by Kelly Hunter
Some things were meant to be common knowledge. His dangerous growing infatuation with Moriana was not one of them.
‘She’s a Combat General in a sundress,’ he moaned.
‘And you’ve claimed her,’ Augustus said smugly. ‘Enjoy.’
‘You’re looking at exactly the same paper as I am, aren’t you?’
‘When can I post the banns?’ How could Augustus sound even more smug?
‘I’m working on it. She’s invited the Cordova twins and their brother to dinner, at Benedict’s request. I’m taking it as a declaration of war on my past.’
‘Reasonable call.’
‘I don’t often ask for advice,’ Theo began.
‘You’ve never asked for advice,’ Augustus said drily.
‘What should I do?’
‘Why, Theo, you sit back and enjoy the tempest that is Moriana proving a point. You have to remember, you wanted to let her run hot!’
‘You’re saying this is my fault?’
‘I’m saying you wanted it; you’ve got it.’
‘She sent my dying uncle a book of prayer and a book about war.’
‘Very subtle. You’ve already neutralised him. She’s simply making sure he sees no avenue of counter attack through her. I imagine that’s what inviting the Cordovas will be about too. Moriana’s not one for extended torture. She’ll give them a hearing, try to get them to reveal their hand, and if she doesn’t like what’s in it she’ll cut them off at the wrist. Your role in this endeavour is to watch and learn what it’s like to have my sister in your corner when enemies are present. Should you be foolish enough to reminisce with either of the delectable Cordova twins, you will lose your balls.’
Theo snorted.
‘This is Moriana unleashed, remember? What could possibly go wrong?’ said Augustus, with the blithe disregard of a man who knew he’d be elsewhere that evening. ‘By the way, I’ll be sending Moriana’s dowry to you by the usual method. Meaning three hundred matched black cavalry horses and their riders will escort the dowry from my palace to yours—in full ceremonial garb.’
‘I—what dowry?’
‘Didn’t she mention it? It’s quite considerable. Paintings, linens, jewels, a regiment or two. It’ll take the cavalry just under a month to get to you and I suspect Moriana will want to ride with them part of the way. They should aim to reach your palace one week before the wedding, unless the Liesendaach cavalry decides to meet them at your border. You’ve met us at the border before, by the way, some three hundred years ago when Princess Gerta of Arun married Liesendaach’s good King Regulus. If that happens it may take them all a little longer to reach you on account of all the jousting and swordfights that will likely take place along the way. I’ve been reading up on royal wedding protocol.’
‘You’re telling me you want six hundred steeds and riders prancing through my countryside for two weeks. Guarding linen?’
‘And you thought Arunians were stern and resoundingly frugal.’ Augustus was enjoying this. Theo was mildly horrified to find his reckoning of Augustus’s character all wrong. ‘Theo, I’ve already had six meetings with my highest advisors on how to honour Moriana properly should she ever decide to marry you. We will be parting with one of our most revered national treasures. If I had elephants I’d be sending them.’
‘Elephants?’
‘And now you’re repeating my words. My work here is done. Good luck at dinner. Remember, do not take your eyes from the prize. Not that you ever do.’
‘You’re enjoying this too much.’
‘I am. And there’s more, and it needs to be said. If ever you want my advice regarding your beloved future wife, just call. I have the experience to help you through. Soon-to-be brother, I am here for you.’
Theo hung up on him.
Never again would he call Augustus of Arun for advice. Never, ever again.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MORIANA PREPARED FOR Liesendaach’s State Dinner with the same kind of care she gave to any new social situation. She dug into the history of those attending, noted their interests and successes and their relationships to each other, memorised names, and dug deeper into anyone she thought might pose a problem. The information file on the people attending this dinner was already three hundred pages long, not including the staff, for she would have her eyes on them too, looking for areas of improvement.
Aury was on deck to guide her clothing choices and so too was the sixty-four-year-old former seamstress to Theo’s mother and mother to bodyguard Henry. Of late, Letitia Hale had been a chambermaid and palace function assistant, which was, to Moriana’s way of thinking, a regrettable waste of palace resources that she would see rectified. Letitia had a lifetime of service to call on and the inside knowledge Moriana needed when it came to what palace guests would be wearing.
Wise Owl Counsel, Aury called her. ‘We need her,’ she said, and Moriana agreed.
Henry just called her Mother.
‘This evening I need to outshine the Cordova twins and every other woman Theo has ever bedded,’ Moriana told them.
‘An admirable goal; I’m all for it,’ said Aury. ‘But we don’t have half your jewellery here. Intimidation by necklace is going to be difficult.’
‘Let’s start with the gown. What did I bring?’
‘Forest-green, floor-length and backless?’ Aury disappeared into the dressing room and returned moments later with the garment. It was another one from Moriana’s love-it-but-never-wear-it collection.
‘Did you bring anything I normally wear?’
‘Ah...’
‘What did you bring?’
‘The silver gown that makes you look like a fairy tale villain. Your favourite black gown—always a winner. The beaded amber with the ivory chiffon.’
‘Can we see that last one?’ said Letitia. ‘Please?’
Aury brought it forward.
‘Yes,’ said Letitia. ‘That one. The dining room is decorated in ivory with amber and silver accents. The tables are polished walnut, the floors a shade darker; the tableware has blue accents. The gown will play to all of those colours. Plus, the beading on that dress is magnificent.’
It was and there was no denying it. The strapless bodice was beaded, the fall of the chiffon skirt inspired. Back in Arun she’d have felt overdressed but it was the type of gown this palace called for. Elegant yet showy too, no apologies. Moriana had never worn it before, had never had to choose jewellery to match. Aury had not been remiss when it came to packing jewellery to go with the gown. The coffers of Arun didn’t have any jewellery to match this one.
‘The amber beaded gown it is,’ she said. ‘What jewellery did we bring? And if we brought sapphires let’s ignore them. I’d rather not match the tableware.’
‘Why did we not pack rubies?’ said Aury, decidedly upset. ‘I don’t think we have time to—’
‘Aury,’ Moriana said gently, ‘don’t worry about it. We don’t have anything that fits this dress. You know it as well as I do. There’s no shame in it. Besides, I have it on good authority that I’m intimidating enough, even without the jewels.’
‘Well, this is true,’ said Aury, slightly mollified.
‘Liesendaach has Crown Jewels to match the gown,’ said Letitia and promptly blushed. ‘It was my job to know what jewels were available to the late Queen. I often designed dresses around them. I wasn’t only a seamstress.’ The Honourable Letitia looked to Aury. ‘What the Lady Aury is to you—that was my role.’
Confidante. Friend. Moriana vowed, then and there, to make this woman an integral part of her world, should she ever reside here permanently. Gifts like Letitia should never be shelved.
‘You could always ask His Majesty for access to Liesendaach’s jewellery vault,’ said Aury boldly. ‘Nothing ventured.’
‘I could.’ Moriana chewed on her lower
lip. On the other hand, she’d already been imposing her will all over the place and it seemed somewhat presumptuous to be calling on Liesendaach’s treasures. ‘Okay, calling for a vote from all present, and no exceptions, Henry, or your mother will find out. Do I ask Theo to let me at Liesendaach’s Crown Jewels? If yes, say aye.’
‘Aye,’ said Aury swiftly, still holding up the amber and ivory beaded gown as her gaze drifted to some point behind Moriana. ‘Oh, hello, Your Majesty.’
‘Lady Aury,’ said a dry voice from the doorway, and there stood Theo. He wasn’t dressed for dinner yet, but he was wearing a suit nonetheless and it fitted him to perfection. ‘What do you need?’
‘Rubies,’ said Aury.
At the same time Letitia said, ‘The South Sea Collection.’
‘Both,’ said Aury, ever the opportunist.
Moriana turned. Theo smiled.
‘Your brother is wanting three hundred of my mounted guards to be put at your disposal for a month should you ever decide to marry me, and I said yes,’ he said by way of hello. ‘Do you seriously think I’ll object to you requesting old jewellery that’s there for the wearing? One of these actions involves prostrating myself before my cavalry and begging their forgiveness. The other involves walking down to the vault and opening a drawer.’
‘I adore pragmatic kings,’ said Aury. ‘Truly, they’re in a league of their own.’
Moriana agreed but she had other angles to pursue. There was a lot to unpack in his offhand comment. ‘What do I want three hundred of your mounted guards for?’
‘Your wedding procession. Apparently.’
‘You’ve spoken to Augustus?’ He must have done. ‘Did you know that royal Arunian dowries used to be delivered on the backs of elephants?’
‘So I’ve heard.’
Moriana smiled. Aury looked utterly angelic, as was her wont. Letitia looked vaguely interested, in a serene, grandmotherly fashion that belied her sharp mind, and the guards at the door never moved a muscle—facial muscles included.
‘Elephants in procession,’ she murmured. ‘Think about it. There are lesser evils.’
‘Whatever you want from Liesendaach’s vaults by way of jewellery you can have,’ he countered. ‘Anything rubies and the South Sea Collection. What else?’
‘That’s it.’
Letitia nodded. Aury nodded. Henry observed.
‘I’m cultivating a new image that involves less austerity and more...something,’ Moriana explained.
‘Something being a whole lot more in-your-face fairy tale beauty,’ added Aury.
‘I can’t wait.’
Hopefully he could. ‘Is there a battle room where we gather beforehand to discuss strategy?’
‘Not until now,’ Theo murmured. ‘But stateroom six should serve the purpose. Anything else you need?’
‘The name of every person in attendance tonight that you’ve ever been intimate with.’ The words were out of her mouth before she could call them back.
Theo looked as calm as ever, even if it felt as if everyone else in the room had taken a breath and held it.
‘That’s not a list you need to worry about,’ he said.
His opinion, not hers. Forewarned was forearmed. ‘Shall I simply assume everyone between twenty and fifty is a possibility, then?’
‘You can assume it won’t be a problem.’ His voice carried a cool warning. ‘Leave us,’ he told everyone else in the room, and they left and Moriana held his gaze defiantly. She shouldn’t have asked for the list in front of his people or hers. Chances were she shouldn’t have asked for it at all, but she wanted to be as prepared as she could for the evening ahead, and that included being prepared for smiling barbs from the women Theo had bedded and then spurned.
He strode lazily over to where she sat at her dressing table and took up the space Aury usually occupied, facing her and a little to the right.
‘Want to tell me what’s wrong?’ he asked quietly.
‘Nerves.’ Enough to make her hands shake when they weren’t folded in her lap. Enough to make her drop her gaze. New court, new people, new...hope that this thing between her and Theo was going to work out fine. ‘Fear of making mistakes tonight. Fear of letting people down.’
‘You won’t.’
‘I just did, when I asked for the list in front of everyone. But I’m not jealous, not...really. I always do this. I like to be prepared.’ She gestured towards the sheaf of papers on the dressing table in front of her. It had the name and head shot of every person attending the dinner on it, along with a brief rundown on their interests, family lives and political affiliations.
He picked it up and scanned the first page and the next.
‘I have it almost memorised. A couple more hours should do it.’
‘You do this for every event you attend?’ His eyes were sharp, his expression non-committal.
‘I used to.’ Her mother had insisted. ‘I don’t need to be quite as diligent at home any more. I remember them all. I haven’t made a mistake in years. I don’t want to make mistakes here either.’
He frowned. ‘I don’t expect you to remember the name and occupation of everyone at dinner tonight. There will be over two hundred people there. No one expects that of you.’
‘Which will make it all the better when I do.’
‘Are you having fun?’ he asked abruptly.
‘What?’
‘Is this fun for you?’
Not exactly. She’d woken up feeling anxious, had barely touched her breakfast, been blissfully distracted by Theo’s daily lesson, and then had reverted straight back to a state of anxiety the moment he’d left.
She had work to do. She still did. ‘I don’t understand,’ she said, and wanted to squirm beneath his fiercely intent gaze. ‘It doesn’t have to be fun. This is my job. This is what I do.’
‘Not today,’ he said. ‘I have to look at yearling horses this morning. My horse-breeding specialist has brought them in for selection. You can come too. Help us choose.’
‘Theo, I don’t have time for this.’ She put out her hand and he took it, but only to pull her from the chair and coax her to lean into him.
‘Humour me.’ He could make her melt when his voice was pitched just so. ‘I’ll have you back in time to dress.’
Which was how she found herself far from the castle, on the other side of the forest, driving alongside a high stone wall that seemed to stretch for miles. Theo drove them through an elaborate set of wrought iron gates and finally the stables came into view.
It was a huge three-sided structure with an arena in the middle as big as a soccer field. She’d seen similar in Arun—where the mounted regiments were based—but never had she seen climbing roses frame the stable stalls the way they did here.
Theo raised his hand in greeting to a woman on the other side of the arena. The woman lifted her hand in return and started walking towards them, and the closer she got the more familiar she seemed.
She had a perfect face and eyes so deeply violet they looked painted, and she was dressed for riding. The woman was from Moriana’s mother’s era, and she greeted Theo like an old beloved friend.
‘Belle,’ he said, ‘this is Moriana. Belle is in charge of the horse breeding programme that supplies Liesendaach’s mounted guard.’
The name clued Moriana in, even though she’d never met Belle in person. This was Theo’s father’s legendary mistress—the circus performer he’d always kept close, no matter what.
‘Ah. You know my name.’ Belle’s smile turned wry. ‘Many don’t in this day and age but I had a feeling you might. I like to think I was the late King’s favourite mistress, but he never did say and I never did ask. And you, of course, are the Arunian Princess. I remember a very young Theo getting positively indignant about you from time to time. Apparently your mother never taught you how to handl
e boys of his ilk. Trust me, a smile and a compliment would have made him your slave.’
‘I would have liked to know that,’ Moriana said.
‘It’s never too late. Come, let me show you the yearlings before I let them out into the arena. Benedict has already been by to make his choices.’
Theo eyed the older woman sharply. ‘They’re not his choices to make.’
‘And yet I value his opinion and so should you,’ Belle admonished. ‘No one has a better eye for temperament than your cousin—not even you.’
‘So tell me what else you look for in the yearlings you choose?’ asked Moriana hurriedly, hoping to prevent argument.
‘Let me show you instead,’ said Belle, gesturing them towards the nearest stall.
It wasn’t difficult to feign interest in the horses on show. They were big grey warmbloods with hundreds of years’ worth of breeding behind them, many of them destined to serve in Theo’s mounted regiment. There was a gelding with one white leg and Belle hurriedly went on to explain that, aside from colour, the horse had perfect form and his leadership qualities amongst the other yearlings were well established. The horse was unshakeable, Belle said. ‘He does everything in his power to compensate for not being the perfect colour.’
‘You know we don’t take marked horses.’
‘Make an exception,’ Belle said, but Theo did not reply.
‘If you don’t keep him, I will,’ Belle said next. ‘Or Benedict will. He has a soft spot for imperfection, that boy. Here he is now.’ She looked beyond them and Moriana turned too, just in time to see Benedict leading a saddled black horse in through the double doors at one end of the stable complex. ‘That’s Satan,’ said Belle. ‘I brought his grandsire with me when I left the circus, and he’s a menace to ride. Too smart for his own good. Benedict always takes him out when he visits. I get the impression they both enjoy the challenge.’
