Page 132 of A Dance of Shadows

Marc’s mouth slants, but then he lifts my hand to kiss the back of it. “You may have a good tactic there. I’ll think on how best to present the decree.”

As he helps me out of bed, my maids’ soft knocking sounds on the door. Marc touches my cheek. “I’ll leave you to your dressing and collect you for breakfast when you’re finished.”

My victory buoys me through the fussing of the maids and the increasing awkwardness of draping my gowns around my belly without leaving me looking like a mountain of fabric. When I step out of my chambers to find Marc in a fresh shirt and jacket, waiting for me as if his entrance wouldn’t be worthwhile if I’m not by his side, my confidence expands.

As we walk through the halls to our palace’s dining room, my gaze lands on one more target I need to set my husband’s sights on.

Just as Linus reports just about everything to Marc, so Marc passes on just about everything to his twin, I assume. Everything that could threaten their rule, certainly.

I give a little shiver as if I’ve tried to restrain a larger shudder and adjust my grip on Marc’s elbow. He glances down at me. “What’s the matter?”

“Oh, it’s probably nothing.” I offer a halting laugh. “I only… How sure are you of Viceroy Ennius’s intentions? There are a few things I’ve seen over the weeks that have made me wonder…”

Marc’s eyebrows arch, but his expression has gone stern. “Wonder what?”

“I’m not sure. Nothing definite. But I think perhaps he considers himself a better man for the throne than you.”

Chapter Forty-Six

Bastien

Itime my approach in the ballroom carefully, wanting to look as if I’m offering Aurelia my hand out of a sense of obligation rather than any real interest. The dance floor is one of the easiest places for us to speak in public, with her guards at a distance and the music covering our conversation.

Aurelia accepts my overture with a similarly polite expression, but her fingers squeeze mine with affectionate familiarity. I return the gesture, a subtle signal of the love we have to hide.

She’s been dipping and turning at a slower pace than usual. I match her tempo, watching for signs of pain. “Are you well tonight?”

Her smile looks a little tired. “I’m getting to experience all the aches and pains I was warned would come. They’re not too trying yet, but I think I’ll be off to bed early. It’s become harder to sleep comfortably.”

Frustration prickles over me that I can’t solve either of those problems, can’t even offer to tend to her directly. “Are there any ingredients you need for concoctions that would help? I’m sure I could manage to slip something or other to you.”

She gives her head a slight shake. “I’m well prepared. There are just some things you can’t completely soothe away. But we have less than two more months to go.”

I’d rather she didn’t have to endure those discomforts at all. Especially when I’m well aware that I’m more responsible for them than anyone else in this room.

I guide her in a careful rotation beneath my arm. “I suppose we’ll be heading back to Vivencia soon. We’ve had more than two weeks in Goric already.” We’ve lingered in other capitals longer, but surely Marclinus—either side of him—would rather not see his heir born away from Darium soil?

Aurelia’s faint grimace doesn’t look convinced. “I’m not sure. My husband has been making a lot of plans for things he’d like to see. The days when he’s more in a traveling mood… there’ve been issues cropping up with the carriages, the horses.”

A chill collects in my gut. I drop my voice even lower. “Do you think that’s been purposeful?”

“I can’t tell. And if it is, I don’t know who’s to blame. But some part of my husband certainly doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to leave.”

She keeps her tone light, but a thread of worry winds through her words. I can’t imagine how stressful—and potentially dangerous—it would be if she goes into labor while we’re on the road home, far from any palace comforts and the full host of imperial medics.

I have to will my grip to stay gentle around her hand. “I didn’t realize he enjoyed Goric so very much.”

Aurelia recovers her smile, but it’s tense around the edges. “It might not be so much what he enjoys here as what he would want to avoid at home.”

Gods help us, does she think Linus suspects that his twin is on the verge of doing away with him? Which he very well might be, if the remarks Marc has made to Aurelia are to be believed.

If that’s the case, how long will Linus try to hold out? Neven’s parents will hardly throw their emperor out of the city, but the court will start to murmur if we remain here much longer than we did any of the other countries in our tour.

“I’ll see if there’s anything we can do to speed our journey along,” I promise.

Her smile softens just for me. “Don’t put yourselves at risk attempting it. Some parts of this game we simply have to wait out.”

I don’t want to accept that as an answer, not when both her life and our child’s could hang in the balance.

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