Page 24 of By Mistake
"What's wrong with the current staff?Why are they temporary instead of just bringing them on full time?Is something awry?"
"They have no references, for myriad reasons.A few have arrests on their record, for stealing food or money, the occasional fight in the street."
"What's your opinion?"
Shimari spread his hands."As humans go, they seem fine.Whatever their behavior, they're not evil.They're not even bad.Just…misbegotten, I suppose.I would never have brought anyone even the slightest bit dangerous into your home, unless it was to protect you."
"Then just make them permanent.If problems arise, we'll deal with them then."
"As you wish, Master."
Andrus shot him a look.
"I had some clothes made for you, but of course you'll need a full wardrobe, so I've scheduled fittings for Relday in the morning, and I'm already having suitable clothes for the ball expedited.They should be here on Relday as well for final adjustments."
Relday.That was two days away."The ball isn't until the end of the month.Wait, how do you even know about that?"
"I took a thorough inventory of the house before setting to work and found the invitation, along with a lovely wine that cost more than some of the furniture in this house.A wine fit for a king."
Andrus flinched before he could catch himself.
Shimari stared for a moment, then smiled in smug victory."Your Oresti is royalty, isn't he?That's why the invitation.That's why the fancy wine.That's why you think you're not good enough.How fitting."
"Fitting?"
"My little dove, your great grandfather was in love, and having an affair, with Prince Kolik.As I said, they had their own secret space where they could safely be together.They could not be together properly for various reasons, but they did all that they could."
"What?"Andrus shot to his feet."But this— All the poverty, the isolation, our fall from grace— All of that is because they said SendrusmurderedKolik.That's the whole reason Oresti's family is on the throne now."
Shimari's face filled with rage, and that same shadowy image of a monster holding a staff or something flickered.Shivers ran through Andrus despite the recently made vow that Shimari would never harm him."No.Sendrus would have never done such a thing.He would have killed himself before harming a single hair on Kolik's head.I didn't…" Sorrow seemed to fill his face a moment before it was overtaken by the anger again."Sendrus banished me, said he would call me back when he could, but he never did.I assumed something must have gone wrong, but I never imagined that whole matter would end so tragically."
"What happened?"Andrus asked, heart racing.He'd always wondered, always wanted answers, and right here was someone who could provide answers that no one else could.
"A long story for another time, but where there is power, there is lying, stealing, cheating, and backstabbing," Shimari replied.
"Yeah, that sounds right.Which is why I can't— Why Oresti has to stay away from me.Farthing is cocky enough to go after him, prince or not."
Shimari's eyes glittered, and Andrus realized his mistake."Farthing, is it?Another name I know, old and full of poison."
Andrus sighed in defeat."You can't just kill him.Gods alone know what sort of problems that would cause.It may very well make things worse."
"Fine, but I'm not discounting it entirely as an option."
"You—" Andrus bit the complaint off.This was ademonhe was speaking to, after all.He'd do well to remember that.Something about Shimari, though, made him easy to talk to.Talkbackto.
Shimari smirked."Me, what?"
"You," Andrus retorted.
That got him a laugh, and he had no business being as pleased as he was that he could get Shimari to laugh.
"So what does Farthing have against you?"
"That I still own this house.He wants the secrets it's rumored to hold—Sendrus's magic and knowledge.That place where I summoned you that nobody knows I know about."
"What about the garden?"
Andrus shook his head."I don't know anything about the garden, except that it will take a long time to set it to rights."
