Page 25 of Shrine of Fire

I would do the noble thing, when the time came, and step aside from the relationship. In the meantime, we had spirits to research and a show to put on for my Father.

A sharp knock on the door drew me from my thoughts, and Lord Chamberlain Baylin entered without waiting for a response. A slender man from the Teluk Islands, he had been at court for as long as I could remember, and I realized that salt and pepper had started to creep into his close-cropped hair and beard.

His pale skin always put me in mind of a creature of the night, one that never saw the sun, and in some ways he acted like one, too. He always came into my chambers like he was trying to catch me out.

Joke was on him. I never slept with anyone, so there was never any scandal to uncover, and I never took my amulet off.

“Prince Stefan. Good evening.” He looked over my royal attire, like he was trying to find fault. Ever since Nikki had announced his intention to abdicate, Baylin had treated me with a little less than his previous contempt. “I came to check on you. It’s a big night.”

I raised an eyebrow and assumed the mask of the pampered and patronizing prince. The arrogant glare that said I owned the very air which the people around me breathed, that through my grace alone they were granted permission to exist. “It is. I am excited to begin my royal tour, to see who a worthy addition to the Royal Pack would be.”

“That’s what I wanted a word with you about.”

Immediately I searched for any loopholes, any trap I hadn’t considered. Court politics was complicated at the best of times, but the last two weeks had been a complete upheaval. Courtiers played long games, betting on making allegiances and ingratiating themselves with whoever they thought would someday be their superior.

Baylin had always assumed that Nikki would take the throne, and had therefore, tried to push me out of my place as the next in command. When there were two princes, it was common that the second would become either the Lord Chamberlain or Master of the Sea. Since the current Master of the Sea was a veteran of all seven oceans, it had been natural for all to assume I would take over as Lord Chamberlain.

And so, ever since I’d turned fourteen, Lord Baylin had been trying to marry me off to a bride from a faraway land—any bride. If I was bringing the Ember Islands glory through marriage, I couldn’t stop Baylin’s many schemes.

This had been the one time in my entire life that Father’s suspicions and arrogance had helped me. No one that Baylin found was good enough for an Ember Prince, even the spare.

“Can this not wait until later?” I arched my other eyebrow to join its fellow, so that both were raised in an air of icy hauteur. “We are needed at the ball.”

“Of course. This is your special night, one you’ve worked so hard for.” Lord Baylin smiled, his eyes crinkling in an approximation of joy for my good fortune. For all his scheming, Baylin was a chameleon, able to blend in and play the part of whatever the moment required him to be. Even though I knew better, part of me wasn’t unaffected by the fatherly concern coming from the older man.

It was what made him so powerful, and so dangerous.

“I merely wanted to be the first to wish you a happy Royal Tour and offer my services.”

“Your services?” My stomach flipped over. I sensed the edges of a trap, but I didn’t know what he was angling for.

Irrationally, I wished for Nova. She would help me deal with this odious man, in a way that didn’t cause too much damage.

“Of course. You’ll be sailing around the world, looking for betas to complete the royal pack. His Royal Highness has already picked out some excellent candidates for consideration.”

Baylin paused, and I almost took the bait. Of course, the Lord Chamberlain knew who Father would suggest. He’d probably helped weed out the candidates.

I could never decide if the older beta was loyal to my father, or simply played the long game for the most power under the Crown. Baylin could never actually sit on the throne, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to be the puppet master pulling the strings, either.

Father was far too volatile to manipulate. It was hard to manipulate a master exploiter, and there had been two separate occasions when Baylin had mis-stepped in his dealings with the king and had fallen out of favor. Somehow, though, the beta had managed to work his way back into my father’s good graces.

I held my tongue and waited for Lord Baylin to keep speaking. This was the man who sought to replace me. Who united with my father in shared hatred of me.

“You’ll need some trusted advisors on your Royal Tour, and I’ve managed to arrange my schedule to be available to you.”

I needed to say something, anything. “Not a chance in all the oceans” was on the tip of my tongue but I couldn’t insult him directly. He would laugh it off but know where I stood. The best policy was to keep Lord Baylin guessing on my true feelings.

“Oh yes, the royal entourage. Isn’t that a little beneath you?” I arranged my face to look a little confused, like it wasn’t a repellent idea, but something I had never considered. “I imagine you’ve got quite the workload, especially after your coup with the Luzan Islands and the Rioles jewels.”

“That was quite the win for the Crown. I merely offered some assistance.” Lord Baylin smoothed his hands over his robes, making a slight adjustment to the pin of the firebird on his label, a sign of his favored status. “But this is quite important for you, my prince. I make time for the things that matter.”

Which meant that he was hoping I was too dumb to realize he was half the reason for all those marriage attempts when I’d been a teenager, or I was willing to overlook it in return for something.

“What a generous offer.” I grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll have to discuss the final entourage, later. You’ll be sure to assist with that, no doubt. But I’m keeping my lady waiting. Trust me, you do not want to keep an omega waiting.”

Baylin laughed. “Of that, I am sure.”

I opened the door, and he bowed then gestured for me to leave before him. We arrived at the ball together, and I scanned the room for Nova.

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