Page 130 of A Dance of Shadows

“Good morning,” I murmur cautiously.

“Good?” Marc repeats with the strained edge I remember from last night. He pulls himself tight against my back, though his arm is still careful as he loops it around the bulge of my belly. He tucks his head against my hair.

The strain gives way to steely fury. “Heburiedyou.”

Oh. That’s why the late-night visit—that’s why he’s being so gentle with me. His twin must have filled him in on yesterday’s events when they traded off places.

Apparently Marc wasn’t at all happy about what he heard.

His anger can only work in my favor, but I know he likes me best strong rather than shrinking. “I made it through the ordeal with no permanent harm done.”

I can’t say it’s even the worst thing Linus has ever done to me. Hasn’t evenMarcdone worse in the past?

Either he’s being selective in his memories or he thinks nothing before his confirmation ceremony counts. He lets out a strangled sound. “It was a horrific thing to do in the first place. I nearly punched him in the face—but then I’d have had to punch myself so the bruises matched.”

He hugs me tighter with a muttered curse. “There’s only so much I can do here while we’re surrounded by people who aren’t really our own. But as soon as we’re back in Vivencia—I swear you’ll never have to worry about him again. You don’t have to worry about anything at all. Between my gift and all I’ve learned, I can handle it.”

Marc said something similar before, but not quite so emphatically. Is he really confirming that he’s going to remove Linus from the equation?

Asking that grisly question doesn’t seem like something the woman he wants to protect would do. My heart leaps all the same.

In a few weeks’ time, I might be rid of one half of my remaining obstacles to the throne. The half that’s set on spreading as much awfulness through the empire as he can.

I rest my arm over Marc’s. “You know I’m well-practiced in patience, husband.”

He chuckles roughly. “And I’m a lucky man for it.”

As it becomes clear that he doesn’t seem inclined to do anything but cuddle, some of the lingering tension inside me dissipates. My mind starts whirling through the revelations that came to me yesterday—the thoughts of what extreme lengths I might need to go to to truly end the empire’s tyranny.

I have some idea what troubles I want to heal in the conquered countries, but it’s clear the consequences might be greater than I anticipated. And I need to consider Dariu as well. As much as I’ve resented the Darium people for their disregard of the outer territories, I doubt most of the ordinary citizens realize what it’s like for those beyond their borders.

They don’t deserve to be left in ruin for acting out of ignorance rather than malice. Regardless of what happens to the rest of the empire—regardless of whether it even remains when I’m through—I will still betheirempress.

I meant to pry at this subject subtly over the coming weeks, but I have the perfect opportunity to make a good start of it right now.

I still proceed warily, keeping my tone light. “The journey hasn’t been all strife by any means. I’ve enjoyed getting a deeper understanding of the relations between the countries of the empire. I didn’t realize quite how many goods are brought into Dariu from beyond our borders.”

Marc hums. “One of the benefits of commanding an empire—we can command the best of our subjugate kingdoms’ offerings as well.”

Except they’re getting the worst at least as often as the best, if the conversation I overheard yesterday is anything to go by.

I tilt my head as if in thought. “Is the stone of the Gorician mountains so much better than that which could be quarried in Dariu? We have plenty of our own mountains in the east.”

“And people mining them,” Marc agrees without any sign of suspicion at this line of conversation. “Certain sorts of stoneare distributed unevenly, though. Most of the marble deposits are farther north. And the techniques the Gorician workers have developed are more efficient than our own. It’s simpler to have them serve us than to completely overhaul everything about our operations.”

Simpler, but that shouldn’t be impossible. And marble is an extravagance rather than a necessity.

I tease my fingers lightly over Marc’s knuckles. “I suppose anything essential to Dariu would have been produced at home before the time of the empire. It’s simply been a matter of collecting finer and a wider variety goods and materials.”

“Exactly.” Marc presses a kiss to the back of my head. “Why are you pondering our imports this morning, wife? Do you have some revised strategy in mind for them?”

Revised would be understating the matter, but it isn’t something I can implement while my husband still lives.

The conviction I’ve come back to so often brings an unexpected ache into my chest.

Marchassoftened to me. He’s listened to me and respected my opinions. After everything I’ve seen and heard, I believe he’s genuinely interested to know if I do have new ideas about the running of the empire.

But I can’t imagine him ever agreeing to pulling back its influence significantly, let alone letting the entire idea of the empire crumble. He certainly wouldn’t cuddle with me if he knew that’s what I’m thinking.

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