Page 26 of By Mistake

Andrus stared at the palace like it was a wonder, and for him it must be. Given the life he'd always led, a visit to the royal palace had always been impossible. Even though as a noble holding one of the oldest titles in the kingdom, visits to the royal palace should have been a mundane thing.

To Oresti, it was home before all else, and he'd ceased to really notice it a long time ago.

The royal palace was, of course, beautiful.

Towering and sprawling, it rose above the city like a jeweled crown, glittering and gleaming even in the fading light.

It was not as old as the city, having only been built about thirty to forty years after the city was founded, replacing the original palace that had really only been a commandeered manor.

Originally, a different city entirely had been intended for the royal capital, but for various political reasons, most of them underhanded, that plan had been scrapped, and Garon City had been chosen instead.

It had been the royal capital of Esaria ever since, going on a little over three hundred years now.

The driver guided the carriage around the back and through a gate cleverly hidden by shrubs and other distractions. Not a secret entrance, but a highly discreet one.

When the carriage came to a halt, Oresti all but threw himself out before turning to help Andrus. "Go, go," Andrus said, shooing him off. "I'll be fine with Shimari. Someone will help us get somewhere we can wait for you."

Oresti kissed him, quick but with force, causing more than a few of the servants and guards around them to gasp and exclaim. "I'll rejoin you as soon as I can." He motioned to a nearby servant. "Take him to my solar."

He was reluctant to simply leave Andrus, though at least Shimari would be there to protect him.

One thing for rumors to be floating about regarding their relationship.

Quite another for Andrus to show up in his company to the royal palace—at night.

Hopefully the influx of busybodies that would inundate him starting tomorrow wouldn't drive Andrus away.

Oresti had nearly lost him once; he wouldn't get him back a second time.

Loath though he was to leave, he headed quickly through the palace to his father's private solar.

When he arrived, his father, sister, brother-in-law, and a few other people were there.

Not, however, his sister Latasha, which was strange.

Politics were her reason for breathing, and she'd be useful right now.

Well, no doubt someone would tell him why she was missing.

"What happened?" he asked.

From her seat near the fire, Alina said, "Lady Bellrose is dead."

"Dead how ?"

"Asphyxiation," Oranti said, swirling the drink he held lightly in one hand, staring at it pensively before looking up.

"The healers said she suffered an allergic reaction that led to her struggling to breathe.

Unfortunately, she was alone when it happened, so there was no one to help her or run to get a healer.

Her maid found her about thirty, forty minutes or so ago. We sent for you the moment we heard."

"Fuck. She's always so careful."

"I had her food secured the very second the death was reported to me," Alina said. "There was no shellfish on it that I saw. We are tracking down the servant who delivered the food, but so far no luck, so I must assume they were part of the conspiracy until I have evidence otherwise."

Oresti sat down next to his father, grunting in thanks when he poured Oresti a drink as well, a sweet, smoky whisky they both favored.

Lady Bellrose was another supporter of the law changes, right alongside Willow-White.

She'd always been one of the few good, genuine people on the royal council.

Her province was in the southern part of Esaria, where fishing and rice were king.

She'd held her council position for twelve years, taking over from her mother when she'd passed.

She was also deadly allergic to shellfish, and everyone knew it. That she would die to the very thing she was so hypervigilant about was strange.

A paranoia that had proven correct, though tragically it had not saved her this time.

"Where is the food?" When Alina nodded to a covered plate on the buffet behind him, he lifted it and examined the contents.

Nothing remarkable. Bread, butter, cheese, fruit.

Shimari , if I bring this to you, can you tell me if there is shellfish hidden within.

A unique request, to be sure, but yes, I should be able to.

"I'm taking this with me," he said.

"I assumed as much," Alina said. "That is two in favor of the law change dead. Only a gap of three remains. Should I worry about further deaths?"

Oresti sat back down and sipped whisky. "I think by this point he's going to use fear to maneuver the others where he wants them.

The question is who those persons are. I have my guesses, but you and Latasha know the court infinitely better than me, so a list of who you think will be targeted would be appreciated. Where is Latasha?"

"You brought your sweetheart along, where do you think she is?" Alina asked dryly. "We'll get your list together. Send Latasha to me, and we'll have it shortly."

Oresti lifted a hand to acknowledge the words, already racing out the door and down the hall to his own private solar, Lady Bellrose's last meal in his other hand.

He didn't slow his step as he reached it, simply slammed the door open and strode inside, eyes going immediately to where Andrus and Latasha sat on the small sofa.

He loved his sister, who was the very image of their mother, according to Oranti, but she was the greatest busybody in the whole palace, and also a bit of a dragon.

Many of his would-be suitors had been driven off by her long before they got anywhere close to him.

"Latasha, I swear to the gods—"

"Down, fierce warrior," Shimari said, stepping in and placing a hand on Oresti's chest. "They've been chatting, that's it."

Oresti paused, startled and yet somehow immediately soothed by the warm hand against his chest. Few people dared touch him so, let alone with such easy confidence. The last person to do it had, in fact, been Andrus, to stop him from attacking Shimari.

He stared at Shimari a moment, more lost in those green-red-flickering eyes than he could easily admit, then dragged his gaze back to the object of his ire.

His sister's brows had vanished into her hairline. "And who are you, then? The last person who tried that nearly had their head removed from their shoulders. Oresti, why are you so angry? You know I'd never hurt him. I just wanted to meet him."

Oresti stiffened, then forcibly relaxed, one hand coming up to cover Shimari's briefly before dropping. Shimari stepped back, and Oresti moved to join them by the sofa. "I know you, Tasha. I know all the questions you'd ask and how you'd torment him until you drove him away."

Latasha scoffed. "I only do that with the unworthy. Every last one of them deserved it. I'm not allowing just anyone near my brother. I like this one, though. He's sweet, and more earnest than any of us, but he's got teeth."

Oresti just gave her a look, until she huffed and folded her arms beneath her breasts.

"Whatever. I was only going to quiz him a little bit, not bully him.

Thus far he's given me no reason to think that's necessary.

" She turned and jabbed Andrus sharply in the chest. "But don't think I won't resort to means far more foul if I think you deserve it. "

"I understand," Andrus said. "I wouldn't trust me either."

She eyed him, sharp as a dagger, then spun away. "That's enough for now, then. Goodnight, Andrus, Ori, mysterious clerk."

"Good riddance," Oresti retorted.

As the door closed behind her, he handed over the plate he still carried to Shimari and then rushed over to Andrus. "Are you all right?"

"Ori, she asked me how we met, that was all. There's nothing to worry about. Why are you so worked up?"

Oresti grimaced. "There are reasons everyone in the palace and at least half the city are terrified of her. She eats politicians for breakfast and makes men with four times her experience cry. You should see when she and Alina work together."

"I can imagine. Never mind all that right now, though. Your siblings are as protective and overbearing as you, shocking. Who was murdered? Why? Do you need to leave to investigate? Sit down and have some tea, since we're not likely to be getting that fancy dinner now."

Oresti scoffed, even as he dutifully sat down and poured tea. "We'll have whatever dinner we want. All I have to do is ask." As though he'd allow his skin-and-bones lover to go without a proper meal. So long as he lived and breathed, Andrus would never again go hungry.

"Trouble servants who already have enough to do without their nights ruined by having to stop and prepare a fancy dinner for no real reason at all, you mean," Andrus retorted. "Fancy dinners can wait. Tell me what you can."

"Several days ago now Lord Willow-White was killed.

We suspect Farthing. Tonight, Lady Bellrose was found dead of similar, suspiciously innocuous means.

Poor health and an allergic reaction are the surface reasons, but Willow-White was in excellent health, and Bellrose was hypervigilant about her allergy.

The deaths have been a nasty shock to their families, who had no reason to believe they wouldn't live another decade at least.

Shimari set the place he'd been examining aside. "Definitely shellfish hidden in this."