1/Terreille
Alex wasn't sure if he'd made the wisest decision, but it was too late to change his mind now. The public audience session with Queen Tarine was about to begin and he was too close to the petition circle to get clear of the crowds. Any other day, he could have slipped out any of the doors. But today, the room was full from wall to wall with people.
No doubt they were all here to see Lady Raenel. Like him, he supposed. But few- if any- of them were dreading what she might say to them when she arrived. Alex wasn't feeling so optimistic. He kept a tight rein on his disguise, and hoped that it would allow him to stand in the crowd undetected. At least until he'd made up his mind whether he was going to talk to her or not.
One of the side doors opened, and conversations in the crowded hall lowered to a murmur. Feet shuffled around him as everyone waited for what would happen next. And then Queen Tarine walked into the room with the Warlords of her First Circle. Alex held his breath as one last witch slipped in behind them.
Lilith.
The room fell silent as the court took positions in the hall. Tarine sat in a high-back chair, while the Warlords flanked her from behind. Meanwhile, Lilith chose a seat off to the side. If she thought it would make her less noticeable, she was very wrong. Speculative looks were cast in her direction from all over the room.
Everyone waited to hear what would happen next. At last, the Queen spoke.
"Good morning. We have a full schedule today and I want to be sure to get to everyone's petitions before this session concludes for the day. We'll start with the discussion about setting up an artisan's guild for the weavers in the district. Will the parties step forward and present your claims?"
Several witches and Warlords stepped into the petitioner's circle and began speaking to the court. Alex only half listened to them, his attention focused on Lilith.
*I see you decided to come for the spectacle, Vrede?*
He half turned towards Chaeke, who had elbowed his way next to him.
*I'm not sure spectacle is quite the right way to describe it* Alex replied on a spear thread. *Queen Tarine seems to be keeping things under control*
*True, true. But I guarantee you that most people here today didn't come to listen to the petitions*
*What did they come here for, then? Just to stare at Lady Raenel?*
*Aren't you?*
*I'm not staring*
Chaeke said nothing for a few minutes, but the look on his face was enough. Alex sighed inwardly.
*Okay, maybe just a little*
*If you were hoping not to be so obvious, you might want to work harder at it.*
*Who says I'm obvious?*
*Well, you seem to have caught the Lady's attention, in any case. She's looking this way*
Alex didn't want to look, but he made himself do it anyway. Chaeke was right. Lilith was looking right at them. Even though the set of her expression hadn't changed at all, he knew she'd recognized him. So much for that illusion spell.
As soon as she was sure that he knew she'd seen him, Lilith inclined her chin slightly. Alex did the same, which made Chaeke glance suspiciously from one to the other. He wasn't going to let that go.
*I thought you said you'd never met Lady Raenel before*
*We met…once. But she wasn't Lady Raenel then*
*I'm guessing there's a whole lot more to that story that you're not going to tell me*
*There's not a whole lot I dare say without the Lady's permission* Alex replied, picking his words carefully.
*I guess that'll have to do*
They both fell silent, more or less occupied by their thoughts. Alex was sure that Chaeke would definitely chew on theories about what might have happened for a few weeks. If he stayed in this district, the question was going to come up again, too. There was nothing he could do about that now. Just like he couldn't do anything about whatever Lilith would- or wouldn't- say to him once this audience was over.
"Hell," he muttered under his breath.
Chaeke raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment. Meanwhile, the next set of petitioners was gearing up for their turn in the queue. He'd missed the introduction, and wasn't sure what it was about. Tarine was listening to their sides while Warlord Braetyn drafted up the court's decision about the artisan's guild.
If not for Lilith's presence in the room, this would have felt like any other day at Court. Tarine and her First Circle conducted their audiences like this twice a week, as Alex knew quite well. He had made a point of attending a few of them shortly after the incident with the branded Warlord, just to see what this Queen was like.
He'd also made a point to get books on Protocol from the bookseller. After hearing unfamiliar terms thrown around in the first few weeks, he had needed some idea what people were talking about. When he'd asked about it, the man had pointed to a fully stocked shelf of Protocol books. Although skeptical, Alex had bought a set.
Well over two months later and he still hadn't made it much more than halfway. The rules were so alien from anything Meredith had ever drilled into him that he wondered if the bookseller had been playing some kind of joke. Doggedly, Alex had kept reading, and gradually began to realize that Tarine and the Blood she ruled really did abide by that Code.
Obviously, Lilith had brought it to this place from wherever she was from. Certainly no Protocol books like them were printed in Hayll. And if Meredith knew of their existence, she would crush this district and any other caught using them. Alex wasn't sure how Tarine and the other Queens managed to keep something like this a secret for so long. These courts were far too established for Meredith to overlook them.
Yet another petitioner entered the circle, and Alex shifted his weight slightly. Several others were getting restless, too. Even so, the room remained respectfully quiet while Tarine listened to each person on the agenda for the day. And they would continue to wait until everyone had been seen.
Judging by the length of the line yet to go, Alex guessed it would be awhile before today's audience was over. Doing his best not to stare at Lilith anymore, he studied the chamber itself and let his thoughts wander over Protocol again. One part that had both intrigued and terrified him was the part about the First Circle.
Meredith and her coven darlings never breathed a word about it, and with good reason. Alex had read page upon page about the give and take dance between the First Circle and its Queen. Power balanced against power, beautiful and brilliantly choreographed. No surprise that Meredith wanted no part of anything that didn't guarantee absolute power for herself.
But whoever had written this Protocol had never meant for Queens to become tyrants. They were no different from anyone else- accountable for their actions. Alex had to wonder what sort of Blood had been alive when this Protocol was first created.
Could he ever learn the steps to this dance? Alex wasn't so sure. The kind of loyalty and trust described in the books seemed almost a requirement if he was part of a First Circle. After what Meredith and her coven had done to him, Alex couldn't believe he had any of either left in him. One day, something in him would snap and he'd go cold.
What would happen then? There was no doubt what would happen. If they were lucky, just the Queen would die. But Alex was capable of slaughtering whole courts in less than a few breaths. He'd buried plenty of Meredith's in the last six hundred years. It would be just as easy to do it again.
Rising murmurs around him shook Alex from his thoughts. The audiences were concluded for the day. The crowd was beginning to break into groups, swapping news of the day and eyeing the Queen and Lilith. He forced himself to turn to Chaeke instead of doing the same.
"So are you going to go talk to her, or not?"
He shook his head, unable to find words to answer.
"Why not?"
"It's complicated."
"She's not the reason you're…well…" Chaeke trailed off .
"The reason I'm what?"
"I mean, it's no secret you're uneasy around witches. And I just thought maybe it had to do with…"
Alex wasn't sure what expression he wore, but it silenced Chaeke mid-sentence. The air around them had chilled to a bone shattering cold. Wide-eyed, the barkeep stared at him as people nearby swiftly moved out of range. He could feel himself rising to the killing edge. Any minute he'd go cold and everyone in this room would die. Mother Night, he had to get out of here before that happened.
2/Terreille
Oh hell's fire. Lilith didn't know what happened, but Alex was close to unleashing all kinds of rage on some idiot. Someone had to do something to pull him away from that edge. A quick glance at Tarine's stricken expression told Lilith it would have to be her. Perfect.
So what did she have in her arsenal to stop a full scale slaughter? Honestly, not much. Unlike the rest of the males in his family, Alex hadn't spent centuries being drilled on Protocol. Even if she tried to yank that leash, Lilith doubted he'd respond to it.
Not to mention he was likely still angry with her. At best, she could direct his rage at her instead of everyone else. Lilith could at least contain it if Alex focused all of the rage in one place.
That plan- if she could call it one- would have to do. With as much steel as she could muster, Lilith sent a command to him on a private thread.
*Prince DeSade, Attend*
He spun around, and she saw in his eyes the Warlord Prince he'd tried to bury behind an illusion. Not only that, she saw his struggle to contain the rage. That gave her some hope to stop this. It was time to see if she'd throw water on that fire, or pour on the oil.
*You will not destroy this court, Prince*
*Lady…*
*This is not a debate. Either you leash it, or find someplace else to be. Choice is yours- what's your decision?*
The room had rapidly emptied of most of the spectators here for the audience. Most of them slipped hurriedly out the back doors in an effort to escape the danger. Only the Court remained.
*Raenel, what is going on?* Tarine sent on a distaff thread. *I've known that Warlord for several months and he's never been like this*
*Tarine, he's not a Warlord*
*I don't understand*
*Just don't move or say anything- any of you. I don't know what happened to set him off, but that's a Warlord Prince on the killing edge*
Tarine's horrified surprise skittered over their connection, but Lilith gave her credit for not losing her wits. The young Queen kept her demeanor collected, and set an example for the others. Lilith stepped away from the group, approaching Alex slowly. A handful of steps away, she stopped and waited.
And waited.
Alex was still struggling to keep from being swept away over that edge. Lilith took a gamble that humor might pull him all the way back. She said the only thing she could think of.
"Didn't I warn you already what would happen if you tried to freeze my toes?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "So am I going to need witchfire today?"
A few seconds passed as her comment registered. It was dangerous to remind him of that night- even one of its less damning moments. But it seemed to have the desired effect. Alex stared at her, incredulous, and the air around them thawed. Lilith held her breath as she waited for him to respond.
"No, Lady," he said with some difficulty. "That won't be necessary."
"Glad to hear it."
In the lingering silence, Tarine ventured a comment.
*Raenel- is it settled? Whatever this is?*
*Settled well enough to breathe a little easier, Tarine, but don't push him. I'm not sure I can talk him down off the ledge a second time*
*I hear you*
Lilith sighed heavily, and turned her attention back to Alex.
*Well, you've completely wrecked your illusion as a Warlord. It's up to you how much of all this you drop, but Tarine knows you're a Warlord Prince now so you might as well give that battle up for lost*
He didn't answer, and looked as though he was debating with himself what to do. Lilith was rather stunned when he dropped the whole illusion. Well, he still masked his darker Jewels. Better that way- since she was pretty sure Tarine would not be prepared to deal with that. Not for a while.
That still didn't help the butterfly feeling in her stomach when Lilith could no longer pretend she was talking to someone else. Oh she'd known it was Alex the second she walked into the hall. But with the disguise, Lilith had tried to lie to herself she'd really seen a Tiger-Eye Warlord from Chaillot instead. Couldn't believe that lie anymore.
Behind her, she heard a few gasps.
"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful," Tarine croaked.
Well, at least she had somewhere else to draw her focus. Lilith half-turned to the Queen and her First Circle, who had obviously recognized Alex already. None of them looked enthusiastic to have him here instead of the illusion they'd thought him to be.
"I suppose now is as good a time as any to offer an explanation."
"We'd heard…but everyone thought it was just a rumor. That's not really…"
Lilith gave Alex a pointed look.
*By explanation, I meant you're the one doing the talking, Prince*
*Why me?*
*Because you're the Warlord Prince who's been masquerading as a light-Jeweled Warlord in Tarine's territory for months*
By the look on his face, Alex almost said something in reply, but chose to hold it back. Since curiosity usually killed the cat, Lilith didn't press him for whatever it was.
"Lady Tarine," Alex began. "It's come to my attention that I might have been…remiss…in not revealing who I was when I first arrived in your territory."
"A warning might have been helpful to prevent something like today from happening, Prince DeSade," Tarine replied.
Unlikely. It would only have made the court more prepared to deal with it. Lilith applauded Tarine's tactful answer, and waited to see how Alex would reply.
"I suppose I'll make a long story short, Lady. I wanted to stay in your district, but wasn't sure that I would be welcomed if not for the illusion."
"Not to mention that if no one knew who you were, no one could report your whereabouts to Meredith."
Well, the veneer of tact hadn't lasted long. Alex bristled at Tarine's implication. Lilith decided maybe she ought to step in before she got him too riled. *Tarine, have you really thought about what you're saying?*
*I've heard about him. I don't completely trust his motives for not wanting anyone to know he was here*
*No. You've heard what Meredith and her coven bitches want you to hear about him*
Tarine flinched at the ice in those words. Lilith hadn't meant for them to come out so harsh, but she couldn't help feeling defensive about the unjust impression everyone had of Alex. Even here in a healthy community, the rumors fed by Meredith would color the way they saw him. It wasn't right.
*What do you know of him, then, Raenel?*
Mother Night. That was a loaded question. It definitely wouldn't do any good telling the young Queen just how well she knew Alex. That would start a whole different kind of rumor that Lilith couldn't afford. Alex wouldn't appreciate it, either. So she side-stepped the question just a teeny bit.
*It's true- the Prince has executed witches. Even tortured them. Beyond any details that you'd ever want to hear, in some cases. But I've never known one of those witches not to have deserved it*
*But how can you be sure that…*
*Tarine, do you trust my judgment?*
*Yes*
*Then I ask you to trust me that I promise he would never hurt someone who was innocent. Think about what you know of the Warlord he has been so far* she pushed insistently. *Has that man hurt anyone?*
Tarine paused a moment and relented.
*No, he hasn't*
*The caste may different now, but the man underneath is the same*
*You must know him very well to be so certain*
*If it makes you feel any better, you may hold me personally responsible for him while he's here*
A very long pause followed.
*That didn't really answer my question*
*I think we both know I'm not going to answer*
*Yeah, I thought as much. Okay, I'll trust your instincts about him for now. But if he does break that trust, I will hold you to your promise*
*Understood*
That settled, Lilith finally realized how long she and Tarine had been talking. Long enough that the First Circle and Alex were all staring at them expectantly. Neither Steward or Master of the Guard felt equal to the task of asking them what it was about. Alex, though, had no trouble.
"Will the rest of us be included in the discussion, or will you be keeping us in suspense?"
Lilith nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance at his tone.
*Warlord Princes* she sent over to Tarine. *They are a whole different breed of male to deal with*
*And just how should I deal with him?*
*How you would any Warlord Prince whose Jewels outrank yours. You've read enough Protocol to know that much*
Tarine let out a breath in a huff. It was tempting to tell her exactly what to do in this situation, but if she was going to be Territory Queen someday, she had to learn to do this on her own. Hayll would recover one day, and with that recovery would come Warlord Princes. A good Queen learned how to deal with them.
"Our apologies, Prince. Lady Raenel was reminding me of my manners. I confess, we're all just a little out of step having suddenly found a Warlord Prince in place of a Warlord."
"I can leave, Lady, if I've worn out my welcome in your district."
With a quick glance at Lilith, Tarine shook her head emphatically.
"Oh no- I'm not trying to kick you out. The next districts over belong to pet Queens of Meredith, and both of them would pounce on the opportunity to hand you back over to her."
"They could try," Alex replied darkly. "The question is, now that you know I'm here- would someone here try to do the same?"
"We have no love for Meredith or her regime, Prince. I wouldn't turn anyone or anything over to her."
From what Lilith could see, he wasn't entirely convinced. Alex raised an eyebrow and slipped his hands in his trouser pockets. Oh that was not a good sign at all, and Lilith prayed to the Darkness that he'd be reasonable. When he spoke, the words were calmly delivered. But she knew Alex was far from calm.
"That is a different tune than what you were singing a few minutes ago, Lady Tarine."
Nope, not going to be reasonable. It seemed Tarine wasn't the only one who needed to be reminded of manners. She aimed a private thread at Alex.
*Let it go, Prince*
*No I won't*
Lilith gritted her teeth at his natural stubbornness, determined to put an end to all this right now.
*You scared the living hell out of her. Not everyone is up to the challenge of a Warlord Prince like you on the killing edge*
*I guess I forgot what it was like to be what I am*
Lilith winced inwardly. She hadn't quite meant to cut that wound any deeper than it already was, but it was a little late to take it back now. Just add it to the tally of mistakes she'd made with him so far. She wasn't sure who was going to hold her accountable for the scars she'd given him- 'Nelle or his father. Either way, she wasn't looking forward to the reckoning.
* You can't entirely blame her for questioning your motives. All she's ever heard is what Meredith chooses to say about you. Give her the chance to understand*
Reluctantly, Alex turned over her words and seemed to accept them. He nodded briefly.
"Perhaps we start over, Lady," he said finally. "It seems that's the only direction to go from here."
3/Terreille
Tarine considered Prince DeSade's words. They offered both of them a way to save face. Given the alternatives, it was an offer she couldn't afford to refuse.
She wondered what Raenel had said to him to bring it about. Tarine had absolutely no doubt that she wasn't the only one having side conversations with the Lady. But what in the hell could Raenel have said to have brought such a dangerous Warlord Prince to heel so quickly?
How did she find the courage to say anything to him in the first place?
Raenel had been right that she'd heard plenty of rumors about Prince Alexander DeSade. He'd lain waste to dozens- maybe even hundreds- of courts held by Meredith's coven. While she hadn't heard the details, what little she did hear painted the picture of a violent and ruthlessly cruel man. Honestly, a Prince she really didn't want in her district.
But she'd never been let down by Raenel's judgment in the past. So she'd try to look past what she'd heard to see what her friend saw in him. After all, she'd had a point that as Warlord Vrede, he hadn't been violent or cruel. She hoped for the sake of the people she ruled that he wouldn't betray Raenel's trust.
And as she glanced quickly over the pair of them, Tarine hoped so for her friend's sake as well. Raenel had never shown much interest in Blood males of any caste or Rank, but maybe the Prince had managed to seduce his way into her good graces. Even the strongest of wills could be bent under that golden gaze. Tarine admitted that she wasn't just weak-kneed in fear when he looked her way.
Tarine gathered those thoughts and set them aside for another time. She had to deal with the now.
"I agree, Prince."
Everyone just stood around for a few minutes, not quite sure what to do. Finally, Lord Braetyn spoke up beside her.
"Lady- are we providing a guest suite in the Queen's Residence for Prince DeSade?"
"Oh…I guess I hadn't thought about that."
"I have a suite at the Kaerle Inn," Prince DeSade answered. "It's no trouble to stay there."
"No trouble if you were still a Tiger-Eye Warlord," Lord Braetyn pointed out tactfully. "A Red-Jeweled Warlord Prince might stir things up a little more than you'd like."
Resignation flashed across his face. "Yeah, I guess so."
"There are a number of empty suites here that might give you more privacy than an inn would, Prince. Lady Raenel is staying at the Queen's Residence while she's here for that reason."
She was trying to be welcoming like Raenel had asked, so Tarine was baffled by the glaring looks her friend shot at her.
*What'd I do?*
*Nothing*
*Well, it must have been something. You look ready to roast me with witchfire*
*It's my own fault. I should have realized that he'd have to stay here now*
*You don't want him here in the Queen's Residence? Should I tell him to stay where he is?*
*No, he can't stay there now*
Tarine was thoroughly confused.
*Raenel, what's wrong?*
*It's nothing. Ignore me*
Yep, definitely something strange going on here. She'd have to keep an eye on both of them while Raenel was here. Her instincts told her that it had something to do with why her friend wouldn't answer her earlier questions.
*Hmm…I don't think I can do that*
*Tarine, I mean it*
Her reply was cut short by her Steward.
"So, a suite in the guest wing?" Braetyn asked.
"Prince?"
"It's probably for the best," he agreed with a shrug.
"Lord Braetyn, can you see to the arrangements? I'd like to speak with Lady Raenel for awhile."
"As you will, Lady."
She had to give her Steward credit for stepping forward to Prince DeSade. He only wore Rose as his Rank Jewel, and wouldn't stand a chance against the Red. But he did his best to ignore that unpleasant reality, and followed Protocol to the letter. Tarine was proud that her First Circle had remembered what Raenel had taught them.
The Prince gave her friend one last look before he followed Lord Braetyn out of the audience room. She wasn't quite sure what the look meant. That was one thing she meant to find out when she and Raenel started talking. Tarine caught Lord Howe's attention.
*Why don't you take a guard detail and find out just how freaked out everyone is over what happened this morning?*
*A good idea, I think. I'll let you know what we find later this afternoon*
*Good deal. Thanks, Howe*
With his assignment in place, her Master of the Guard left the room as well. That left just Tarine alone with Raenel.
"Well, you've cleared everyone out, Tarine. Obviously there's something on your mind you'd like to discuss."
"Yup, sure is."
Raenel sighed.
"Where do you want to start first?"
Tarine thought about what bothered her most.
"You could tell what he really was when we walked in the room, couldn't you? Even before the Prince lost his temper."
"Yes, I knew."
"And you didn't think to warn any of us."
"I didn't have the right to betray what he wanted to keep hidden. If that was the life he wanted, it wouldn't have been my place to tear it away from him." She paused. "He's already had so much taken from him."
Damn. All the bluster went out of Tarine's anger, and she somewhat resented Raenel for stealing away her right to be mad. But the sadness she felt from her friend might prove a more interesting subject.
"Like what?"
"He's had to live in Meredith's court for six hundred years, Tarine. What can you imagine she and every other bitch in that Hall took out of him?"
The knife edge in Raenel's voice sounded a lot like guilt, but Tarine convinced herself that she was mistaken. At the mention of Meredith, she had a sudden uncomfortable thought.
"And you're sure that Meredith still doesn't have some kind of hold over him?"
"You mean like a Ring of Obedience?"
"Um…yeah…that."
Raenel shook her head. "Not anymore."
"How is that even possible? I mean, you said yourself that Meredith's had him chained to her for six hundred years. How does one day he just slip that leash?"
"Well…" Raenel hedged as her eyes slid away.
"You. It was you."
"It's finally done, Tarine. All of those damned Rings are destroyed. His was the last. The absolute last."
Tarine assessed her friend for some time. Sure she knew that Raenel had vowed to destroy every Ring of Obedience in Hayll, but it never really hit her what that meant. Or who would be set free. Raenel would have had to have stolen into Meredith's Hall, gotten close enough to the Prince to…now there was a question. Just how did one get one of those off, anyway?
"Out of curiosity…"
"Nope. Don't even finish the question because I'm not going to answer it."
"I was just curious," Tarine protested innocently.
"Remain curious. All you need to know is that I did what I'd promised to do."
Well, she wasn't going to get Raenel to answer anything more on that topic. At least not today. Tarine gave up and picked her next battle.
"So what in the hell was a Red Jeweled Warlord Prince doing pretending to be a Tiger-Eye Warlord? He could have gone anywhere once he slipped out of Meredith's control. Could have gone to Dhemlan where he could live a more normal life."
"Tarine, the Prince has never left Draega, much less Hayll. He's never been taught Protocol like any of you. What do you think would happen if he had gone to a place like Dhemlan?"
That sounded like a reasonable answer, but Tarine felt there was something off about it.
"Okay, so he probably wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving the Territory…but why here, and why the disguise?"
"I wish I could say that I understood everything, but darling, the Prince is still male," Raenel drawled. "And males do bizarre things sometimes that just have no logical answer."
An unladylike giggle threatened to overwhelm her, and Tarine tried to hold it back. But the longer the words hung between them and the look on Raenel's face, the harder it was. In the end, she succumbed to them. And when the fit was over, she leaned close to her friend.
"You know, I've heard Braetyn and Howe both mutter to themselves that our gender is the one that makes no sense. They think I didn't hear it."
"Tarine, I'm almost certain they damn well made sure you overheard it," Raenel said with a quiet laugh.
"Then why were they whispering?"
"To make sure you were listening."
Raenel was right. Males were incredibly complicated creatures that made no sense. She shook her head one last time at the absurdity of it all before turning back to the subject of the Prince.
"So what are we going to do about Prince DeSade?"
"You're going to practice dealing with a dark-Jeweled Warlord Prince and keep a tight leash on all of the witches in residence. Absolutely no one is to flirt with him or try their luck at getting him into bed."
Raenel leveled a very stern look at her. "That includes you, Tarine."
"Why would you think…"
"I'm not saying you were going to, but I wanted to make it very clear that it is not an option."
"I can talk to the staff and the few witches of the court who live here, but I can't promise that they will listen. The Prince is…well hell, he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life, Raenel. Surely you can recognize that fact."
"The fact I do recognize is that anyone who makes an invitation to the Prince will die. Horribly. And I can't guarantee that I could do anything to stop it. Not even if I'm in the room to see it happen."
"But they would just be asking…"
She didn't even finish her sentence before Raenel interrupted her. The look in her eyes was intense.
"They will die, Tarine. The bitches in Meredith's Hall never 'invited' him to do anything. They took what they wanted. For the Prince, it's a killing field, and any witch daring to make an invitation is asking to meet him on it."
"I see," Tarine whispered.
"So when you're talking to the witches, relay that message. Maybe it will give them incentive to listen."
"And you're sure it's safe to have him here?"
"Outside of what we just discussed, yes."
Tarine fiddled with the sleeve of her gown, wishing that she could find some way not to have Prince DeSade in her district. Or if that wasn't possible, that she hadn't found out he was anything other than Vrede, the Tiger-Eye Warlord. They didn't have any Warlord Princes in this district. She'd rather not have started practicing with one like him.
Oh well. If Raenel thought she could do this, she supposed the least she could do was try. Meanwhile, she was curious about what her friend would be doing about the Prince. She'd been very specific a minute ago.
"And while I'm practicing- what are you going to do?"
Raenel thought for a minute or two. A troubled look passed over her face, and then it was gone.
"Nothing unless he asks me."
"Asks you what, exactly?"
"I've offered to take him home to his family if he wants to go. When I last saw him, that wasn't the path he wanted to pursue." She sighed. "But if he changes his mind while I'm here over the next few days, I'll take him with me when I leave."
Wasn't that interesting? Raenel hadn't mentioned that bit of information when they were talking a moment ago about the Prince's options. Tarine wondered why. If she had a choice, she'd hope that he did decide to go with her. A few days' practice was more than enough for now. She really didn't want to deal with him when Raenel wasn't around to back her up.
"Do you think he'll go?"
"I don't know."
And that was all Raenel was going to say about it, from the look of things. Tarine relinquished the subject.
"Well, I suppose we'll find out, won't we?"
"Yes, we'll find out."