Page 88 of A Dance of Shadows

As I hook my hand around Raul’s arm, he tugs me onward. “Come. I’d like to introduce you to my favorite cove. No one’s likely to stumble on it at the busiest of times, but Lorenzo will make sure they’re diverted if any random interlopers do ramble by.”

A cove. Recognition glimmers in my head. “You mentioned this place before—when we were still in Vivencia. A secluded spot you like to visit…”

Where he suggested he’d have his way with me. A fresh blush tingles across my face.

Raul’s grin only grows as he must realize what I’ve remembered. “That’s right. Sometimes a person’s got to escape the commotion of the city and clear his head. This whole stretch of beach is dedicated to royal use, although that doesn’t keep the gawkers away. The rocks over here guarantee a little more privacy.”

With Bastien and Lorenzo trailing behind us, Raul leads me nearly to the edge of the water and around the ridge of stone, which looms nearly as high as my head. A faint spray dapples my ankles, pleasantly cool.

The rocky outcropping rises in a semi-circle about the size of the vast ballroom in the imperial palace. The lake intrudes on the cove with a dip into the shoreline, but half of the ground is dry, a mix of smooth pebbles and glinting grains of sand.

Lorenzo props himself against the slant of the ridge where he can follow our conversation while also watching for intruders. Nearby, Raul spreads out a thin blanket he brought from the carriage for the rest of us to sit on.

He hunkers down and leans back on his elbows. “Night is one of the best times to come. It’s quiet along this stretch, and we get an excellent view. There’s a shoal on the opposite side of the lake where pero fish like to swarm when it’s dark. Quite a delicacy in Lavira. They’re attracted to light like moths, and the fishers use that to their advantage.”

He tips his head toward the lake. As if on cue, a gleam flickers in the distance—a glowing spark that looks almost like the godlen sign I chased yesterday, only pale yellow instead of red.

The fishing period must have just started. As we watch, another glow glides into view—presumably on a boat I can’t make out. Then another and another. Glittering reflections of their light streak across the rippling water.

A sense of peace like I haven’t felt in days if not weeks settles over me. “It’s beautiful.”

Raul sits more upright to slip his arm around me. “There you go. I can offer more than bluster and moments of bliss… as enjoyable as the latter can be.”

I nudge him gently with my elbow. “I know you’re more than bluster. And I know how well you’d fight for me if it made sense to.”

He hums skeptically, but a warm smile curves his lips.

Taking in our surroundings, I can’t help wondering what led the prince who’s always been by far the most forceful of his foster brothers to seek out so much calm. I tip my head against his shoulder. “Have you felt the need to slip away out here often when you’ve been back home?”

A trace of tension passes through the brawny muscles I’m leaning against, but Raul’s voice comes out with typical nonchalance. “You know all that politicking isn’t really my style. A fellow gets tired of having his every move analyzed. It isn’t as if they missed me.”

I want to say that I’m sure his family treasures every moment they can get with him, but after seeing how Bastien’s father spoke to him… I’m not actually sure at all.

Instead, I ease up to kiss his cheek. “I’m honored to share this place with you.”

The shine of Raul’s eyes in the moonlight tells me that was the right response. “Everything I have is yours too, Shepherdess.”

At my other side, Bastien twines his fingers with mine. “Since we’ve been speaking about fighting for you… We’ll continue our usual tactics with the locals and the court while we’re here. Is there anything specific we should be trying to prod the Lavirian nobles toward or arranging on your behalf?”

I consider. “I’d like a chance to speak to your parents somewhat privately,” I tell Raul. “Whenever you can arrange that discretely. Perhaps I can address the illicit merchant dealings to win some good will with them? They can’t be pleased to have the country’s economy diverted from their control, and it’d make sense for me to be concerned too.”

“They do like to have their fingers in every pie.” Raul cocks his head. “I’ll see what they’ll agree to. They won’t want to feel meeting with you alone is a situation that puts them at any disadvantage. And you’ll have to be prepared for them to question you thoroughly.”

“I think I can handle that.”

“I’m sure you can. Just don’t let it bother you if they still seem distant by the end. They’ll prefer to keep you on your toes until they’rereallysure of you, no matter how much you’ve started to convince them.”

I grimace. “So basically you’re saying that there’s no way for me to tell whether I’ve earned any respect from them. Will they admit it even to you?”

“Not likely,” he admits with a faltering of his smile. “But I might be able to get a better read on them than you can.”

“I suppose I’ll just have to do my best regardless.” I gaze across the glittering lake, and my mind drifts to much more disturbing images from two days ago. “If any of you have the chance to subtly plant some seeds of disapproval about Linus’s new child brigade with the Darium court, that would be useful too. I think there’s a chance Marc could be convinced to disband it if he senses it’s causing the nobles to think less of him.”

Bastien adjusts his grip on my hand. “Not that I was anything but horrified by Linus’s scheme, but don’t you think it adds to the general ill-feeling towardhim?”

“I think he unnerved whoever he was going to unnerve plenty just by doing it. Undoing it later isn’t going to make much ofa difference—to anyone except the kids and their families, who matter by far the most.”

“True enough.” Raul rubs his chin. “I’ll see what omens I can conjure.”

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