Page 90 of A Pact of Blood

Marclinus cocks his head. “What are you up to, just standing around here?”

His tone sounds teasing, not suspicious. I think I’m all right… for now.

I meander over to my trunks and toss the bag with the socha into one. “Oh, just sorting through some of my things before I turned in for the night.”

My husband ambles up behind me and slides his arm around my waist. “No turning in for a little while yet, wife. I’m in need of your attentions.”

Of course he is. I force a sweet smile and flick my finger over my ring. “Anything to serve my emperor.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Aurelia

Excited voices reverberate through the vast arena before the exhibition has even begun. I adjust my position on my cushion next to my husband’s as surreptitiously as I can, reining in my trepidation.

I didn’t enjoy the first arena show I had to watch. At least back then I had a friend by my side. A friend who understood that using violence as entertainment goes against every principle I have.

A friend who died because of the brutality of the man I have to sit beside now. May Rochelle’s soul be at peace with her godlen.

As with that previous exhibition, Marclinus is full of energy, guffawing with the nobles seated around us and offering extravagant sweeps of his arm to the audience of commoners who’re packing into the dingier stands. I echothose gestures of greeting with more modest waves of my own.

“Ah, this is going to be a good one. A fitting gift to our people before we take our leave again.” Marclinus elbows me, just hard enough that I have to suppress a wince. “Are you looking forward to it, wife?”

I smile and add one more lie to the pile I’ve told since I arrived in Dariu. “Very much so.”

My gaze veers along our luxurious section of the stands and snags on two figures standing up against the outer wall. Viceroy Ennius has his wife cornered by the railing, one arm penning her in while he grips her wrist with his other hand. Bianca’s typical flirty smile looks tense, the dip of her eyelids more anxious than coy.

I get the impression she’d rather leap over the railing into the masses below than continue the conversation, if she thought the spectacle wouldn’t be too embarrassing.

What is he badgering her about? From the way his hand flexes, his knuckles paling, I have to think he’s holding her tight enough to hurt.

Marclinus doesn’t appear to have noticed his long-time lover’s discomfort—or perhaps he has and simply isn’t inclined to intervene when he’ll get no benefit out of the effort.

I balk for a second, my gut twisting with the memory of all the cutting words the vicerine has thrown at me in the past, the pain she dealt out. But she, at least, has proven she’s capable of being different from that. She nudged Marclinus toward me when I needed him. She warned me of the court’s discontent.

I have to reward what little shreds of loyalty I can get.

And I still don’t like seeing any person in pain.

I push to my feet with a swish of my skirts. The chattering nobles around the higher imperial bench scootback to make room for their empress. A few gazes follow me as I glide across our terrace, but most of my companions go right back to their gossip.

Bianca notices me coming before her husband does. At the twitch of her expression, Ennius leaves off the harsh words he was muttering at her and glances over his shoulder.

Seeing me, he loosens his grasp on Bianca’s arm and turns to face me so he’s no longer caging her against the wall. “Your Imperial Highness. What can we do for you?”

I aim my smile at Bianca. “I’ve been curious to know more about those hair ointments you mentioned the other day, Vicerine. I thought now might be a good time to get your insight, while we’re waiting for the fighters to finish preparing.”

Bianca dips her head, and the viceroy releases her arm completely. Ruddy marks stand out against her smooth brown skin.

My teeth grit behind my smile, holding back the sharp words I’d like to direct at him. Motioning for Bianca to join me, I tread back along the benches to my seat.

The nearby nobles have already scooted over to make room for my new companion. I have no idea what they make of my calling on the woman who’s claimed my husband so overtly in the past. Perhaps they assume I’m being friendly on his orders.

As Bianca settles into the seat a couple of inches below my own, she speaks in an undertone only I can hear. “You didn’t need to do that. I’m used to handling him.”

“It didn’t look as if handling him was a very pleasant experience at the moment.” I pause and glance over at her. “You’ve helped me more than once in the past few weeks. I don’t mind returning the favor.”

“Well… thank you.” Her lips slant into a crooked grin. “You know, it’s occurred to me that earning the friendship of the empress may be more valuable than having the interest of the emperor. Your wild northern ways certainly add something to the court that we didn’t have before.”

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