Page 14 of A Dance of Shadows

I poke at the bits of fish and roasted vegetables while scanning the names. “Your grandmother, your mother, yourfather, your older sister and her husband, and the most important cousins. There are more cousins than these five?”

He’s already taken out another paper to answer me with, his pencil scraping hastily across it.Big family. Most won’t get involved with the visit.

“At least I have several more days to commit the names to memory.” As well as the other details he’s noted about each—particular preferences, typical attitude. “Your mother is the more assertive one, hmm? She’s the one in the royal line.”

Lorenzo nods and scrawls a little more.She inherited when my grandfather passed.

As his older sister will inherit after her.

I rub my fingers across my mouth. Queen Anahi will be the one I most need to endear to me, then. But sometimes the easiest way to get someone’s ear is through those more inclined to be swayed who already have it.

I nudge the paper back toward Lorenzo. “Of course they’ve all been loyal to the empire, but have any of them shown a particular openness to working with Dariu?”

He’ll understand what I’m mainly asking—which of them is most likely to trust me if I extend an overture.

Lorenzo considers his list for a moment and then marks off a few names—a couple of the key cousins and, to my surprise, his grandmother.

“Very useful to know,” I say, accepting the paper back. The rustling of skirts and clinking of dishes from the tables around us tells me that the court is preparing to depart. Our consult on Rione will have to be put on hold, as the motion of the carriage interferes with clear handwriting as much as it can one’s appetite.

I offer the prince one of my polite smiles, aching with the longing to at least touch his hand. “Thank you for all the help you’ve offered so far. I’m sure I’ll have many more questions sothat I can set the right tone with Rione’s royalty. And it’ll be good to have you there for guidance once we’re actually speaking with your family.”

A flutter passes through my pulse at the thought of getting to see one of the men I love with the people who raised him for the first seven years of his life, in the place that’s far more home to him than Dariu could be.

The slight but noticeable tensing of Lorenzo’s shoulders dampens my enthusiasm. I lower my voice for a more furtive question. “Should I be concerned about speaking with them?”

He scrawls a quick answer that’s punctuated with a more affectionate sign of apology.After so long apart, I only know the basics of their interests and hopes.

I thought I picked up on more discomfort from him than his response reveals, but there isn’t time to push further. Especially when the prince of Rione has other worries occupying him.

As Lorenzo tips his head farther into what’s close to a bow, his gaze darts away from me. He must judge Marclinus’s guards far enough away that it’s safe to extend a little of his gift without them sensing the magic.“Are you all right? You can’t starve yourself.”

I push the plate away from me. “A shame I wasn’t hungry enough for more of this delightful food. I did have a sizeable breakfast. I’ll make up for it at dinner.” When I’ve had more time to rest from our travels before I need to force anything down my throat.

One of the waystation staff scampers over to collect my dishes. Concern shines in Lorenzo’s eyes, but there isn’t any way he can help.

I can at least let him know I’m looking after myself decently well. I tug open the pouch at my hip and murmur as if speaking only to myself. “Better get a little of that avitus paste to settle my gut.”

It doesn’t take away the nausea completely, especially when I’m trying to swallow food, but the herb has ensured I haven’t needed to call a halt to our convoy to vomit into the road. I’ll consider that some kind of success.

Lorenzo’s lips twitch with a small smile. He gets up as I do, with a deeper bow than before.“We’re looking out for you in every way we can. If you need anything, just signal us.”

I walk back toward my carriage on steadier feet.

Marclinus catches up with me just shy of the massive purple-and-gold vehicle, tossing what looks like a bright yellow ball in his hand. I can’t help imagining Sprite leaping to bat at it, with a twinge of loss that I had to leave my kitten behind for the staff at the Vivencian palace to tend to. Weeks confined to a carriage would be much more torment to a cat than her absence is to me.

As our guards clamber onto the carriage’s outer benches, my husband sweeps his arm for me to enter ahead of him. As with this morning, he doesn’t invite any of the other nobles to join us for this leg of the journey. So far, he’s spent the day consulting books and a sheaf of records while commenting to me about his own experiences in Rione.

Based on that evidence, I’d already assumed I’m dealing with the supposed Marc at the moment. My guess is confirmed with his first words as he sinks onto the velvet cushion across from me. “I heard this scent could alleviate some of the distress from your condition. You’ve been looking a bit peakish this morning, and the waystation had a few spares.”

He shows me what he was tossing: a fat lemon. In a few quick movements, he unsheathes his dagger, slices the fruit in half, and rubs the halves together to spread more of the sour citrusy scent through the carriage.

It does dampen my nausea even more. I’d have asked to bring along lemons for the ride myself if I hadn’t been uncertainabout whether my husband would be in a temper to mock me about it.

“That does help,” I tell him with a cautious smile. “I always find it amazing how simple some of nature’s cures are.”

“Indeed.” Marclinus sets both halves of the lemon on the ledge that juts out beneath the window. “With your talents, I’m sure you have that matter well in hand, but if I can make the journey a little more comfortable for you, I will.”

How awfully obliging of him. He finds it so much easier to summon kindness when he believes I’m carrying his heir in my belly.

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