Page 2 of A Game of Veils

Given Emperor Tarquin’s reputation, agreeing to their proposition must have been an entirely strategic move on his part. He’s tying my distant country more deeply into the empire, enforcing my parents’ and my sister’s loyalty for decades to come.

Gods only know what other factors motivated him to accept the offer. This is a man who thinks stringing up mutilated children is a reasonable law enforcement tactic.

But his son, Marclinus, is a separate person. He isn’t the one enforcing the laws… yet.

I’ll keep an open mind. Find the best in the situation I’ve been presented with.

If the imperial heir will listen to me, I could give every citizen of Accasy a better future.

I fold my hands together on my lap, my thumb sliding over the rippled gold of the ring on my left forefinger. The impression rises up of Mother squeezing my hands when we stood in the castle courtyard just before I left.

You are wanted, she said, and that is a kind of power. Don’t let them strip away who you are. Trust in your gift.

When she hugged me, the tremor that ran through her slim frame contradicted the confidence in her words.

The halt of the carriage tells me we’ve reached one of the gates into Dariu’s massive capital city. When the driver produces his papers with their official seals and announces that he’s escorting Princess Aurelia of Accasy, the guards wave us onward.

One aims a leering glance through the window as the wheels rattle by. I pretend I’m too distracted by the looming buildings to notice.

I’ve heard that over a hundred thousand people reside within Vivencia’s walls. It’s hard to wrap my head around that number when Accasy’s largest city contains less than a third of that number.

Plenty of the citizens are going about their business on the stone-paved streets. They stroll past tenement buildings, duck in and out of shops, and lean on their window ledges to bask in the mid-day sun.

Everyone I see looks contented enough. I suppose as long as their actions don’t clash with the emperor’s plans, he treats the people of his own country benevolently.

Why order them into back-breaking labor or let his soldiers run wild among them when he can exploit those he’s conquered instead?

As we weave between the tall buildings, the breeze dwindles. The spring warmth turns to mugginess within the confines of the carriage.

I swipe at the long brown waves of my hair in an attempt to cool the perspiration beading on my neck. Cici tuts at me and leans over to tidy a few particularly errant strands.

Back home, I’d have had my hair pulled back in clips or braids to keep them out of my way. Why does a country with a significantly hotter climate make a fashion of unmarried women keeping their hair loose?

When I left Accasy, the air still held the crisp freshness that arrives with the spring leaves. I could have walked into the dense woods beyond the castle if I was seeking a deeper cool relief.

The homesickness wells up inside me so abruptly I nearly choke on it.

It’s a long trek north. I can’t imagine my future husband will be all that enthusiastic about regular visits.

A lump rises in my throat, but I swallow it down.

It doesn’t matter. I’m entering this marriage to free my people from the worst of the tyranny, even if I’m not there to see them thrive.

I still have my memories to hold on to, whatever else happens.

Cici peers outside with wide eyes. “The city’s so big. I wonder how far it is to the palace?”

The maps I studied swim up through my memories. “The imperial compound is at the south end, by the river. We’ll have to pass through a lot of Vivencia to get there.”

“I guess that gives us some time to take a look at the place.” She offers me another smile, this one softer around the edges.

I return it with a pang of gratitude. We’re both venturing into unknown territory. The uncertainty is easier to bear with a companion on the journey.

Cici came on as my maid just four years ago. She’s always kept a certain respectful distance, but she’s gamely aided when I’m working on a concoction and never grumbled about how many hours I spend outside like my childhood maid used to.

Maybe once we’re caught up in the imperial court together, we can become something more like friends.

The buildings on either side of the broad road grow taller and more sprawling. We pass an expansive park of grassy fields, flower beds, and fountains amid only a few stately trees. Men and women in flowing jackets and dresses meander along the paths or ride on horseback.

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