Page 59 of Ties of Dust

“Don’t be naive, Cassius,” said the king. “If the Torrenese didn’t let the fear of war prevent them from mounting an attack on you, we cannot let it hold us back from responding appropriately.”

“They didn’t mount the attack, Father,” Cassius said. “The report suggests that the men were mercenaries.”

“Mercenaries are hired by someone,” the king said.

“Why would the Torrenese king have need of hiring mercenaries?” Cassius demanded.

“To cover his tracks so that if the attack failed, as it did, it would not be tied to the crown,” the king said, frowning. “Do not speak as though you are the only one who understands the precarious nature of our position, Cassius.”

“You don’t seem to,” Cassius argued. “Do you reallybelieve that any king would hire inept and inexperienced assassins for such a delicate plan?”

“Inept, were they?” The king raised an eyebrow. “I seem to recall you returning bandaged from an arrow wound.”

“The more I learn of the situation, the more I’m inclined to think that was sheer luck on their part,” Cassius said. He drew a breath. “Father, I don’t agree with your assessment of Torrens’s likely involvement. But if that is your view, don’t you think it’s all the more reason to seal the alliance with Siqual as soon as possible?”

“Only if Siqual can be trusted,” said the king. “And I am not convinced it can.”

“They did not attack their own princess, Father,” Cassius said in frustration.

Sir Keavling interjected at this point, his deferential tone grating on Cassius. “No one is suggesting it, Your Highness. I wish as much as you do to trust the Siqualians. But if Torrens has been playing us all for fools this entire time, we must consider the possibility that they will have laid plans from the beginning to blame the attack on Carrack. Can we be sure Siqual won’t have believed it? For all we know the sloppy attack against you was a poorly planned attempt to retaliate.”

“It is not credible that the Siqualians could have been persuaded of our perfidy and decided to act swiftly enough to catch me still on the road,” Cassius said. “That suggestion is ridiculous.”

“No one is claiming to have all the answers, Cassius,” his father admonished him. “The point is, there is reason to be cautious and suspicious of both Siqual and Torrens at present. If we were to rush into an alliance, we might be giving them precisely what they want.”

“That’s the whole point of an alliance,” Cassius said. “For both parties to get what they want!”

“My dear, moderate your tone.” The queen had appeared at her husband’s side, her reproachful gaze fixed on Cassius. “We are at a ball—a ball in your honor—and it is your role as host to make the occasion festive.”

“Mother, there are more important matters on my mind than festivities,” Cassius said in frustration.

“Your mother is right,” the king said. “This is not the time or the place. And there is nothing more to be done at present. I must consult with our ambassador to Siqual before any further action is taken.”

“A wise course, Your Majesty,” said Sir Keavling.

“You haven’t even made contact with the ambassador yet?” Cassius’s protest over the inevitable further delays was cut off by his mother.

“It’s time to open the dancing, Cassius. You will oblige me by dancing with the eldest daughter of the Duke of Norven.”

“I’m in no mood for dancing.” There was no conviction in Cassius’s words. He knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid the necessity. The musicians were already tuning their instruments.

The young woman in question wasn’t difficult to locate. She’d been hovering nearby, the honor clearly expected. It took all Cassius’s willpower to be passably hospitable as he led her onto the large space that was clearing in the center of the ballroom. His eyes strayed to Flora as he passed her, and he caught the flash of alarm that said she was having the same realization he was.

The ballroom was just too enormous, and the dancers were taking up positions in the center of it, far from the spectators along the walls. There was no way Flora couldstay within twenty feet of him without being on the dance floor itself.

Cassius’s mind froze, his gaze still locked on Flora’s as he struggled to find a way around the obstacle. But she’d gotten there more quickly. She tore her eyes from his and moved with casual grace toward a pair of young noblemen standing nearby.

Cassius couldn’t hear what passed—Flora didn’t seem to say a word to the men—but the next moment her hand was claimed by one of them, and the pair were following the prince and his partner into the throng.

Something strange and unreasonable stirred within Cassius. Some impulse that, while perfectly understanding the necessity, loathed the sight of the other man holding Flora’s hand in his.

With difficulty, he pulled his attention back to his own partner, hoping she hadn’t noticed his distraction.

There wasn’t much opportunity for distraction in the lively movement of the dance. Cassius’s partner didn’t talk much, her attention mainly focused on ensuring her friends and rivals were observing her dance with the prince with the open envy she wished for.

Flora moved gracefully through the dancers, her blue skirts constantly catching the edges of Cassius’s vision, tormenting him with the discipline it took to keep his gaze forward. They were sometimes close in the dance, sometimes far, but never threatening the twenty-foot boundary.

After the duke’s daughter, there were no fewer than five more damsels awaiting attention thanks to his mother’s complex social machinations. By the time each song began, Cassius had already forgotten the face of the previous song’s partner. It took all his attention not to follow Flora’s progress as she was also forced to enter dance after dance.

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