Page 54 of Ties of Deception

“Of course.” I nodded and looked down with a tight smile as if I were embarrassed by my stupid question, but I wondered if she knew why so many of those history books had pages missing and why they were all required to stay inside the libraries. If she was that old, she had to know she spoke a lie.

Ethen and the Aida were now parallel to our table, passing us on the other side of the olive trees. Patience turned to Hope. “Look, I will show you he’s harmless.” She stood. “Aidis! Would you like to join us?”

My heartbeat increased. There was no way the Graces would know we were together, but it felt like it should be an obvious, tangible thing to everybody around us.

Constance glared at Patience. “What are you doing? I keep on telling you to ignore him. He isnotharmless.”

Patience looked a little taken aback and rushed to defend herself in a hushed voice. “I…well, he always declines every time somebody invites him to anything social—other than the empress’s formal dinners of course. He’ll do the same thing now. I wanted to show Hope…”

Ethen had stopped and turned toward us. His eyes swept over me with the same cold, calculating gaze he swept over everyone else. I shivered. How could this be the person I knew? There was no warmth in him at all—not even a flicker of attachment.

“Thank you, but no.” He quickened his pace and continued to the other side of the gardens.

Hope appeared to deflate as she blew out a massive breath.

“See?” Patience said, raising her eyebrows. “That’s why I’m not afraid of him. He doesn’t want to spend time with any of us. You have no reason to be nervous of him, Hope.”

Constance was not appeased, and the freckles across her button nose had wrinkled in a subtle frown. “Don’t do that again, Patience. He’s not someone to play games with. He’s a god of death.”

Patience looked down, her shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Hope chewed on her lip. “But if he won’t talk to us, how is he going to choose a wife? It’s not like we’re all ugly.” Patience snorted.

As Ethen disappeared from view, I found myself relaxing as if I’d just experienced a lucky escape, even though nobody could have known what was going on between us.

Constance dipped her bread in the olive oil and vinegar. “Now, onto more pleasant topics. I want to hear about the new goddess in the east district of the city.”

Hope nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes. She was born yesterday. Her name is Joy. My maid told me she has blonde hair and is really beautiful. She’s on the shorter side. She’s been given to the Galanis family.”

I listened and nodded and prayed that at some point one of them would slip and give something more away. But Constance’s age was a start.

Chapter

Twenty-One

The next morning, I stayed in bed longer than I should have. Ethen hadn’t visited last night, despite my waiting up late into the night. He’d said he would come, unless he had meant our brief encounter in the olive grove. It was silly—I knew he couldn’t always come—but this was the first time it stung like a rejection.

I couldn’t help revisiting the way he had cast his eyes over me with utter indifference. The real Ethen wasn’t like that, yet seeing him so cold and indifferent—it was as if everything between us had been an imagined fantasy. He was so convincing.

Over breakfast, I read a letter from Pris saying how she had started courting the brother of her friend. She was so excited, the writing was almost illegible. I was happy for her, though my life in that villa was starting to feel distant. I wrote a congratulatory reply wishing her happiness and wondered when I’d see her again. Sweet and naive as she was, I didn’t want to drag her into the games of the palace.

After lunch, I walked to Patience’s rooms. She’d seen Prince Sebastian last night. Maybe she could give me some tips on how I could make a good impression at tomorrow’s breakfast. I chose some fresh figs and a pot of honey to take as a gift. People often spoke more freely when they were distracted by eating. Once Flavia had explained the way, I decided to go without her, wanting to spend a few minutes alone with nobody but my own thoughts.

The corridor was bright with sunlight gleaming off the white and yellow stone. There was a strong breeze from the sea this morning, causing the gauzy curtains to waft inward across the quiet passage. It was a beautiful, rippling, disorienting effect.

I turned the corner and almost walked into Charity. I started back half a step as her eyes widened slightly at my sudden appearance. “What are you doing here?”

I stared directly into her eyes, not caring if I was being reckless. It was good to concentrate on something solid again. “I was visiting Patience.”

She sneered, her eyebrows contorting into a look that despaired of my stupidity. “I wasn’t asking what you were doing in this corridor. I was asking why you’re here in the palace. You suddenly appeared in the gardens at just the right moment. I’m not stupid. You should have stayed in Yienna. You’ve barely been alive, and you’re out of control. Do you wish to be retired?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re easily threatened, aren’t you? How old are you? Thirty years? Forty? Yet you worry about somebody who hasbarely been alivestealing your chance to wed Prince Sebastian?”

She looked at me for a moment and then burst out in genuine laughter. “Oh, you silly girl. Do you thinkthatis what I worry about? You couldn’t marry a prince, not even after a hundred years.” She snorted as she brought her mirth under control. “You’re nothing but a pawn under Constance’s control, and I don’t like being outnumbered.” She shook back her hair. “But I won’t be for long. Patience is no longer here. You won’t find her in her room.”

Her words brought me up short. “Why? What happened?”

Charity’s smile was unpleasant. “Her after-dinner walk with the prince didn’t go well. She left the palace and headed back to her home straight after. I don’t think she’ll show her face here again.”

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