The City of Veils

by S. Usher Evans

  Perhaps I should've thought this through a little more. I doubted she'd just up and spill the beans about what she was doing the night of my brother's murder. And she didn't seem like the kind of woman who'd leave once she had undone all her trappings, so going through her things would be out of the question. She did mention she was a heavy sleeper, but that could very well have been a lie.

  I shifted when the door opened then relaxed when Beata appeared, grinning and unpinning her hair as she crossed the room.

  And then, to my utter surprise, Beata leaned down and kissed Katarine, who tangled a free hand in her hair, and kept her there. Their chaste kiss soon turned into something much more, and I pried myself away from the window to give them some privacy.

  Katarine and…a servant? That seemed ridiculous. She was to be queen, supposedly in love with my brother. She'd slapped me when I'd insinuated that she hadn't loved him. Perhaps the lady doth protest too much, but…this was a little more than I'd been expecting.

  Disappointment settled on my chest. Would Katarine have killed my brother so she could be with Beata? Was she capable of such a thing? And was she, perchance, also responsible for my father's death? Was it some conspiracy from the Niemenians?

  I chanced another look inside. Beata was curled up next to Katarine on the chair, and Katarine was toying with the other woman's dark curls; Katarine's face had a youthful glow I'd never seen before. And even Beata, who always seemed so kind, was beaming from ear to ear.

  I turned away once more, torn between betrayal and amazement. Now, of course, it was clear why she hadn't seen my brother die. Had he known his wife was in love with someone else? Had they even slept in the same bed?

  I left the ledge and made my way down to the kitchen, finding a guard who seemed most relieved to see me and having him point me in the direction of Felix. He spotted me immediately and came jogging over, fury etched on his face.

  "Where the hell have you been?"

  I kept walking, not sure I could look at him without revealing all my hurt. "In my room, asleep."

  "Bullshit, I checked there."

  "I was sleeping on the roof, then. Whatever."

  "I checked there, too."

  I rolled my eyes. "I didn't leave the castle, just had some questions to get answered. Are you ready to go?"

  "Not until I find out where you were and what you were doing," he said, grabbing my shoulders so I would face him.

  I stared into his eyes for a few moments, debating if I should tell the truth. Finally, I decided it would be better to have it in the open, and gauge his reaction to the news. "I asked Katarine about the night August died. I…didn't like her answers. So I decided to investigate her on my own."

  His reaction was swift. "You searched her room without her permission?"

  "No, I spied on her," I said.

  "And that's better?"

  "No, because…" I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. I found out she's a liar. And now my main suspect in the deaths."

  Felix's face shifted into something unreadable. "Why?"

  "I saw her sharing a passionate kiss with someone who isn't my brother. She said she loved him." My shoulders drooped. "She lied to me."

  "Brynn." Gently, he lifted my chin to face him as he spoke. "Before you fly off the handle, I suggest you talk to Kat yourself."

  "Why?" I said, unable to tear my gaze from his. "So she can tell me another lie?"

  "Because I think Kat would appreciate being able to tell her side of the story in full context," he said, dropping his hand from my chin. "She's a good person, and a good woman. She would never do anything to intentionally mislead you. Perhaps she might've not wanted to share her personal life with you."

  "But—"

  "If you still don't like her answers, then I'll arrest her or do whatever you want me to do. But you owe it to your brother, and to Kat, to get the full story."

  Chapter 29

  In the back of my mind, I knew Felix was right. But it still didn't erase the hurt I felt. I had allowed Katarine to join my inner circle. She knew my secrets, why would she think to keep one from me?

  As I waited for her to arrive for our morning session, my mind ran wild with theories about conspiracies and Katarine and what she might be up to. I had no illusions that she would be honest with me, but perhaps in her lies, I could suss out the truth.

  The lock turned over and she breezed inside, looking for all the world to see like her usual, buttoned-up self. Was she really capable of the passion I'd seen the night before? Or was she too constrained after a life of royalty to let anyone but a select few into her inner circle?

  "How long have you and Beata been together?" I asked before my anxiety got the better of me.

  She froze, her eyes widening in fear. "W-what?"

  "I asked how long you and Beata have been together."

  "W-we haven't… I don't know what you're talking about," she said, but the fidgeting and rapid eye movement gave her away. As did the blood-red color of her cheeks.

  "Katarine," I smiled humorlessly, "I saw you together last night."

  Her hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes filled with fury. "You…you were spying on me?"

  "You lied to me, so don't even begin with that look." I got to my feet. "I knew you weren't telling the truth about my brother's death, so I wanted to find out for myself what you were hiding. I didn't mean to intrude on a private moment."

  "You saw nothing," she said, her face now a glorious shade of purple. "Whatever you saw wasn't what you think it was. Beata is a servant—"

  "Unless she's also a prostitute paid to cuddle and make eyes at you at night, I doubt that's the truth," I said, folding my arms over my chest.

  Katarine exhaled a shaky breath. When she spoke, her voice was tiny. "Please don't send me away."

  "I won't, as long as I get the truth out of you," I said, sitting back down and kicking out the chair across from me. "Now have a seat and start talking."

  "I don't exactly know what you want me to say," she said, perching on the edge of the chair and averting her gaze.

  "Let's start with the basics: Did you love my brother, as you claim?"

  "Of course I loved him," she said hotly then retracted. "But it's not… I loved him like a dear friend. The same way I love Felix. They were the only ones I had as a lonely girl in this castle. They protected me, stood up for me. Helped me find my place."

  "But you didn't love him as your husband."

  "Our marriage was arranged, out of either of our hands," she said. "It didn't matter if I loved him or not. But I did, as I keep telling you. His death was…completely unexpected. I miss him every single day."

  "Did he know about you and Beata, or did that start after he died?"

  "Of course he knew. He was the one who…" She stared at her hands. "He…We'd come to an agreement. I would bear him two children to cement our treaty and that would be the end of that…part of our relationship. He and I would be free to seek other companions as necessary."

  "So he approved of your relationship?"

  "There's nothing…" She swallowed, gathering her thoughts. "It's a flirtation at best and a few stolen kisses here and there. Beata was always around as my attendant, and she just had the most beautiful eyes." For a moment, her eyes went soft before she buried her face in her hands. "But I knew if anyone found out I was with someone who wasn't my husband, it would be the height of scandal. I wasn't pregnant yet with his children, so…"

  I blanched, not wanting to get that personal with her. "So what changed? You two looked cozy last night."

  She wiped a tear off her cheek. "It's been…hard since August died. He was my very best friend, and with Felix so distracted, I've been feeling rather lonely. And Bea is just…" She sniffed and dabbed a handkerchief against her nose. "I've been weak."

  "But do you want to be with her?" I asked. "For real?"

  She barked a sardonic laugh. "I'm the youngest child of the kingdom of Niemen. My only purpose in life was to
marry your brother and bear heirs. Now that my husband is dead and I'm childless…" She sighed. "I'm not much use to my sister anymore. So now I suppose I'm at your mercy."

  "You didn't answer my question," I pressed, leaning in closer. "Do you love her or—"

  She loosed a heavy sigh. "I don't have that luxury. For you and me, marriage is about alliances. Treaties. Love will never factor into it."

  "It's a yes or no question. Do you love her, yes or no?"

  A smile curled onto her face, similar to the contented grin she'd worn the night before. "I am fond of her, yes."

  "Why?"

  She glanced up at me, confused for a moment then gathered her thoughts. "She's got a beautiful spirit, and she's so smart. Brynna, she's a better strategist than me sometimes." She laughed and that smile on her lips grew. "You know she had a scholarship to study navigation, but she declined it just to stay in the castle. To stay with me." She sighed. "It would have been better for us both if she'd gone."

  "She appears to only have eyes for you, Kat," I said. "And you her."

  Katarine inhaled deeply and looked away.

  "So what happened the night August died?" I tilted my head in her direction. "The truth, please."

  She swallowed, gathering her thoughts. When she spoke, it was even and clear. "August and I had been trying for a child for many months. But even though I'd been a willing partner, there was nothing, even after a year. There were a few months where I'd been late to my bleeding, but it had come anyway. Both Beata and August thought I might be barren. After all, my mother had six children. It shouldn't have taken that long for me."

  "Then my father died," I said.

  "Yes, then your father died, which made it all the more important that I become pregnant with the heir. Beata had heard about a Kulkan Nestori who specialized in fertility. So in the middle of the night, Felix snuck us out to meet with her. She made me urinate in a bowl then mixed it with some flowers, and told me to come back in three days' time to get the results." She sighed, blushing once more. "Beata thought, since we were already away from the castle, we could spend the evening together. So we did." Her flustered face turned sad. "When I returned at dawn, August was dead."

  "And there were no witnesses to it," I said. That was something. "Who else knew you were leaving?"

  "No one except those in Felix's inner circle," she said.

  "I'm starting to think that Felix might have to work on that circle of his," I replied then paused. "I hate to ask this, but do you think Beata…?"

  "No," Katarine said with a fierce shake of her head. "August actually…well, he liked Beata. For me. He's the one who promoted her to be my attendant so we could spend more time together. And his death put our relationship in jeopardy—"

  "Relationship?" I said with a teasing smile. "I thought you said it was just a flirtation?"

  She flushed again and looked at her hands. "I'm not used to having conversations about it. I'm sorry—I'm not trying to be deceptive."

  "Is there anything else about yourself that you've been hiding from me?" I asked, sitting back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest.

  She cast me a curious look then gazed down at her lap. "I do enjoy a good game of cards. A bit of a gambler. I took Felix and August for their coin purses on several occasions."

  "Then we'll have to play soon," I said, reaching across the table to take her hand. "And don't worry about your future here, either. I'd be stupid to let you go after all the knowledge you've imparted on me. Just please, don't lie to me anymore."

  She smiled and squeezed my hand. "I promise."

  "Now," I said, releasing her. "I think we were going to learn about my great-grandfather's naval victory against Kulka?"

  "Well?" Felix asked when I met him downstairs that evening. "Do you want me to arrest your sister-in-law?"

  "I think she can stay," I replied with a look. "But I have to know…did you know?"

  He rolled his eyes. "Of course I knew. Kat, August, and I were best friends."

  "And did August really encourage her and Beata?" I asked, thoughtfully.

  Felix grinned, which surprised me. "August was the worst. Always trying to set others up. He noticed how Kat stared at Beata and went through a bunch of trouble to get her promoted to their main attendant. A lot of the uninformed thought that August and Beata were the ones sleeping together. But he was the prince, so it wasn't questioned."

  "Would've been nice if you'd told me that," I said, as we walked out of the iron gate and into the city.

  "It wasn't for me to tell you," he said. "I don't spill secrets, Brynna. Especially those belonging to my friends. But I knew once you spoke with her, you'd understand."

  "I might've found something new," I said. "The night August died, Kat said you helped her and Beata meet with a Nestori woman, right?"

  "Yes, I had Joella escort them out." He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

  "I'm thinking whoever killed August did so on a night when his wife was away," I said. "Even if they didn't share a bed, she still would've heard him struggling from the next room over. So my question to you is: which of your guard knew she was leaving that night?"

  "I'm telling you, it wasn't anyone in my guard," Felix said. "I only informed four: Riya, Joella, Coyle, and Zathan. And I would trust them with my life."

  "Maybe you shouldn't."

  He stopped me with a hand to my arm. "Brynna, my team is not under investigation. And besides that, even if they were, you don't need to investigate them. I thought you were letting me handle this?"

  "Fine," I snapped, sticking my hands on my hips. "What else have you found?"

  "Riya spoke with one of Beswick's men, who gave us the contract Horace signed. He owed Beswick three thousand gold pieces, and to pay it off, he'd been working as a dockhand to help smuggle in Severian and Kulkan goods."

  "Great, that doesn't tell us anything," I replied.

  "It gives us an angle. Perhaps one of the Severians contacted him."

  "To what end?"

  "We're exploring every avenue. That's why there are five of us, and one of you." He stepped back. "If you really want to help, just stay out of our way."

  And it doesn't occur to you that one of the five people investigating could be a party to the crime? But I didn't voice my concern. Somehow, I was sure he wouldn't hear it if I did.

  Chapter 30

  I was convinced someone in Felix's so-called inner circle couldn't be trusted. Felix was obviously too close to the situation, and blinded by his own loyalty to his troops, to even question if they were capable of betrayal (which they obviously were). If I wanted the truth, I would have to investigate them myself.

  The tricky part would be conducting such an investigation under their noses, keeping one step ahead of Felix and the murderer.

  The next morning, to my extreme delight, Katarine arrived about the same time Beata brought my breakfast. I'd insisted they both sit and eat with me, even though neither of them did anything more than nibble.

  "It is nice that you know," Beata said, her cheeks a rosy color as she held Katarine's hand. "Although I really must be getting to work."

  "You can tell them I was being persnickety about my hair," I replied. "Or I wouldn't get out of bed, or whatever else people might say about me."

  She cast me a look instead of responding, to which I laughed.

  "The only thing people are upset with you for is letting Ilara stay," Katarine said. "It's really been quite long, you know. Time for her to pack up and go back home."

  "She's ill," I replied, having heard from her handler as much when I inquired about dining with her. "And I still want to help. What are my options?"

  "Few and far between," Katarine replied. "You don't control tariff amounts, especially in the farther cities on the rivers. You'll have to seek permission from your Council for that."

  "And I doubt they'd be interested." I sighed. "What else do I have?"

  "Kick her out?" Beata replied with a frown, surpri
sing both Katarine and myself. "What? She's taken over a complete wing of the castle. It smells like weird herbs and cows over there. The entire castle staff is furious."

  "Come on," I said with a gentle laugh. "Be nice, they're our guests."

  "I have to agree with Beata," Katarine said, squeezing her hand. "The sooner she's on her way, the better I'll feel." Then she brightened. "But in good news, today we'll be meeting with a designer to redecorate your father's…I mean, your bedroom."

  I grimaced. "Can't you do it?"

  "No, Brynna," she said with a shake of her head. "This will be fun."

  "I hear the designer coming is one of the best in the city," Beata said, standing to clear the table. Katarine and I both helped, much to her fussing. "Do you know what they would say if they found out I had the princess helping me clean her own table?"

  "The only people in this room are the ones who matter," I said with a smile. "And you two had better bring your appetites tomorrow, because I hate dining alone."

  For the second time that week, I walked into my father's royal chambers—or rather, my new chambers. Felix had said I could move in as soon as it was refurbished. And as much as I hated spending the city's money on myself, the decor was dreary and masculine. If I could control one thing, it would be my space.

  "I'm glad Felix is letting you move in here," Katarine said, pulling open the curtains to let more light in. "You two seem to have a good relationship now."