Page 76 of The Duke and the Disciple

Betraying her wasn’t an option, so he grabbed the book on aphrodisiacal flora and wandered to the garden at the edge of the courtyard for some fresh air.

The snow hadn’t yet been cleared. The world was still, like he was the first to greet it after the storm. He pulled his furs taut around his mouth, hunkered down, and trudged toward the Wintergarden.

The garden floor was green and inviting, untouched by the tempest of the night before. It was a place where seasons didn’t exist at all, where colors that didn’t belong anywhere near the frozen north proliferated without resistance. The cherry blossoms were renowned across the kingdom for being the most beautiful a person could lay eyes on, and every time he stepped through their soft carpet, he understood.

Rahn passed a generous magnolia in full bloom, beneath which were the largest, most ornate toadstools he’d ever seen. Farther down was another row of cherry trees, their roots covered in vibrant orange moss, and a grove of citrus trees, a mix of citron, grapefruit, and some sort of dark orange. Nearby was a bench, and he decided it was as good of a place as any to sit and read.

He thumbed to his bookmark and opened the book.The mix of acidic and sweet make the citron a perfect preamble to copulatory activities. Equal benefit can be realized whether it be the man or woman who consumes the fruit, making it a versatile choice for bedchamber delight.

Rahn looked up, suddenly self-conscious. He could pretend he was reading it for intellectual reasons if anyone came upon him, but the truth most likely lived on his panicked face.

“Duke Tindahl, you are a brave soul, venturing out after a Wulfsgate blizzard!” The dainty trill of Nyssa Dereham was nearly lost in the menagerie of exotic trees and plants, but so on edge was Rahn that he’d heard her as if she were standing right on top of him. “And all by yourself? What happened to your partner? Has she abandoned you already?”

“Good morning, Lady Dereham.” He startled and closed the book, then thought better of it when he noticed the title, big and bold. He had a good enough read on her to appreciate she wasn’t one to miss much. “Aesylt is still resting, as I imagine most of the keep to be.”

“Wrong,” Nyssa said, appearing from between two cherry trees with a flushed face and a vibrant grin. Her gown seemed to be giving her trouble, so full and layered it was. “Wulves rise before the sun.”

“Not the wulf in the tower,” he said, and they both laughed. If Nyssa knewwhyAesylt had been so tired that morning, they’d be having a different conversation. “And you? What has you wandering alone?”

Nyssa made her way closer, her eyes traveling the wonders as if she hadn’t seen them a thousand times before. Every movement she made seemed fully intentional. The sweep of her gaze, her chin tilted downward, was precisely choreographed. Her forefinger and thumb pinched the layers of her skirts, leaving her pinkies uplifted. With her eyelids fluttering, she at last fixed her gaze on him with a demure smile. “I was in my father’s study, and I saw you walking across the courtyard. Curiosity prevailed.”

“Ah.” Rahn smiled politely, hoping it was just friendly enough not to offend but with enough coolness to indicate he wasn’t looking for company. “I’ll see you at morning meal then?”

Nyssa’s eyes narrowed in interest as she stepped closer. “And what are you reading, Duke Tindahl, that has you so engrossed?” She daintily lowered herself onto the bench beside him and reached for the book without asking, flipped it. Her eyes widened to saucers. “Indeed. I imagine this is entirely helpful for you in your... astronomy research.”

Rahn cleared his throat, but he could do nothing about the mortifying heat flooding his face and neck. “Your brother curated some books for us. It was quite the assortment.”

“My brother, you say.” Nyssa licked her lips. “He’s been a deviant ever since he ran off.” Her words died there, and she gestured into the cool air instead, as if they both know where Pieter Dereham had been for years. “But really, don’t feel obligated to indulge his utterly bizarre behavior. I hardly think he expected you to read them. He simply wanted to get a reaction.” Her smile formed again. “Unless you believe the contents might be useful to you?”

“Purely intellectual,” Rahn assured her, tensing to keep from adjusting his itchy, cloying collar.

“Of course.” Nyssa nodded like she were indulging a child’s fantasy. She leaned in, close enough he wondered if she was going to rest her head on his shoulder next. “I came to ask if you might be kind enough to save me a dance at my soiree?”

“What soiree?” Aesylt appeared, rescuing him from whatever awkwardness Nyssa had planned for him, but the irritated scowl on her face kept his relief at bay. It was at Nyssa her gaze was aimed.

“Oh, Aesylt! The little wulf in the tower awakens.” She curtsied from the bench but stayed firmly in place beside Rahn, winking at their private joke. “I was just explaining to your dear scholar that my father has decided to go forward with my invocation. You do remember me telling you about it?”

Aesylt rolled her tongue around in her mouth with a sour look. She hadn’t acknowledged Rahn at all. “And whatisan invocation?”

“A woman’s invocation into society? A coming out event? Do you not... No, of course not. The Vjestik are a bit arcane, aren’t they?”

“Your brother said it wasn’t going to be a big event,” Aesylt replied.

“And what would Pieter know of a woman’s business?” Nyssa dusted herself off like she needed to be rid of the thoughts themselves. “Well, of course I want you to come as well! I even have the perfect dress for you! It might need to be taken out a bit, of course, to fit you properly.”

Rahn could see clearly what was happening. Nyssa was preening, poking Aesylt to get a reaction, just as Pieter seemed to be doing with the books. And it was working.

Red-faced and disgusted, Aesylt flashed a comically ineffective smile. “I have my own gowns, but thank you.”

“Not for an invocation, you don’t.” Nyssa laughed as though they all understood what was funny.

He decided to put an end to it by standing and creating distance between himself and the debutante. “Lady Nyssa, it was lovely to see you this morning, but Aesylt and I?—”

“Did you forget your citron, Scholar?”

“What citron?” Aesylt eyed them both in baffling suspicion.

Rahn tensed his jaw, watching Aesylt come unraveled before his eyes. “As I said, Lady Nyssa. Purely intellectual.”

---