Page 15 of Her Dark Reflection

I touched my fingers to my mouth in mock scandal. ‘No! What does he do with them?’

‘I imagine he pays their mothers to take them off to the country nice and quietly.’

‘What are you two whispering about over there?’ the Grand Weaver interrupted suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

‘Yes, stop hogging her, Faucher,’ Perrius boomed, turning from his other conversation to join ours.

I straightened up, plastering a smile onto my face. ‘Would any of you like to play a game?’

I spent the next portion of the evening playing a drinking game that involved throwing coins in a bowl across the room while flirting and holding court like I was already the queen. There was enough laughter and commotion to draw notice, and I caught the king looking over more than once.

I kept an eye on him, noting what he was drinking and when his glass needed refilling, picking my moment. Part way through an argument between Lord Perrius and a Creatish dignitary over southern trading tariffs, I rose to my feet.

‘You are both so badly behaved that I’m just going to have to leave you here,’ I chided.

‘So long as you return,’ Lord Perrius chuckled. ‘I promise we will stop talking politics if you do.’

Dovegni snorted. ‘Stop talking politics? You? You must be in love.’

I smiled sweetly and bowed my head before withdrawing with my lute in hand. Swiping a bottle of the wine I’d seen the king being served, I made a beeline for him and his now empty glass, but as I crossed the room, someone bumped into me with enough force to send me stumbling.

I felt hands on my skirts, steadying me, and I almost thanked whoever it was for keeping me from toppling over, but when I saw Vanaria standing there I shook her off with a scowl.

‘So sorry,’ she simpered. ‘I didn’t see you.’

‘I’m sure you didn’t.’ I quickly surveyed my dress, making sure I hadn’t splashed it with wine, which was undoubtedly her intention, but I hadn’t spilled a drop. I smirked at her, and to my surprise she offered me a heavy-lidded smile in return, looking as pleased as a fattened pig.

‘Enjoy your evening,’ she said, and with a flick of her hair she sauntered away, quickly finding Elovissa, another maisera from Quality, and whispering to her while looking over at me. Whatever she was up to, I was sure it meant nothing good for me, but I dismissed all thoughts of her as I continued towards the king.

I flitted in behind him, leaned close and murmured, ‘More wine, your majesty?’ just by his ear. He assented without looking, but when I leaned over him with the wine bottle his gaze flicked up at me and interest lit his eyes.

‘Ah, the musician,’ he said. ‘Sit by me. I’d like to hear you play again.’

‘Of course, Your Majesty.’ I curtsied low, then settled myself on a chair close to him. He turned in his seat, completely withdrawing from his previous conversation to face me, leaving the man he had been speaking to looking crestfallen.

I began to play a soft, easy tune that required just a few repeated chords, allowing my attention free to focus on the monarch now watching me so closely. For someone on the later side of fifty summers, he was still handsome, broad-shouldered and lean, with wide hands and a straight back. He had the mild expression of someone used to guarding his thoughts from onlookers and I couldn’t quite tell if my playing pleased him or not.

‘What game were you about over there? It seemed to be a hit,’ he said after a moment.

‘Just a silly amusement, Your Majesty. A coin tossing game.’

‘Maybe you can teach me.’

‘There isn’t much to teach. I’m sure it would bore someone of your faculties.’

His mouth twitched, and I reassessed. Maybe he wanted bawdy and fun. Perhaps behind that curated expression was a gnawing boredom. Perhaps offering him more of the polite company he was surely up to his neck in every day was the wrong idea.

‘But I do have a deck of cards. Do you fancy a game of Pack the Priest?’ The offer was tentative as I tried this new angle, but I was rewarded when the king grinned.

‘With our own Grand Paptich in this very room? You live dangerously.’

Taboo and titillation. Madam Luzel’s teachings served me well yet again. I winked at him. ‘We’ll just have to be sneaky. It can be our little secret.’

The priest, none other than the Grand Paptich himself I now knew, seemed to sense that we were talking about him and glanced over. When he saw His Majesty was looking his way, he brightened and began towards us. The king waved a hand as though to shoo him away, and his expression drooped into a frown.

‘He won’t be happy with me now. You’d better let me win.’

‘That depends entirely on the stakes,’ I teased as I began to deal the cards, feeling pleased with myself. The king was smiling, and he’d glanced at my cleavage more than once. This was going very well.

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