The City of Veils

by S. Usher Evans

  "They're a rough bunch, but good people." Ignacio was in the room with him.

  "I'm in the market for another ship again," Beswick said. "Things are moving out in the Vanhoja River, and I'm still trying to recover from that ship I lost last summer."

  I smiled to myself. You're welcome.

  "The Kulkans think that with this new princess in charge of Forcadel, they've got an opportunity to go around me. Well, they have another thing coming. I've got that princess wrapped around my finger. Just where I want her."

  Oh, do you?

  "She's a simpleton. I still don't believe she is who she says she is. And if she is, she's certainly in no position to be queen."

  "Do you know where she's been all this time?"

  "Art school or something ridiculous. It doesn't matter. I doubt she'll do much to disrupt our business here. Vernice has done a good job of keeping her in check. I think the good lady is hoping I'll lower the rates on Kulkan produce." He chuckled darkly. "She'll keep believing that until she dies, I'm sure."

  "Sir, we did receive a note from the Severian delegation that arrived. A request to meet with you."

  "Oh, right. The desert-dwellers came in today. Mucking up my ports and causing all kinds of havoc. Bad enough I have them flowing in from the festivals." He paused, and I heard a wrinkling of paper. "Of course, they want to discuss our agreement."

  My heart thudded in my ribcage.

  Come on, Beswick. Give me something to work with.

  "I'm not in the habit of meeting with Severians, and I'm not about to start now," he said. "Tell them our agreements remain as they are, and if they want to renegotiate them, I'd be happy to cancel them altogether. Let them try their luck against the bandits along the Niemen river."

  "You mean your bandits?"

  Beswick chuckled. "The trick, Ignacio, is to lull people into thinking they're your friend. Then they won't see you taking them coming and going."

  Beswick continued to wax poetic for some time after that, but his poetry become less lucid the more he drank. But it was clear after I got a cramp on my left thigh that this was a dead end. Not totally, though, as now I knew what to look for to predict his movements.

  I let myself out of the room, padding silently down the street as I considered my next move. I needed to be in a room alone with Beswick, and there was very little chance of that happening unless I got very, very lucky.

  "Well?" Felix asked, when I joined him on the street. "What'd you find out?"

  "Beswick has some kind of a protection deal with the Severians," I said, hurrying to leave the bar behind before Beswick's people came out. "I don't know the details, but he said he'd sooner cancel it than renegotiate the treaty. Ilara or someone in her entourage sent him a note to discuss it." I chewed my lip. "Is that treason?"

  "Even if it were, all I have is your word," Felix said. "We need concrete proof before I can take action that will stick."

  I ran my hand across my sweaty face. "He's not going to meet with the Severians, he said so himself. And most of the activity he's doing is up on the Vanhoja, where their glass comes in. I wonder how much of the two gold pieces per shipment they're giving him."

  "Not your concern," Felix said with a warning look. "We need to get back to the castle and see what the others found out."

  I nodded. "I mean, short of inviting Beswick to dinner with Ilara, I don't see how I could get anything more out of him."

  "So why don't you do that?"

  I stopped. "What?"

  "Invite him to dine with you," Felix said. "He's a businessman. It's not unheard of for you to entertain leaders and merchants at a private dinner. If Ilara is looking for an audience with him, why don't we give it to her?"

  I fumbled for my words, finally spitting out, "Are you serious?"

  "Well, if you insist on having Ilara here, might as well use her to flush out Beswick," he said. "But first, we'll need to prepare. And you'll need another round with Kat to relearn the finer points of being a proper dinner guest."

  Of course. Always give and take with him. "I feel like you've got an ulterior motive here. If we find out that Beswick is teaming up with Ilara, if we have proof, are you going to use that against her? To expel her from the country?"

  He paused. "Not unless we find some reason to."

  Chapter 23

  I wasn't wholly convinced Felix wasn't using this dinner to get at the Severians, but I also couldn't argue that it was an elegant solution to our problem. Beswick may even be so bold as to bring the very proof I needed to the castle. One quick dive into his coat pocket and he would be finished.

  "What are you scheming about?" Katarine asked when she arrived at my room the next morning.

  "I'm planning a dinner party," I said, sitting up. "How do I go about doing that?"

  "Felix told me as much." She sat down, opening a small folder filled with papers. "Normally, you would work with Beata to schedule and plan everything. But as there are some very specific things you wish to accomplish—"

  "Pickpocketing a wanted criminal."

  "—I've decided to take the planning on myself." She cast me a look under her lashes. "And also, well…you've never arranged a dinner party, so I thought you might want some help."

  "As long as Beswick is seated next to me, I don't care what we do."

  Katarine smiled. "Be that as it may, it would be a little strange to invite only him to your dinner table. Thus we'll have to think about a larger reason to invite him. I have several proposals here, most of which will perfectly fit the ruse."

  "It's important that we invite Ilara as well," I said. "If we can catch the two of them in conversation with each other, even better."

  We settled on hosting an introduction dinner, and I penned invitations to each of the most popular merchants. I had no idea who any of them were, but Katarine promised I would be intimately acquainted by the time the dinner started. It grated something in my chest to pen a note to Beswick, but I persevered.

  "Excellent," Katarine said, gathering the invitations and handing them to Beata. She made a big show of checking off the first item on her list. "Now, we've still got a full day today. We'll be going to the tailor then paying a visit to the butchery, the vintner—"

  "Hold on," I said, swallowing and pointing to my closet. "I have dresses and I thought I had servants to walk around the kingdom and get stuff for me."

  "Well, on occasion, it's good for the sovereign to get out among her people," Katarine said then, with a smile, added, "Unmasked, of course. You haven't been seen since the funeral, and Felix is confident that you'll be safe in the city today."

  "Uh-huh." That didn't sound like the Felix I knew. "Did you have something to do with this?"

  She lifted a shoulder innocently. "Perhaps."

  Beata brushed and braided my hair, placing the dainty gold ring on top of my head and securing it with pins. Then, dressed in my finest tunic, pants, and perfectly shined boots, I joined Katarine in a gold-plated carriage pulled by two giant white horses.

  "A bit ostentatious, isn't it?" I said, resisting the urge to play with my plait.

  "You're the heir apparent," Katarine replied, nodding to the footman as we sat inside on lush, red velvet seats. "There's something to be said about appearances."

  "I'll say."

  It was odd to watch my kingdom through a glass window instead of from the rooftops. We passed the square, already bustling with merchants and buyers. An older couple passing by stopped and bowed to the carriage, but a group of kids dashed down the street without giving me a second look.

  "I received a letter from my brother Luard today," she said with a smile. "He sends his condolences, as does my sister, and they both wish you luck on your upcoming coronation. My sister will be sending an envoy."

  "Did your brother say who it would be?"

  "No, but I assume it'll be one of my siblings." She smiled warmly, a rarity for her. "It'll be nice to hear the latest from my homeland. Letters only do so much. And Lu
ard isn't the most descriptive person, except when he's describing the girls he's bedded." She pursed her lips. "I'm sure I have more than a few nieces and nephews he hasn't told Ariadna about."

  I tried to picture a male version of Katarine doing anything except scowling and scolding me, and I couldn't do it. "Which butchery are we going to?"

  "Not the one you used to live in."

  "Oh." It might've been nice to see Tasha again, and show off my fancy new crown.

  "They are the regular butcher for the castle now," Katarine said, catching my eye. "And will remain so as long as they don't divulge that you used to live in their attic and bed their son."

  "That might throw off my story about living abroad, wouldn't it," I said with something of a laugh. But I was honestly glad for it—not that they were being bribed into silence, but that Tasha's father was making a good living. He was a decent man, giving scraps and older meat to the beggars on the street instead of throwing it away. Perhaps now he could help more people.

  The other butcher had a much smaller store than Tasha's father, but the scent of raw meat put a smile on my face. Behind the counter, a young girl was sweeping blood from a fresh kill, and I could barely take my eyes off her until Katarine nudged me silently, drawing my attention back to the butcher.

  "It is our supreme honor to serve you at your first dinner," he said. "Might I suggest a succulent lamb? Or perhaps a seasoned pork roast?"

  "I believe we've settled on pheasant," Katarine said with a smile to me. "There will be seven at the table, so perhaps we'll order ten in case of any mishaps."

  "Ah, smart thinking, Lady Katarine," the butcher said. "As luck would have it, I have a fresh batch just arrived this morning."

  "Then it was meant to be," Katarine said. "Is there anything else you might recommend for an aperitif?"

  She and the butcher examined the case of sausage and cheese, discussing which might pair better with what wine. I hadn't seen much of Katarine outside the castle walls, and for the first time, I saw the queen she could have been. No matter how hard I tried, I would never reach her level of sophistication.

  "Thank you," I said as we climbed into the carriage.

  She smiled. "For what?"

  "For sticking by my side," I said. "And doing all this, when I'm sure you probably wish you were the one being fussed over."

  She wore a look of surprise, but only for a moment. "August would've wanted me to take care of you, Brynn. Besides that, it's nice to have something to keep me busy." She cleared her throat and checked her perfectly-written list of errands. "Ah, yes. Next we'll be visiting the tailor."

  I groaned. "Don't I have enough dresses?"

  "Indeed. But we'll be visiting him to do a fitting of your coronation dress," she said. "And picking out some new fabric for your dinner outfit. I was thinking something cream-colored, what do you think?"

  "All the better for me to spill wine on…" I grumbled.

  The tailor's shop was a tidy little place in Mariner's Row. Titta's bar was around the corner, too. Perhaps this fancy tailor also dressed the dancers on the side. The thought made me chuckle, especially when I saw the same tailor who'd dressed me weeks ago come through the curtains.

  "Your Highness," he said with a bow. "How have you been liking your gowns?"

  "Oh, um…" I shared a look with Katarine and decided to humor him. "Very lovely. Thank you."

  "I'm so thrilled you've come for your first coronation gown fitting," he said, walking to a wooden wardrobe against the wall. He pulled the double doors open to reveal a large white dress with wrist-length sleeves and a neckline that scooped low, but not too low.

  "It's gorgeous," Katarine said, joining him on the other side of the room to help him get it down. "Brynna, you're going to look so lovely."

  I half-smiled as they brought the gown to me. Small diamonds sparkled from the fabric, casting an intricate pattern like stars in the sky. It was certainly a dress fit for a queen, but I really didn't want to see myself in it. I didn't have a choice, though, as Katarine helped me into the dress in the fitting room.

  "Brynna," she kept repeating as the dress settled against my skin. She flitted with the sleeves and smoothed the fabric on my back, tugging at the skirt. "Brynna."

  "You can speak, you know." I softened as her eyes filled with tears. "Kat, what is it?"

  "You just…" She swallowed, and took my hand. "You look so beautiful."

  "Kat." I held her hand closer to me. "What is it? Really."

  "It's silly," she said, wiping away tears. "Goodness, I don't even know—"

  "Yes, you do," I said, searching for something I could use to wipe her eyes with and settling on my dress sleeves. "Is it what I said in the carriage about August?"

  She nodded. "I suppose this is the first time…I've really thought about what might've happened if…" She cleared her throat and struggled to come back to her stoicism. "Not as if I had any great designs on being queen, but…" The tears broke through again. "I really wanted to wear a pretty dress."

  At that, we both began to laugh. I wiped Katarine's cheeks again and she helped me out of the dressing room.

  "Sorry, Norris," Katarine said, her tears gone in favor of a happy smile. "We were just bonding."

  "This dress took quite a while to put together," he said, inspecting the sleeve lengths and pull of the fabric. "It would be devastating if it were to be ruined before the princess's coronation."

  I caught Katarine's eye and cleared my throat. "Is it possible to make Lady Katarine a dress?"

  "Ma'am?" He looked at Katarine and frowned. "I suppose I could. But it would cost—"

  "I don't care. I'll pay," I said, squeezing Katarine's hand. "I want my sister to look as beautiful as I do. Perhaps a lovely blue color, to match her eyes."

  Katarine beamed, and not even Norris's under-the-breath comments could wipe the smile from my face.

  We wrapped up our day with a trip to the vintner, where I smelled a concoction of different wines, but ultimately Katarine made the final decisions. So we piled back into my carriage and headed to the castle. My head hurt from all the action, and probably the wine, and I leaned on Katarine's shoulder.

  "I think we've accomplished all we needed to," she said softly, putting away her list and resting her head on top of mine. "Are you going out tonight?"

  I sighed. I sure didn't want to. "The city needs me."

  "I suppose," she said. "I worry about Felix, though. He's not built like you, for staying out all night. Joella was telling me that he's become a little cranky."

  "He's always cranky."

  "Felix is actually a lot of fun, once you get to know him." Again, she smiled warmly, and it livened her whole face. "He's just under a lot of stress lately. And I know he hasn't yet mourned August's loss. He hasn't had a chance to."

  I thought about what he'd said to me in the church, about how I was like my brother. I would've given anything to hand the crown and all its responsibilities over to him and Katarine, and they would've gladly accepted them. Katarine's loss wasn't just of a husband, but of all the plans and dreams she'd had of being queen. And yet, there she was, helping me take the spot she'd been preparing for her entire life with an understated and beautiful grace.

  "What is it?" Katarine asked, smiling at me with that warm, inviting look in her eyes.

  "Nothing," I said, settling my head against her shoulder. "Just glad you're on my side."

  Chapter 24

  "One more time," Felix said.

  I sat in front of the mirror as Beata brushed my hair, looking at the captain in the mirror. He was already dressed in his finer uniform, the dark blue setting off his brown eyes and purple bags under them. Katarine and I had spent the last three days painstakingly going over every intimate detail of the dinner, but as usual, Felix wanted to hear for himself.

  "Seven guests. Four merchants, Lady Vernice, and Beswick," I said. "And Ilara."

  "Tell me about the merchants."

  "The first, Rosi
ta Finkel, has a good relationship with the Severians. She manages the pathways from the border to the water. She's a short woman with bright red hair. Unclear if she's allied with Beswick."

  "Got it. Who else?"

  "Aran Stolliday," I said, wincing as a pin dug into my scalp. "Youngest brother of the Stolliday clan. A few years ago, one of the other siblings, Marta, decided to go a little rogue. Use one of her brother's ships to smuggle in some diamonds from Niemen. So I pointed out to Corbit that if he didn't stop his sister from smuggling, I'd sink three of his ships. And to prove I could," I grinned, devilishly, "I sank the one carrying three thousand pounds worth of ore from Niemen."

  Katarine gasped, and I was sure the pin digging into my scalp was intentional. "Do you know how much work it took to pull that from the mountains?"

  "Relax," I said, moving her hand away. "I switched out the shipping lists with a boat full of produce from Kulka. The ore was fine, the produce not so much, and our fair Corbit got the point."

  "Yes, well," Felix said, adjusting his shirt. "None of that is germane to the discussion tonight. Who else are you dining with?"

  I thought it entirely germane, but let it go. "Deric Fitzsimmons and Rayne Obuch. Fitzsimmons is a shipbuilder, and Obuch is another merchant, although his domain is to the south with the Kulkans."

  "And Vernice and Beswick make six," Felix said.

  "What's your plan to get the contracts off Beswick?" I sat a little higher as Beata placed a more ornate crown on my head. I preferred my simple gold band to this, but tonight, I needed to be flashy.

  "We'll see how dinner goes," he said. "I doubt we'll be able to pull it off his person during the coat check—he'll be looking for us to remove things. So we've cranked up the heat in the room, and hopefully he'll take off his dinner jacket at some point. Then, if you have an opening, take it."

  "And where, pray tell, am I supposed to put it?"

  I motioned to the white dress, which flowed out from my hips but was tight around my chest. Much to my chagrin, my breasts were on full display in this outfit. The tailor had taken wild liberties with the cut and stitching. I personally thought I looked like a dancer at Titta's, but both Katarine and Beata had gasped and applauded when I twirled for them. Felix, however, hadn't mentioned it at all, though he kept his eyes averted.