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Her startled gaze flitted to his face, then away.“Of course not. Why?”

“You’re not eating, and if you tap your foot any harder, you’ll manage to vibrate the stone.”

“I will not.”Her lips turned down.“If you must know, I’m nervous. How could I not be? Your brother will be here within the week. What if he figures out the truth about Tes? Ryssa, I mean. We really need to be cautious not to slip when speaking of her.”

So it was only indirectly related toRyssa. Even so, Ria’s pallor bothered him. Was she worrying herself sick over it all? Mehl had found her napping in the archives the day the princess had arrived. Despite his own body’s protest, he’d ensured she slept better every night since, but she didn’t seem much better. She’d almost dozed off at the previous dinner.

“If this is affecting you so poorly—”

“You’d better not threaten to throw Ryssa out,”Ria snapped into his mind, though her annoyed huff was audible enough for Mehl to lift a brow.

“I didn’t say I would.”Not that he hadn’t considered relocating the woman, but that action held too much danger.“However, I wonder if one of the healers might have a tonic to calm your fears, or at least ease the physical symptoms.”

Ria’s hand tightened on her spoon.“Really, Toren, stop. I’ll be fine. Anyway, I eat far better when I’m not stuck in front of the entire court, too. Don’t you see the sly looks Ryssa and I receive?”

Oh, he did, and he made note of each one. Any he missed would be duly cataloged by either Mehl or Feref, no doubt. Toren couldn’t force anyone to like Ria, nor would he attempt it. But he could make it clear in a myriad of ways that they would do best to treat his and Mehl’s wife with politeness.

Thanks to his temper, their link was no longer a secret. He’d announced it formally the day after his slip of the tongue. With that in mind, the boldness of some of those glances bore greater watching. Did they truly think he and Mehl would sever their link with Ria to marry one of the noble ladies below, the same ladies they’d had plenty of time to consider already?

It would be a foolish thing for the noble houses to hope for, but if not that, there might be something darker at play. Undercurrents of dissent could flow toward treachery, and that wasn’t a good thing amidst his brother’s threat. He made note to discuss the matter with Mehl and Macoe.

“Do you feel unsafe because of their stares?”Toren asked instead of answering her previous question directly.

Ria’s glance swept over the crowd.“Not exactly, but my stomach still won’t untwist itself. I suppose I’ll simply have to become accustomed to the attention.”

Ryssa peered at Ria, and the princess’s brow lined with a slight frown for a moment. Then she noticed Toren’s regard and returned her attention to her plate. Had that been worry—or calculation? He gave brief consideration to summoning one of the healers to examine Ria’s food, but before he could, Ria offered Ryssa a slice of honeyed fruit. The princess accepted without hesitation.

What in the world was wrong with him? Simply to become Ria’s companion, the princess had been required to swear multiple, magically binding oaths. She’d done nothing to earn such mistrust. Hadn’t she been victimized enough by his brother?

Unfortunately, his unease lingered even after the plates were cleared and they stood to leave. In the flurry of rising courtiers, Mehl leaned close. “What is it?”

“Ria,” Toren whispered. “Look at her.”

She was speaking softly to Ryssa in a tone too low to hear, but the stark white of her skin stood out well enough. Quickly, he sent a request to the head healer to check every plate and goblet that had been on the table, just in case. If not poison, the food itself could have been off.

It was a good thing he’d refused to allow her to enter and leave the dining hall behind instead of beside them. He kept his eye on her as they turned to begin the procession down. But Ria only made it a few steps toward the end of the table before she faltered. He spun to offer support, but Mehl was faster.

As Mehl caught Ria mid-collapse, Toren’s power surged until his eyes ached from the force. Tes flinched, but she hurried to Ria’s side without hesitation. Toren halted her with a single, fiery glance.

“What did you do?” he demanded, his voice a bare, pained whisper beneath the sound of the shocked courtiers.

“Nothing!” Tes insisted, shaking her head frantically. “It’s probably your fault.”

He clamped down on his power with a ruthless mental hand. “Explain.”

“Well. Do you think she might be…?” Tes’s words trailed off, but her palm cupped the slight bump of her own stomach. “The way she was acting, I wondered…”

Toren’s mind went completely blank.

Chapter47

The Exam

Mehl had barely managed to catch Ria before she hit the floor, but it was an awkward hold. He scooped her up into a more secure position, one of his arms beneath her knees and the other cradling her back. With her head nestled against his shoulder, the steadiness of her breath along his neck brought him a tiny amount of comfort. She might be ill or injured, but she was alive.

Whatever Toren and the princess had been whispering about appeared to be resolved, for they fell silently into line behind him when he started to move. Had Ryssa blamed Toren? Surely not. His husband would have ordered her to remain behind—or to return to her rooms—had she dared something like that. But had he missed something important? Unfortunately, Mehl had been too intent on steadying Ria to pay much attention.

The sounds of the crowd faded to a low, indistinguishable rumble as they rounded the High Table and advanced toward the doors. The courtiers’ shocked murmurs didn’t matter. What Mehl noted were the expressions of those he passed, whether surprised, worried—or smug. Especially the smug. Anyone at these tables could be a threat, and if he discovered any here were to blame for Ria’s condition, he would run them through himself.