Mariana swallowed and nodded. “So, you think someday Orlando and I might be able to…be together the way you and Elnys have been?”
Dira stared at her for three long breaths, then said, “I think you and Orlando have a few more obstacles to get past than we did, but if you two are patient and open with one another, that will help.”
****
Adindira opened the door in response to Orlando’s knock, and when he saw Mariana, it was as though he had new eyes. He hadn’t seen her dressed as a noblewoman other than at their wedding, and his emotions, that day, had been colored by the King’s proximity and the situation.
Mariana was so beautiful, it took his breath away. Even with all she’d been through, her eyes were still as open and trusting as they had been when they first met.
“Are you going inside?” Elnys spoke from behind him, startling Orlando. He looked over his shoulder, and his brother-in-law grinned at him.
“I’m going in.” Orlando stepped into the room. Elnys followed and kissed his own wife.
“You look lovely,” he said.
Adindira blushed, and Orlando wondered if he should kiss Mariana. Was she waiting for him to do just that?
“Doesn’t Mariana look beautiful, too?” Elnys elbowed him in the ribs.
“Of course she does.” He walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “Are you ready to go to the party?”
To his surprise, she took a step back from him. “I don’t know if I am.”
“What?” Adindira moved away from Elnys and approached Mariana. “What’s wrong?”
Mariana shook her head. “I don’t know if this is such a good idea. My parents will be there. I’m not sure if I’m ready to face them.”
Orlando took hold of her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “Of course you are. We have no secrets from them. They know we’re married. They know we live here, and since the Sahdess invited us to her party, we have as much right to be here as anyone else.”
He was relieved when she lifted her chin like the Princess she should have always been acknowledged as being.
“Of course. You’re right. Let’s go.” She turned around and grabbed a drawstring pouch and dance card. “I’m ready.”
Adindira patted her arm. “That’s our girl.” She picked up her own things. “Shall we go?”
“You ladies start down the stairs,” Elnys said. “I want to talk to Orlando for a moment.” He and Dira exchanged a glance that clearly had some meaning behind it.
“Don’t be long,” Dira said and then kissed his cheek. Then she and Mariana left the room.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Elnys asked Orlando when the wives were out of earshot. “You’re bound to run into your father, and what happens then? Mariana is going to find out you have a Sensitivity, and so will the King.” He shook his head. “That’s not going to end well.”
Orlando sighed. “Maybe it’s time to put an end to the secrets, anyway. Do you realize Mariana is exactly what the rebels have been waiting for? She is stronger, by far, than Jonathan, and she can force him off the throne.”
“I thought you weren’t interested in using her as a weapon against her father.”
“That’s true, but once she figures out who she is, or rather, what she is, no one will be able to stop the process. Jonathan will have to leave the throne.”
“But how do you think this will affect her? Or your relationship with her? She’s going to know right away you knew about her Ability and didn’t tell her.”
“I’ll deal with that when it happens, but right now, we have two beautiful women waiting to attend a ball with us. We shouldn’t make them wait any longer.”
Elnys opened his mouth like he wanted to protest, but Orlando wasn’t interested in exploring the subject further. After a moment, Elnys shook his head and together they left the room.
Mariana and Adindira waited for the men at the top of a long, sweeping staircase that led to the front foyer of the Geindara Estate. As Orlando placed his hand on the banister, he remembered playing here and sliding down, often incurring the ire of tonight’s hostess.
He had no idea why Honoria would have invited them to this party when, in all the years that had passed since she’d sent him away, she’d never so much as spoken to him or even acknowledged his existence if they saw each other in town. Clearly his marriage to Mariana had changed something, and it may be nothing more than her wanting to get into the King’s good graces, but he didn’t trust his stepmother one bit, and he intended to keep a close eye on her tonight.
The actual party took place in the back ballroom, and Delban, the estate butler, led them there. This man hadn’t been employed by the Sahdeer when Orlando lived there, so he wasn’t aware of any of the drama associated with that, for which Orlando was grateful. The less people here who knew the history, the less chance his secret would be revealed.
“Shall I announce you, sir?” he asked, but Orlando saw his father speaking to another man and shook his head.
“That won’t be necessary,” he rushed to say. “We don’t want to interrupt the festivities.”
As they walked toward the crowd in the ballroom, Mariana said, “It is customary to be announced when one enters a gathering such as this.”
“I didn’t want to make a fuss,” Orlando said, giving her arm, which was securely tucked in his elbow, a squeeze. “Don’t we just want to blend in?”
“I thought the point of this was to introduce us as a couple to Talla society.” She pouted a little, and he had a glimpse of what she must have been like as a spoiled child.
“Mariana!” a female voice cried from behind them.
Orlando stiffened as Mariana whirled around. Who was this and what danger did she pose? He saw Mariana’s sister, Ursula, rush toward them and take his wife in her arms.
“I didn’t know you would be here,” Ursula said when she released her sister. “I’m so pleased.”
“Mother and Father are here, aren’t they?” Mariana asked.
Ursula’s smile dimmed. “They’re over on the other side of the ballroom talking to Sahdeer and Sahdess Mourer. Do you want me to walk over with you?”
“We’re not going to make a big effort to see the King and Queen,” Orlando said, drawing both women’s attention to himself. “I don’t believe they are interested in seeing us, and I am not interested in talking to them.”
Ursula appealed silently to Mariana, who said, “I would like to at least say hello to my mother.”
Orlando took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had sounded like an ogre, preventing his wife from talking to her parents. What could he say that would keep things safe for both of them?
“Fine,” he said after a moment. “I suppose it won’t hurt for you to go over to them, but I hope you will understand if I don’t go with you.”
Mariana met his eyes, and he could see she wanted peace between him and her parents. That wasn’t something that could happen, especially not here where the wrong word from certain people could ruin everything, and possibly end up with Orlando in prison.
Or worse.
After a moment, Mariana apparently came to her own understanding as to why he didn’t want to see her father, and she nodded. “I’ll find you for a dance later.” To his surprise, she got up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Dira, would you like to meet my mother?”
Orlando’s sister blinked in surprise. “I never thought…” Her voice trailed off. “I would, actually.”
“Excellent.” Mariana giggled, and the three women walked away.
“What are you going to do?” Elnys asked in a soft voice. “Eventually you’re going to have to talk to Andreas.”
Orlando nodded and the two men started toward a table that held a punch bowl and an assortment of cakes. “I only hope the King won’t be nearby when that happens. I can’t let him know about my parentage.”
“What I don’t understand,” Elnys said as Orlando took two glass cups from the maid working behind the ta
ble, “is what Honoria is up to. She knows who, and what, you are. She also has to know the King doesn’t, so what is she hoping will happen here?”
Orlando took a sip of the fruit-flavored punch. “I don’t know that she understands I’ve kept my Sensitivity a secret. Everything may be just what it looks like. She wanted to welcome the Progenna to the village and possibly negotiate a reconciliation between me and my father at the same time.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“Oh, I wish I did.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
For most of the evening, Orlando managed to keep as far away from the King as he could and still be in the same room. If Jonathan noticed him, the King probably just accepted that Honoria Geindara invited them out of mere courtesy with regard to Mariana’s rank.
When the musicians began playing something he finally recognized, Orlando sought out his wife.
“I think I know this one,” he said after kissing her cheek to get her attention. “Would you like to dance?”
She spun away from the small group of women to face him with wide eyes. “You know how to do this one?”
“I wasn’t raised in a cave, you know. My…mother taught me a few things.” He offered her his arm.
As they walked out to the dance floor together, Mariana said, “I haven’t seen Elnys and Adindira dance. Didn’t she learn the same dances you did?”
Fortunately for him, the setup required them to stand facing each other from two lines of dancers, and the first few movements were quick and took her away from him so conversational opportunities were limited. When they were back together, she was laughing.
“What?” he asked.
“The Sahdeer of Jespar just told me a story about his brother and some dancing girls in Redflower.”
Orlando glanced over her head at the man she’d just left. The Sahdeer was young for a man of that rank, maybe only a year or two older than Mariana. Suddenly, Orlando was struck with a bolt of jealousy. She’d never laughed like that at anything he’d said.
“Funny story?” he asked.
“I can’t tell it the way he does,” Mariana said, and then she was gone again as she spun around and danced to another partner.
Orlando scowled and watched her until he was nearly trampled by his stepmother, who was supposed to be dancing with him now.
“Orlando,” she said as she grabbed his hand and practically dragged him back in step with the other dancers. “If you don’t want to draw attention to yourself, you might want to keep up with the steps.”
He stared at her. Did she know the King didn’t know of their relationship?
“Why wouldn’t I want to draw any attention?” he asked as they circled each other.
“Dear boy.” She laughed and moved off to the next dancer.
This whole thing was almost too frustrating and stressful for him. He should just grab his wife and leave. It was too dangerous for them here.
Just then, Mariana was in his arms again. “I’m having a wonderful time. I didn’t think I’d be doing any dancing here tonight.”
“Why wouldn’t you?” He wrapped his arms around her as the song dictated and spun her in a small circle, her feet only inches off the ground.
“I’m ashamed to admit it now, but I thought you wouldn’t know how.”
He grinned. “Because I’m a plain pig farmer, you figured the only creatures I can dance with have four legs and a curly tail.”
Mariana giggled. “I suppose I did.”
“Well, I’m glad I was able to prove you wrong.”
The music ended and as they started to leave the dance floor, their passage was blocked by Honoria.
“Orlando, I would like to introduce your lovely bride to my husband, Andreas.”
Orlando’s heart started beating faster, but he kept his expression neutral. “I’m sure they have met. After all, the nobility and the royal family socialize together quite often.” He hoped by nudging Mariana in another direction, that would end the conversation.
He should have known better, however. His stepmother was not one to be dissuaded from something once she set her mind on it. After all, he had ended up living with his mother because of her.
Honoria smoothly placed herself in their path again. “I’m sure the Progenna will tell you not all the nobility are interested in the social events that keep the royal family so busy. Many of us spend more time taking care of our farms and businesses here in the outskirts of the country than in the capital city. Isn’t that right, Mariana?” She turned to the Progenna.
“I don’t know if I can answer that, but I do know I’ve never met the Sahdeer of Geindara, and I would like to express my gratitude for having us in your lovely home.”
Mariana had put on the Progenna mask. Virtually right before his eyes, she changed from the young woman enthralled by the dancing and the party to a haughty Queen-in-training. Even though that was something she’d never be, at least as far as she knew, she had absorbed the attitudes and behavior her sisters had been taught.
He wondered if she even knew she was doing it, or if the transformation was so ingrained it happened automatically.
“That’s wonderful,” Honoria said, sneaking a sidelong glance at Orlando before offering her arm to the Progenna. “Let’s go to him right now.”
With a sigh, Orlando followed. He had no choice now but to walk the tightrope Honoria had set up, and if he didn’t tread carefully, he’d find himself falling right into the dungeon, never to see the sky again.
****
From the other side of the ballroom, King Jonathan saw their hostess leading Mariana and that farmer toward the head of the room where Geindara sat, surrounded by several minor nobles, probably his business friends or cronies.
Jonathan had no interest in nobles like Geindara, those who spent as little time as possible in the capital and refused to participate in the royal councils. Such participation wasn’t commanded, of course, but generally, anyone who regularly snubbed the customary invitations either was a rebel sympathizer or too stupid to be of any use, anyway.
However, from what the King could discover, neither of those things fit Andreas Geindara. Thibault had investigated all the nobles in this area who chose not to attend council meetings or any of the capital city soirees the Queen insisted be held during the Winter Season, when all of society, or all those who mattered anyway, left Talla and went back to the city.
Geindara was far from the only noble of his rank who stayed away from those things, but what Thibault had found stirred the King’s interest. This party, supposedly held to welcome Mariana to the village, was the first time the King had been able to see the man close up, and what he saw, combined with Thibault’s report, made him even more curious.
The marriage between the Sahdeer and the Sahdess had been arranged by their fathers, but that was commonplace, and in any other case, it wouldn’t have caused the King to even note it if it hadn’t been for the other part of the report.
“From what I could gather,” Thibault had said two days ago when the invitation to the ball had arrived and Jonathan finally summoned him for a briefing on Andreas Geindara, “he was in love with a commoner before he married his wife, and this commoner had a child.”
“That is not unusual,” the King had said, shaking his head. “It’s unfortunate the woman had to have her child taken away from her, but it is necessary we keep the Abilities within the appropriate class.”
“I don’t believe the midwife did as the Law prescribes. I could find no records of a child born at that time being given to one of the Elemental Orders.”
“Then it must have died, and again, it’s not important.”
Thibault shook his head. “I don’t believe that is what happened either, sire. I believe, from what I have heard from motivated servants and tradesmen, the Sahdeer acknowledged the child and took him into his home.”
The King nodded. “That is not unusual, either. Why are you wasting my time with this? If Andrea
s Geindara played fast and loose with his Sensitivities, at least he did the responsible thing and raised the child as his own.”
“But only for a time, sire. I can’t confirm my suspicions, but the Geindaras took an extended trip out of Valborough over a decade ago, and when they returned, they had no son.”
“That is quite sad, but I am losing patience. None of this is interesting enough to make me want to know this man, who strikes me as a weak Sensitive anyway.”
“There was no funeral, sire. No wearing of the mourning colors, and when plied with enough drink, his business associates say he and his wife are quite estranged while living in the same house. It is speculated she sent the son away because she herself is barren, and he was a reminder of that.”
Now Jonathan’s interest was piqued. “Where did the boy go?”
Thibault shook his head. “The trail stops somewhere outside of Talla, but there is no indication anyone living in the village is a Sensitive.”
Jonathan nodded. “If the family was smart, they would have taken young Geindara out of the region. In fact, the Sahdess may have insisted on it, if the boy was that much of a pin in her sleeve.”
Now, watching his daughter and her husband walking across the ballroom toward Andreas Geindara, the King decided it was time he introduced himself to his host. He could also see how Mariana’s marriage was turning out.
****
Honoria watched Orlando as surreptitiously as she could while they all moved through the crowd toward Andreas. She hadn’t talked to her husband about keeping his relationship with Orlando secret, so it would be interesting to see how the two men reacted to one another. She glanced at the King and saw he was watching the procession.
This could be an entertaining evening, after all.
“Andreas,” she said when she and Mariana reached the big chair where her husband sat, “this is the Progenna Mariana, who married Orlando a few days ago.”
He stood up, but his eyes weren’t on Mariana at all. Orlando tried to disappear behind his wife and kept his eyes down.
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