Page 9 of A Pact of Blood

He turns me with a flare of my skirt around my legs. My gaze slides over the crowd of nobles around us.

When I’m facing Marclinus again, I offer another winning smile. “I’d like the chance to show your court that Iappreciate their welcome, if there’ll be time for that. Perhaps I could put together a banquet or a day of entertainments in their honor?”

If the people Marclinus spends the most time around are speaking my praises, some of their good favor might pass on to him.

Marclinus cocks his head, his own smile wry. “I suppose that is the sort of thing they’d like. Although it hasn’t seemed their welcome was all that warm on the whole.”

Are we not pretending that my first weeks here have been all sunshine and sweetness?

I let my tone turn drier. “They’ve been warm enough since our wedding. I can understand it took many of them some time to adjust to the foreigner in their midst.”

“The whole empire is Dariu’s, so technically you’re as Darium as any of them. But if it pleases you, I’m sure we can find an opportunity.”

As we both swivel around with a shift in the music, a more melancholy cast comes over the new emperor’s face. His grip on my fingers tightens. “My father always said it’s a careful balance, keeping the court satisfied without letting them get complacent.”

The slight roughening of his tone is the first hint of grief I’ve observed from him all day that’s felt genuine.

I have no regrets about Emperor Tarquin’s death myself, but it’s good to see that somewhere inside, his son has enough capacity for caring to be affected at least by that loss.

And it offers me another opening to establish myself not just as a bauble of a wife but a true companion and confidante.

I stroke my thumb over his where our hands are clasped. “You benefitted from his wisdom for much longer than I did, but I know you couldn’t have imagined you’d lose him sosuddenly. I’ll do whatever I can to make your own work easier.”

Marclinus peers at me for a moment with an evaluating glint in his pale gray eyes. I think I might catch a flicker of gratitude, but it’s gone so quickly it might have been only wishful thinking.

His voice flattens as if to remove all emotion from the situation. “It is what it is. Death comes as it will, and I won’t shy from the honor or the duty I’ve been granted.”

Is he offended that I implied he might need support? I grasp for the best way to recover from a possible misstep, and the song dwindles with the pealing of the city bells beyond the palace walls.

“It’s getting late,” Marclinus says abruptly as we come to a stop on the dance floor. “We have to leave time for more private activities.” His wry smile returns. “Why don’t you prepare yourself for our night together with a bath so the experience can be all the more pleasing? I’ll join you shortly.”

My teeth set on edge. Is he implying that my current state isn’t pleasing enough? Ishegoing to take a bath of his own to make himself more pleasing to me?

I can’t ask either of those questions, so I simply dip my head in a slight bow. “I’ll look forward to your arrival.”

Even though I have my reprieve from the worst of what’s to come thoroughly plotted, my heart sinks heavy in my chest as I hurry back to my chambers.

Marclinus must have sent word ahead in between dances—my maids have already filled the massive marble tub in my expansive private bathing room with steaming, frothy water that gives off a jasmine scent. I submit myself to their scrubbing and then ask them to take their leave.

Once I have the room to myself, the warm water offers a balm to my nerves. I soak in it for several minutes, centering myself and cultivating my inner calm, before I climb out.

Over by the towels, I discover the robe Marclinus must have instructed the staff to leave for me tonight. The silky garment is shaped much like my previous bathrobes, but other than the embroidered bits along the hem, the fabric is so thin the darker pink at the peaks of my breasts shows through. The bottom hits the middle of my thighs rather than below my knees.

Wearing the garment is only slightly better than being naked. Perhaps worse, given that the design feels like an open invitation to peel it off for one very specific activity.

I do need to appear eager, though. I fasten the robe at the waist so that the V of overlapping cloth shows a little cleavage and return to my bed.

Sitting cross-legged on the soft bedspread, I trace my thumb over my sapphire ring and close my eyes in a brief meditation. Brief because it can’t be more than a minute or two before the door swings open without warning.

Marclinus saunters inside with a slyer air than he showed when he sent me off, his lips curved into a wicked smile and his eyes gleaming with anticipation. As his leering gaze travels over me, every inch of my skin crawls.

He doesn’t bother to lock the door before prowling over to the bed. He’ll have left his guards outside to stop anyone else from intruding—and they’ll be monitoring the room with their gifts for any sign of a threat, ready to burst in if they sense unexpected magic or violence.

I force myself to scoot to the edge of the bed to meet him. Before I can get up, he brings his hand to the side of my face, trailing his fingers from my temple to my chin.

“How lucky I am that the woman who bested our trials was also one of the prettiest,” he murmurs in a languid, self-satisfied tone. I can’t help noticing that he isn’t going to pretend he found me the absolute most appealing out of the bunch. “But then, it wouldn’t do for the emperor to have awife who needs a sack over her head before he can do the deed. Let’s see all of you.”

His comment about the sack sparks a flare of rage deep inside me. He dismissed the only real friend I made in this awful place on the basis that she wasn’t stunning enough for his tastes. He’d havemurderedRochelle for that supposed failing, and he’s never shown the slightest concern over the death she did meet, protecting me in one of the final trials.

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