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Kyros reaches out a hand, as though he means to touch me, then lets it drop to his side. “You have my support. I will be here.”

Then he lets himself out of the room.

When knocking comes later that day, I ignore it. Even when Eryx’s voice asks to be let inside.

“Please, Chrysantha, we didn’t actually finish speaking. I didn’t get a chance to tell you what I wanted. My plan for our future.”

“It has to wait. I need to think.”

Whathewants.Ourfuture.

I want to hear those words, but I have to find a way to keep my friend and keep him quiet. There is very little he wouldn’t do to protect me.

When Eryx’s footsteps finally leave, I climb into bed. I don’t let Medora in for the night. I don’t care about getting undressed or anything else. I feel numb. I feel torn two different ways. I am unable to see a path forward.

Remembering Alessandra’s note, I pull it from my skirts and read,

You, jealous of me? Now that is something I never suspected. Perhaps we always want what we don’t have, as the saying goes.

What do I do for fun aside from sewing? I enjoy spending time with my friends. We go for picnics on the palace grounds. Kalliasand I take Demodocus, his dog, out for walks or to play fetch. As strange as it sounds, I actually enjoy problem-solving. When something happens to upset peace in Naxos or one of the conquered kingdoms, I love to find ways to fix it. Having Kallias listen to and trust me is heady. Calling him my husband is even headier.

You should come to the palace sometime. I think it could be fun to chat again face-to-face. Perhaps you might swing by for tea next week? Only if you want to. I’m sure you don’t care to leave your country estate more often than you have to, so I understand if you can’t manage.

~ Alessandra

The last words are so hesitant that they warm my heart. Maybe there is hope for us. Maybe I can rekindle this relationship. Maybe I can do away with this inherent sense of competition I seem to have where she’s concerned.

Another knock sounds at my door, though the sun has long since set. “Go away, Eryx,” I call out. “I’m still thinking.”

“It is Kyros, Chrysantha. You have a guest in the library.”

I sit up straight.

The investigator.

He’s returned to collect the rest of his payment, surely. But will he have more news for me? Does it matter anymore? I’m convinced that if I can just find a way to keep Kyros quiet, then maybe I can also keep Eryx.

Uncaring that I’m still in my grass-stained dress, I leave my rooms and accompany Kyros to the library. My friend doesn’t say a word the whole way, but I offer him a smile before I enter the library, to show him that things are good between us. Hesitantly, he returns it.

“Wait here, please,” I say.

“Of course.”

I straighten my shoulders and hold myself with all the graceexpected of a duchess as I enter the library. If Mr. Tomaras is surprised or put off by my clothing, he says nothing of it. In fact, he keeps his eyes on my face as I approach. I gesture to the armchairs before the hearth, inviting him to sit, and take the other one.

“I’ll get right to the point, Your Grace,” the investigator says. “You’re about to be in control of the dukedom once more. I finally found what I was looking for.”

My heart skips a beat. “And that was?”

“A money trail. I’ve gone through Mr. Vander’s correspondences. In a letter to the duke, he mentioned a fondness for a particular painting. I took the liberty of searching your attic.”

“Why should that have led you to my attic?”

“You stripped the house of its old decoration, and you tasked your housekeeper with selling it. She informed me that what was left is being held up in the attic. It seems your late husband was fond of a specific painter. Mrs. Lagos handed me an itemized list of all the pieces cataloged in the attic, along with what had already been bought or sold.

“I paid a visit to Mr. Vander’s home and found one of the unsold paintings hanging in his private study. Its worth is estimated to be fifty thousand necos.”

I clench my jaw tightly, a feeling of dread causing goose bumps to prickle on my skin. “Could you put it plainly for me, Mr. Tomaras?”