry him!”
“Gertrude, he’s your brother!” Lady Alexievich cried out. “You can’t!”
“He’s my adopted brother!”
Her parents were horrified and Tori looked from her to Nicolai and back. Her eyes went wide. Her mouth opened into a little circle.
“You can’t!” Lord Alexievich sounded angry. “You will never speak of such a thing again!”
“Father, if I marry him, he can carry the title!” Gertrude said. “Adopted children can’t inherit titles, but I can share mine with him!”
“I said no, Gertrude! That’s enough!”
“Why not! You’re always telling me that he will help me one day when I become the City Lord!” Gertrude, obviously having been spoiled since childhood, did not want to take no for an answer.
“Because he’s your real, blood-related brother, right?” Ewan piped. No one asked and Tori wasn’t going to bring it up. Everyone’s eyes turned to Ewan. “That’s why you can’t marry him?”
Before Henrik could clamp his hand over Ewan’s mouth, the entire room erupted into chaos.
★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★
“It turns out that the City Lord married his first wife out of obligation. His parents wanted him to because then his children would inherit the position,” Tori said from the comcry. “However, he was in a relationship with his current wife before they were married and they even had a son, Nicolai. The current wife fled to have the baby and then hired someone to care for him before returning to Gorask.
“The City Lord married the previous City Lord and she died five years into the marriage; pneumonia after assisting in a snowstorm. The situation was like Axton’s mom’s and she had no other family alive, but she didn’t have a child, so the hereditary title went to her husband. He kept their surname and vowed to have his future children carry the surname forward to honor his dead wife.”
“That is not the same as a blood lineage,” Piers replied as he folded his clothes and put them into a rucksack to be hung on Snow Queen’s saddle. “The title should have been returned to the empire and a new city lord family chosen from one of the other local lords.”
“Obviously, he didn’t do that,” Tori replied. “He remarried the woman he was in a relationship with and had Gertrude, and when she was a small child, they ‘adopted’ Nicolai. They have been one big happy family ever since.”
Piers almost sneered. “Was he aware of his parents?”
“Apparently, yes,” Tori said. “He treated Gertrude like the biological sister that she was, but she was in love with him and didn’t know they were hiding his identity from her.”
“She knew that he was interested in Lady Ilyana.” Piers paused. “That is the reason she was so cruel to Lady Ilyana.”
“Jealousy is a cruel mistress,” Tori replied. “You would’ve hated to have been there, Piers. Everyone was yelling, someone brought up the accusation that the City Lord killed his first wife on purpose to marry his second. Gertrude wasn’t only torturing Ilyana, but any girl her brother looked at twice. Nicolai looked horrified.”
“Did Lady Ilyana reject him?”
“He looked especially horrified when she did reject him!” Tori sounded excited to have witnessed the drama in person. “He tried to apologize and plead with her, but Ilyana was strong and refused. Then Baron Agafonov made them leave.”
Piers hummed. “Was the ball ruined?”
“It was more as if we watched a drama unfold before dinner. The rest of the evening, it was all everyone could talk about,” Tori said. “Ilyana said the entire debacle was surreal.”
“Is she and her family all right?”
“I think the Agafonovs were just stunned that such a secret was revealed at their home. Also, since there is some suspicion on the former City Lord’s death, I’m going to appeal to the von Schwert March to investigate.”
“You are being petty.”
“What are you talking about? This is a legitimate concern,” Tori replied. “No one wants a murderer as a City Lord. Anyway, I’ve utilized Sir Wagner and Sir Lloyd to bring those young men and their servants back to their families. Their plans weren’t carried out, so the most we can do is fine them for trespassing and possession.”
Piers tied the bag closed and glanced at the dark window. His father and mother were arriving soon. His men had informed him that they were reaching the city walls.
“Was the Baron informed?”
“Yes, and he was furious. He’s breaking the contracts with their families.”
“He will have to pay a hefty fine.”
“The Baron got this far so quickly; we can’t underestimate him.”
“You are right.”
“The Baroness was particularly impressive. She scolded so many women and their children for their behavior. They were trying to be civil at first, but that’s over.”
“Good.”
“And Ilyana is fine, too. The rest of the evening was uneventful, and Fifi called her towards the end of the ball to wish her a ‘happy ball’.” Tori giggled. “So cute....”
“Lady Ilyana loves Fifi.”
“Hmm...yes...she looked much more relaxed while talking to the kids. It really took her mind off of tonight’s craziness.” Tori chuckled. “Hearing Kasey probably was a bonus.”
“Senior called her?”
“Fifi told him to tell Ilyana ‘happy ball’ while they were speaking. Kasey obliged and said a few words.”
Piers hummed once more. He took a deep breath and frowned. He had to meet Axton at the stables and then prepare to leave. He hated to end his evening call, but took solace in the fact that he would see her in person, soon.
“Tori, I must go. I am needed for something.”
“Oh no, do you have more work? It’s getting late, Piers.” Her disapproval made his heart beat faster.
“It is a minor task. It will be over soon.”
“You must get some rest when it’s over, all right?” Tori asked.
“Yes, Tori.”
“Okay. Don’t overwork yourself.” The call ended and Piers clutched the comcry against his chest.
Axton had told him to tell Tori they were coming, but when did he listen to Axton? Piers tucked his comcry into his tunic pocket and slung his rucksack over his shoulder. Instead of going out the main doors, he slipped out through his back windows and disappeared into the dark shadows of the palace.
Sir Dobchek met him outside and gave him a knight’s riding cloak. “More suitable clothing for traveling incognito is prepared at the first Lunar Inn where we’ll stop, Your Imperial Highness.”
Piers nodded as he swept it over his shoulder easily and lifted the hood over his head. “Are the horses ready?”
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”
“And my parents?”
“They have just entered the gates of the city in their carriage.”
Piers narrowed his eyes. He needed to hurry. If he was out of the city before his father noticed, then all his father could do was complain about the work left behind and his irresponsibility. The Emperor would be forced to take on the tasks and paperwork left.
What was he going to do? Threaten Piers? With more paperwork?
“There you are,” Axton said as they met up near the stables. “What took you so long? They’re going to arrive, and if he finds you here, he’ll assign more work and keep you at the palace.”
“I know.” Piers shot him an annoyed look. He hadn’t answered any of his father’s calls and he told his mother that he was so busy that he couldn’t spare much time to speak. His mother did not need to know that he happily spent hours speaking to Tori.
Snow Queen snorted and shook her head as Piers mounted the saddle. His knights had been spread at various checkpoints around the city and on the road, to meet with him as they passed. While they hesitated, he gave the order and Axton reminded them that both he and Sir Dobchek would be with Piers the entire way.
With Axton and Sir Dobchek in front of and behind him, they made their way to a side entrance usually used by service staff and some knights. Sir Dobchek cleared the way and they waited by the gate house, pretending to review a map.
Axton’s comcry lit up and he swept his finger over it.
“The sun has sunk into the horizon.” Piers recognized one of his knight’s voices easily. That was the code sentence.
Without a word, Sir Dobchek let them out with Piers’ head covered the entire time. As soon as they were out of view of the gates, they began to quicken their speed to get to the city gates. Sir Dobchek sent a signal that notified guards that Piers was leaving the city.
Piers often went to Viclya, so no one would think anything of him leaving. As the Crown Prince, he didn’t have as many travel restrictions as his brother did. All he needed to do was report his intent to leave, and he did. He just did not specify the length of time or where.
His habits were so well-known that no one suspected a thing.
“Are you sure you don’t want to tell her you’re coming?” Axton said as they galloped out of the city gates and into the darkness of the rolling countryside beyond.
“I am certain,” Piers replied.
“All right,” Axton said, resigned. “I don’t know if she’ll be happy that you sneaked out of the palace.”
“Tori will be happy to see me.”
“Where are you getting this confidence?” Axton snorted.
Piers kept his eyes on the road ahead of them. “A mirror.”