Page 13 of By Mistake
The greatest summoner in the kingdom, possibly the continent, had been…
"Oh," Oresti breathed."Oh, no."The greatest summoner the kingdom had ever known was Lord Sendrus Bothwell.Andrus's great grandfather."Fuck."
"Indeed," Alina replied."I don't like it one bit."
"No, no, it's quite unlikeable."Farthing was trying to get that house to pry out any old family secrets it might have.In the aftermath of the murder and summary execution, the house had been torn apart to remove anything even slightly to do with magic.But no one had ever been able to find the significant stuff, the books and tools of the trade that the Bothwell family had acquired over several generations, a collection worthy of the royal archive.They'd all but taken the house down to its foundation and found nothing.
Clearly Farthing wanted to have a go himself, or knew something the rest of them didn't."He absolutely cannot get to that house."
Alina smirked, which sent a prickle of alarm down his spine."Yes, I agree.Good thingsomebodyis so smitten with poor little Lord Bothwell that he paid off the taxes, those in arrearsandfor the next ten years."
"I just want to help him," Oresti said, face going hot."He's been beaten and neglected and isolated his entire life.Who wouldn't want to help him?"
"Apparently everyone but you."Alina's eyes glittered in that way he'd learned to fear at the ripe old age of five."He'll be receiving an invitation to the ball at the end of the month.Make certain you'll be there."
As if he'd leave Andrus to swim in those shark-infested waters all alone."Why would you do that to him?"
Alina pushed to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest, that dangerous glitter still lingering in her vivid green eyes."Oresti, you are thirty-one, nearly thirty-two, and in all those years, I haveneverseen you show interest in a single person.People ask medailyhow they could draw your attention and court you.Father has received truly obscene offers of marriage.You haveno ideahow badly people want you.Want you to evenlookat them.The number of broken hearts that trail behind you is truly concerning, and you've never noticed a single one of them.Now along comes this poor, broken little waif without a sel to his name and you're falling over yourself to do every little thing for him.OfcourseI'm making him come to the palace.You're lucky I merely sent an invitation to a party, and didn't have him formally summoned."
"You are theworst," Oresti said."You're going to scare him off, and he's barely tolerating me as is."
"So you finally admit you're smitten?"
"Yes, fine!"Oresti threw up his hands."He's sweet and charming and beautiful.He also doesn't know I'mPrinceOresti, because then he absolutely would want nothing to do with me, or worse, feel even more obligated to endure me."
Alina sighed."Oh, Oresti.You know that kind of secret keeping never ends well.You'll have to tell him the truth and push onward in that stubborn way of yours.Better he learns from you than finds out in the worst way when he comes to the ball."
"I hate you," Oresti muttered, and stormed out of the room, ignoring when she bellowed for him toget his ass back here.
In his own room, he slammed the door before going to slump in his favorite chair, which overlooked the inner courtyard of the palace, currently filled with people chatting, servants bustling to and fro, nobles up to some political game or another.
Damn it, why did Alina have to interfere?Andrus was going tohatehim.He was already uncomfortable with Oresti as it was, and now…
Now he'd probably hate Oresti even more than he hated Farthing.For lying.For being the reason Alina was forcing him to attend court with little warning and preparation.Had he already received the invitation?Was he currently making himself sick stressing about it?He wouldn't have the right clothes, the jewelry, the shoes… He was probably sitting in his room crying, or pacing the kitchen…
Oresti couldn't abide it.This was exactly why he hadn't shared his true identity.Well, one of the reasons.He hadn't wanted Andrus to get dragged into this mess because of him, but of course, Alina had seen too much like always and made one of the ruthless moves she was so well known for.It made her a fantastic crown princess, but a damned annoying big sister.
Fuck.He scrubbed at his face.He needed to go see Andrus.First, though, he needed to wash up, put on clothes other than his uniform.Ringing for his staff, he sent Greivs off to tell his father he wouldn't be around tonight due to an emergency in the city.After that, he got washed and dressed, lingering entirely too long over what to wear.
When he'd finally settled, ignoring Greivs' smirking, he headed out, fetching his horse from the stables and riding off.
Please,pleaselet him be able to fix this.
Five
Andrus was going to throw up.Right before he passed out.
He stared at the piece of expensive paper on his kitchen counter like it was a hissing snake.Why in the names of all the gods was hebeing invited to a royal ball.Why?Why?Why?
His affluent 'peers' had lost his family's information decades ago.After his great grandfather was hanged for murder—a murder he didn't commit—they'd become pariahs.As the years and then decades passed, that ostracization had only gotten worse.He'd never been invited to a tea party as a boy, when such things were common so young people could get to know one another.His parents had never invited anyone over either, except for some shopkeeps and market vendors his mother had been friendly with who'd come for tea in the kitchen every once in a while.
Was this Farthing's doing?What could he possibly be scheming that required forcing him to attend a royal ball?That didn't seem likely, though.Farthing, to the best of his knowledge, wasn't so close to anyone in the royal family that he could ask the royal offices to send the great grandson of the most hated man in history an invitation.
Oresti?He wasn't high enough in society to make that kind of request; he'd probably try to get an invitation for himself.
Whatever, he didn't have time to sit here stressing about this.The invitation actually gave himlesstime.He hadn't planned on doing the spell until next week, after a bit more time to practice, to be as certain as he could that he was doing everything correctly.The ball was barely two weeks away, at the very end of the month.On the surface, it was just the rich, fancy version of the winter solstice festivities that would overtake the rest of Esaria.They heralded the full arrival of winter, a last grand fête before the terrible snow and ice struck, frigid temperatures that kept everyone inside for the most part.
Lords and ladies would arrive to the ball in their best winter garb, the finest wools with extravagant fur trim, cloaks, cowls, and other ostentatious draping that they'd take off ten minutes after arrival and not wear again until they departed—even if they were wealthy enough to afford living in the palace full time.
