Page 164 of A Dance of Shadows

A few of the guards who’ve gathered around us dip their heads to Marc in sudden respect. “Well done,” one says.

Once the confusion of the fire and Linus’s death have abated, someone might think to wonder how my rescuers ended up at my apartment without the guards posted by the hallway seeing them. We’ll need to invent some story. But no one’s thinking that far yet.

A medic grasps my arm. “We’ve healed all we can, Your Imperial Highness. There shouldn’t be any permanent damageto you or your daughter. We’ll find other chambers for you and the baby to rest in while you continue recovering.”

As I let her guide me to my feet, I press a careful kiss to Coraya’s forehead. I want to rest, but I don’t think I can relax until I have confirmation with my own eyes.

“Yes,” I say. “We should rest more. But first I want to see my husband.”

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Aurelia

My maids insist on going into my bedroom for me to see what they can salvage. All I can see from the doorway are scorched surfaces and cinders.

Did fire seep right into the contents of my trunks? Even after everything I’ve survived, a pang shoots through me at the thought of losing my most precious potion-making supplies.

Who knows what kind of concoction I might find myself needing to brew next, after all the insanity I’ve already overcome?

It seems some of my clothes escaped the inferno. Eusette emerges with a gown and new underthings from the back of my wardrobe and bustles along next to me as the horde of staff that’s gathered in the hall ushers me to the nearest vacant room.

When I step inside, clutching Coraya to my chest, a trace of an unsettlingly familiar smell tickles my nose—the same cologne that permeated the emperor’s apartment last night. More staffdash about, yanking off the sheets that covered the furniture and scrubbing the dust from every surface.

These rooms haven’t been used in months. A glance around reveals the same sorts of furnishings my own apartment held—fine wood, gold gilding, velvet and silk—but there’s a desk rather than a vanity on the far wall between the windows.

Understanding prickles into my bones.

The imperial wing of the third floor holds an emperor’s apartment, an empress’s apartment… and chambers for their heirs. I never visited Marclinus’s rooms before last night, but when his father was still alive, he must have spent his nights here.

Jinalle and Eusette usher me into the bathroom to change with a little privacy. I reluctantly hand my daughter over to another maid, who rocks her gently in her arms. Thank all that’s holy, my daughter has mostly slept through the catastrophe.

After the medics’ ministrations, only a faint, dull ache remains in my belly. I cringe as I peel off my blood-soaked drawers and submit myself to my maids’ hasty swipes of a damp cloth before re-dressing. One of the medics who attended to me packs my underthings with more protective layers of padding.

“Some bleeding is normal, even necessary,” she tells me. “As long as you don’t face another significant strain…”

My mouth twists, but my voice comes out wry. “I’ll do my best to avoid that, believe me.”

As soon as I’m fully clothed, I reach for Coraya again. The thought of leaving her behind even for a few minutes sends a spike of panic through me.

With my daughter tucked in my embrace, I return to the hall on somewhat steadier feet.

All four of the princes and Marc have waited for me amid the chaos. Marc watches the door to the heir’s apartment close andthen surreptitiously rests his hand against the carved wood next to the doorknob.

His mouth tightens. It takes me a moment to understand.

The palace is imbued with enchantments tied to the imperial line. It used to be that my husband could unlock every door in this building with a touch.

Did the strange mix of fire and magic warp his body so much that even the enchantment no longer recognizes him? He might have been able to convince the court of his real identity if he’d kept that connection.

As it is, my guards aim a wary look at my rescuers and step closer to escort me. “They’ve brought His Imperial Majesty into the temple. You can see him now, but I hear it’s not… pretty.”

I lift my chin. “I will pay my husband the respect he’s due now that I’m able to. And his foster brothers and the guard who let himself be so injured to save our daughter and me should be allowed to honor his loss too.”

The guard who spoke bobs her head. “Yes, Your Imperial—” She hesitates, with a flicker of a smile crossing her face before she flattens her lips again. “I suppose it should be ‘Your Imperial Majesty’ now.”

A sudden exhilaration cuts through my fatigue.

I’m now the highest power in the empire. This is the goal I’ve been reaching for since nearly a year ago.

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