Page 45 of Ties of Dust

“Yes.” Cassius leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “My first priority must be to seal this alliance. You’re intelligent enough to make sense of what you’ve already seen, so I’ll speak openly. I expect to have my work cut out for me to convince my father that an alliance to strengthen the Peninsula will still serve our interests best.”

“Yes, he’s clearly partial to Sir Keavling’s views on the matter,” Flora said thoughtfully. “You won’t get anywhere with that man in the room.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Cassius nodded, pleased. “I’m awaiting a messenger to tell me where my father can be found, and I intend to speak to him first thing.”

She glanced out the window. “I think we’ve gone pastfirst thingsome time ago.”

A knock at the door halted the conversation.

“Enter,” Cassius called.

The door opened to reveal a young boy, who bobbed a bow before informing them that the king was in his study.

“Perfect,” said Cassius, standing. As soon as the messenger was gone, he added, “That’s a sufficiently small space. You’ll be able to stand outside the room without pushing the boundary of the tether. I’ll have most success with my father if we’re alone.”

Flora nodded, straightening her garment—a jerkin that extended into a skirt of sorts—and hurrying to stand behind him. Cassius paused, strangely reluctant to open the door and end their tete-a-tete. Giving in to an impulse,he reached out toward Flora, using feather-light fingers to touch the lumpy section of sleeve that indicated a bandage was hidden underneath.

“How’s your shoulder?” he asked. His voice sounded husky to his own ears, and he hoped she didn’t notice it as his hand hovered over her arm.

She didn’t immediately answer, her eyes startled as they met his. She bit her lip, and it was all he could do not to follow the movement with his eyes.

“It’s much better today, Your Highness,” she said, the softness of her voice at odds with her guard persona.

He nodded, pulling his hand back. “You’re not in pain?”

“Not significantly,” she said. “Are you?”

“No.” Pain was the last thing on his mind at that moment. “Come on,” he said, wrenching his gaze away from her and seizing the door handle. He needed a clear head to manage his father.

Chapter

Eleven

Two guards were waiting outside the door, and Cassius dismissed one, not eager to have a trio trailing after him through the castle. Flora kept pace with the other guard, giving no sign that she noticed the whispers or the stares she was eliciting from everyone they passed.

Cassius noticed, though. And it bothered him much more than it should. He had to work hard not to glare darkly at every gawker. He knew the best way to take the power out of gossip was to ignore it. But it was strangely hard where Flora was concerned.

When he reached the king’s study, he knocked once before letting himself in. The king was seated behind an enormous walnut desk, his brow heavy as he scanned a letter.

“Father.” Cassius closed the door behind him, relieved to find the king alone.

“Cassius.” King Aelius looked up, his expression not relaxing at the sight of his son. “What brings you here?”

“I want to speak to you about the alliance,” said Cassius, not one to beat about the bush.

“Did I not tell you yesterday that we must await the investigation?” his father said.

“Yes.” Cassius lowered himself into a chair. “But while the investigation proceeds, can we not continue preparations? Surely we wish to be ready to move forward quickly once we have all the information. I think we should communicate with the Siqualian crown, at the very least. I don’t even know for certain whether the delegation made it back to Sindon without further mishap.”

“They did.” His father laid the parchment flat against the surface of the desk. “This letter is from the Siqualian king.”

“What does he say?” Cassius leaned forward.

“It’s a strange letter.” King Aelius’s frown deepened. “I’m not sure I like his tone.”

“What do you mean?” Cassius asked cautiously. “Does he offer us insult? Does he believe we are behind the attack on his daughter?”

“It’s possible.” The king cast his eyes over the letter again. “He doesn’t say as much. But nor does he take responsibility for failing to prevent the attack from occurring on his soil.”

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