Page 48 of The Kingdom's Crown

13

Wendell

“Iam sick to death of this," Thao groaned, glaring at himself in the mirror.

I huffed and glanced around the room to make sure Bryony wasn't here to hear him.

"It's been two weeks, and there hasn't even been a funeral yet," Thao hissed, buttoning up the black vest over his black shirt and trousers.

"There has to be time to allow dignitaries' arrivals," I said, pausing at the sound of girlish laughter from the next room. I caught Thao's smile in the mirror. "Thank stars for them."

Thao nodded, moving to the side as Cosmo joined us in dressing. "I didn't see the need for Bryony to take ladies, but now…"

"It's good for her to have friends," Cosmo finished for him, smiling at me. "Where are the others?"

"Owen and Cress are with Bryony," I answered. "Daniel's gone to check on Lily on Bry's request. Aric's snooping, I think."

"You're looking very formal," Cosmo said, eyeing me up and down, leaning into Thao's side.

I pulled the note from my pocket. "The council is meeting today. Weston wrote me."

"In the mourning period?" Cosmo asked, eyes widening.

I nodded. "I haven't told Bryony yet, I only got the note at breakfast and I…"

"Don't. She's…peaceful this week," Thao said, and I nodded.

Aric had told Bryony that grief was chaos, and she'd seemed to take that to heart for the first days after her grandmother had died, vacillating wildly between a quiet depression and an almost manic energy toactor do something. It didn't help that the early half of the mourning period dictated a certain stagnancy that Bryony was disinclined to.

Aric and Thao had accepted the brunt of Bryony's impatience and ire, but sometimes the shots bounced too easily off of them. After one snappish remark had left a stunned Owen pale and silent, Bryony had burst into a fit of weeping and locked herself in her private sitting room until hours later and with no apparent prompting, Morgan Weston had appeared.

"We are playing chess," Morgan had said to our princess, just shy of an order, and then she'd snapped the door shut on our stares.

There was another burst of giggles from the sitting room, one of them distinctly Bryony's, and I checked my appearance in the mirror one last time.

I looked sallow in black, but at least appropriate, and it was unlikely anyone would dare wear any other color at the council meeting.

"Are you nervous?" Cosmo asked, and I knew by his smile that the question was only meant as an invitation.

"I am."

"Why should you be? You have a better sense of justice than any of those fools and more right to be there," Thao said.

I blushed, flattered by his pride, although Thao was unlikely to think anything else. He loved me, and therefore Imustbe the best. His taste would allow for no less.

"Whatever Thomlinson or any of the others think, your presence on the council is Bryony's best coup yet," Cosmo said.

"Not more than her quashing the vote against the shifters," I said.

"You don't think so? She was lucky to even know to arrive for that meeting. Now, with you on the council, she'll always be on top of their schemes."

"You'll make a much better spy than Farraque ever did," Thao whispered, leaning in to kiss below my ear. "Much more handsome too."

"Thank you, my love," I said, trying not to laugh. "I'll be a late spy if I don't leave now though."

"Are you working today or playing games with the others?" Thao asked Cosmo.

"Games, I think. I haven't seen nearly enough of Bryony's smiles since we left the north."

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