Page 37 of Stars May Burn

I frowned in puzzlement and continued. I smelled the sweetness of roses along with heavier tones of pork and honey.

Lucy opened the double glass doors, and my eyebrows rose. Fresh extravagant roses filled vases and urns on every side. A girl was playing ethereal, sorrowful, and achingly beautiful tunes on a flute in one corner.

The table was covered with bowls of vegetables and platters of canapes for me to choose between.

“There must be some mistake. This can’t all be for me.” When things were grand in either of my past homes, I’d been too busy acting the flawless hostess to appreciate them. Father or Frederick would inspect everything and be furious if anything was less than perfect. I would spend days stressing over every last detail, practicing my brightest smile in the mirror, hoping the guests would be pleased.

I noticed there were two plates and two chairs. My breath caught as my hope rose.

I gave Lucy a long sideways look. “Is…is Kasten joining us?”

She opened her mouth, then just shook her head. I deflated, my nerves vanishing, but also my hope.

If this was an apology, it was kind of him, but it would be nicer for him to apologize in person. It would be nice for him to speak to me in any manner. But I supposed this let him assuage his guilt while keeping his secrets—and himself—out of my reach. And maybe he was a little angry at me after all.

I sighed. Maybe I was being too uncharitable. It was ridiculous for me to feel pushed to one side and ignored when he went to all this effort.

I stared at the luxurious food. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what role I was meant to play.

A voice behind me made me startle. “Correct! Kasten won’t be joining you, instead you have the pleasure of my fine company.” I whirled around and found Callum entering with a grin.

I raised my eyebrows. “You’re eating dinner with me?”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t sound too happy about it. Kasten left for Adenburg in the early hours, so he can’t join us.”

The early hours? That couldn’t be long after his discussion with Meena. Did he never sleep? Sometimes he barely seemed human, like sleeping and eating were beneath him.

I folded my hands in my skirts and picked at a nail as I pondered Callum’s words. “He’s going to the capital again? Why? He only got back two days ago. Especially so close to the campaign?”

Callum sat down and immediately started heaping things on his plate without waiting for me. “He’s gone to send a message to the Red Men.”

I stilled then slowly eased myself into my seat. I picked up my fork, though there was no food on my plate and rotated it between my fingers. “What sort of a message?”

Callum spoke with his mouth full. “What do you think? Probably something along the lines of, ‘If any of you dare touch my wife again, I’ll torture you all slowly until you’re dead.’” He used a deep caricature of Kasten’s voice.

I fidgeted. “Oh.” How could he be so calm while saying things like that?

Callum sighed and waved his fork at me, spraying a tiny bit of food across the table. “Don’t worry. He won’t do anything unless they deserve it. Though this happening right before he leaves on campaign has set him on edge.”

I spooned some creamed mashed potatoes, devilled eggs, and red cabbage onto my plate, trying not to show my unhappiness over my husband leaving while we were at odds. I arranged a few canapes neatly around the side without paying much attention to what they were. “How long will you both be gone? On the campaign, I mean?”

A shadow fell over Callum’s face, and he pushed his chicken around his plate before meeting my eyes. He spoke softly. “You should understand, Lady Sophie. There is a real chance Kasten won’t make it back from this campaign.”

I dropped my cutlery as cold flooded my chest. “Why? What do you mean?”

Callum glanced at Lucy and Meena standing by the wall before clearing his throat. “He almost didn’t come back last time. The king doesn’t want him to return. Kasten’s fighting a war on two fronts. He’s trying to defeat the enemy while guarding his back from the king and most of the nobility. And while trying to protect his men.”

Meena had said the king was trying to ruin the general. I hadn’t realized she had meant trying to kill him.

Rage and shock made my words sound soft. The king was actively trying to murder his own son? “But…but Kasten is the best general. Meena said so. Everyone knows he wins most of his battles. Why would the king want him dead? He’s his greatest asset for the war.”

Callum’s face expressed forced patience and weariness. “He’s also the greatest threat to the throne, my dear.”

“He doesn’t seem the least bit interested in the throne.” I looked down, my heart racing and the familiar sense of helplessness started to seep through my body. “What can I do?”

Callum shrugged and pushed one hand through his hair. “What can any of us do? Just”—he sighed again—“just try to make him happy in little ways before we leave. I think you might be the only good thing in his life. Whatever you two fell out about last night, forgive him, won’t you?”

The notes of the flute suddenly sounded very far away.

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