Page 84 of The Exile's Curse

"The balance knows," the seer said.

Mikvel looked pained again. "That is true. But it's also true that we have need of the Lord Truth Seeker's services to finish this business with House Elannon. There can be no treaties or otherwise until we have determined the truth at the heart of them."

In other words, no slinking away and pretending none of this ever happened.

"We understand, Your Majesty," Honore said. "But again, I think it would be best if the four of us spoke alone."

Mikvel nodded. "Of course, Colonel. Come, Sejerin, we will find tea elsewhere. You must be tired after all that riding. I certainly am."

For a moment, Lucien though Silya was going to refuse, but she seemed to remember that she was talking with the king and rose from her chair to accompany him.

"Would you ward the room please, Gilles?" Honore said to Captain Theisse. "We need privacy for this discussion."

Gilles pushed his chair back and crossed to the door. He turned the key and then pressed his hands to the wood. Light shimmered over all the copper as he placed a ward.

"We don't need privacy," Lucien said, "We need everyone to take a breath and regain the sanity that seems to have been lost."

"We need this mission to succeed and not end in flames and another diplomatic disaster. That would not please His Imperial Majesty,” Honore said sharply.

"You think we should just play along?" Lucien asked. Honore was the last person he expected to lose her head.

"Yes," Honore said.

Beside him, Chloe choked.

"Get married," Honore said. "What does it matter? You can get a divorce when we return to Lumia. Aristides will grant it. Get married, behave yourselves, and we'll finish the mission and all go home. Consider it an order."

His temper snapped. "I think, Colonel,” he growled, "that you have forgotten something here. I am the Marq of Castaigne. And I'm not under your command in that capacity. Nor in my role as Truth Seeker. You can't order me to do anything. We didn't do anything wrong. We were trying to stay alive. We can dissolve the bond, and they have no real cause to make a fuss. They're trying to embarrass us."

"And they're succeeding. I know it's not your fault, Lucien, but you've broken the rules. You knew what this place is like." She cast a glance at Chloe. "And you should know better, too, Chloe, after spending so much time in Anglion. Andalyssia may seem backward to us, but their customs are theirs. They honor them. It's our job to honor them, too, while we're here."

"But we didn't do anything," Chloe protested.

"Really?" Honore arched an eyebrow. "I have it on good authority that there was a ward around your room for half the night after the wedding, Lieutenant. Were you worried about snoring too loudly and waking Giane?"

Chloe flushed.

Lucien lifted his chin. "They don't know about that."

"It was, in fact, an Andalyssian who asked me about the noisy ward, Lucien." Her tone was nearly colder than the air in the cave had been. He'd never seen Honore furious before. "So, you're mistaken. They had no proof, perhaps, that anything they consider untoward happened, but now they do.”

"Goddess bite me,” he snarled. "Hypocritical idiots. Are you telling me you think none of the court ever break their marriage vows? Chloe is a widow, not some blushing eighteen-year-old virgin. This is—"

"We should do it," Chloe said.

Did she really just say that?Chloe stared at Lucien, not quite believing the words that had just escaped her lips. Lucien stared back, his expression indicating he thought she'd lost her senses.

"Did you hit your head after all?" he said in a strangled tone.

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Did you hit yours?" She turned to Honore. "Lucien and I need to talk. Alone."

Captain Theisse grimaced. "If everybody keeps leaving, we're all going to end up standing outside in the hallway. I can't imagine that will improve the sejerin's mood any."

"It won't take long," Chloe said. At least, she hoped not. Lucien was angry, and it might take longer than she thought to make him see sense. She wasn't sure she was seeing sense herself. Her stomach churned.

"See that it doesn't," Honore said. "Gilles, let's wait outside."

Chloe had to fight the urge to follow them out the door and then just keep running until she was safely off the damned mountain. "You should redo the wards," she said, trying to sound calm.

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