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Chapter fourteen

Adelyna

“ Y ou’re sullen tonight, Lady,” a young woman said to Adelyna, daring to give a shy smile.

The woman was a brave—presumptuous?— speaker in Adelyna’s intimate court, her private salon.

“I was told this was a court of revelry,” the woman added, “and we yearn to see its star’s light.

” Oh, no—what was the woman’s name? She was the R?ll’s mistress’s half-sister…

maybe? No matter. People came through court like dust on the wind.

Adelyna forced a smile back and lifted her glass to the woman, ignoring the curious glances sent her way.

That’s what happened when one encouraged breach of etiquette—courtiers said what was on their mind.

“The night is young, yet.” Adelyna took a drink, cutting off the conversation and allowing her to go back to her grim thoughts.

The woman smiled and faded back into the crowd, forgotten under the press of more serious matters.

That was the worst part about a rumor—once heard it was impossible to forget.

Try as she might, Adelyna could not forget Qiana’s cautionary words, that her father was considering naming her brother heir.

Though the court seemed to be doing its best to distract her.

In the weeks that followed Qiana’s warning, the Ca’mailian court celebrated the R?ll’s birthday, the annual holiday honoring the Gift Bearers, and Aherin’s engagement to a Pelian princess. 80

As such, Adelyna was spending this night as she usually did, by relaxing in her salon, her personal court scattered and reclining as they saw fit.

Adelyna smirked as a Sun Holder and a Lesser Lord 81 with hair piled high on her head dropped to the floor in front of her, chuckling as they leaned against the back of the sofa.

The Sun Holder wasted no time in exploring his conquest, his hand reaching into her bodice with the other one pushing up her skirts.

In the corner, two Lesser Lords openly kissed and caressed, uncaring what others thought.

One of the women’s breasts was completely outside of her bodice, revealing a piercing shaped like a crescent moon.

She grinned. This was her court—fuck etiquette.

The room—the scene of said etiquette fucking—was dimly lit with candles in silver holders and a roaring fireplace.

Adelyna had designed this room herself, down to the green velvet cushions from Selónn, 82 thick rugs from Aklia, and gold-plated moldings from Rastiel.

Soft harpsichord music muffled the many conversations and passionate moans.

Honey-brown liquor poured freely as some talked, others gambled, and many more planned their liaisons for the night—or started them early.

Adelyna’s primary lover, Nerine, sat several couches down, resting her head on her hand braced on the couch’s arm and reclining as she conversed with a young man.

Nerine’s fiery red hair—a rarity in Ca’mail—caught the light, making her glow in a room of stately colors.

As the younger daughter of a Supreme Land Holder, coming to court had been a once-in-a-lifetime event for Nerine—until Adelyna noted the quick-witted woman.

Adelyna smiled. Once she took the throne, Nerine was going to receive a title of her own—there were a few promising options—but she needed something to show the world what Nerine meant to her.

The Kor’yitz’s primary lover deserved more respect than that begrudgingly given in Adelyna’s presence.

“May I beg a moment, Your Ascendance?” The Jelian ambassador asked Adelyna, bowing her gray head, her dour black skirts rippling alongside her.

“Ambassador Vinay,” Adelyna said in greeting, taking in the familiar face, and searching for some hint as to what she wanted.

Ambassador Marielle Vinay wore her years well, despite not slathering herself in paint or attempting much in the way of finery.

Adelyna was distracted—she hadn’t noticed the ambassador approach.

Oh, what was it this time? Probably trying to arrange a marriage between Adelyna and some Jelian prince or another.

Again. Ca’mail was in the midst of a burgeoning war with Cerdoran.

In the meantime, Ca’mail had already arranged a marriage with Pelia, Jelia’s immediate neighbor and rival.

Which meant that Jelia was desperate to ally with one of the other kingdoms. Rastiel was too far away to help with the heart of this conflict, and Cerdoran and Jelia just ended their own skirmish a decade ago. Which left Ca’mail.

Adelyna was going to rule someday, which meant she needed to handle this.

“Of course, we can speak, Ambassador,” Adelyna said, motioning for the ambassador to take a seat on the stool next to her.

Having received the heir’s explicit permission, the ambassador complied.

83 “Now, what can I do for you?” Adelyna kept her voice low.

Vinay didn’t answer immediately and instead looked around the room, at the laughing, often undressed, couples, some of whom were on their second or third pairing of the evening.

What Vinay thought of the scene was impossible to say—her expression betrayed nothing.

The Jelian were an eerie bunch. But that’s what happened when most of one’s time was spent walking in dreams.

“You keep a beautiful salon, Lady.”

“I do my best.”

“You do it well. Not many princes have the skill to collect such people and create this atmosphere.”

Adelyna chuckled. “They could, if they tried. It’s not hard. Find the prettiest people at court and let them break all the rules.”

Vinay smiled. “Our prince would be a fair match for you, in that respect. His salon is seen as a place of learning—the brightest minds in the kingdom gather there.”

Great, it was a marriage proposal.

“Is that so? And how would our court operate, having three brilliant suns?” Adelyna assumed a mock frown. “I would be all but abandoned.”

“Impossible,” Vinay said, her face even. “Our prince would be a great asset to you, in every way.” The ambassador glanced over at Nerine. “He wouldn’t even be bothered by your personal distractions.”

Hmm. That was a lie. It had to be.

Adelyna shifted and found the fabric of her bodice suddenly fascinating. “Any discussions of marriage should be brought to the R?ll—that’s his concern. ”

“True. But he is famous for taking your counsel in matters that concern you. May it stay that way.”

Adelyna stopped fidgeting and looked at the ambassador. “What do you mean?”

Vinay shrugged. “Things aren’t always so easy to understand, Lady.” Vinay glanced at Nerine once more. “It’s difficult to tell how things will work tomorrow. An heir can always use any assistance they can get.”

Damn dream walkers. What did the ambassador learn this time from snooping?

Jelia wasn’t just another kingdom in a continent of magic wielders—they were a kingdom whose gift involved entering others’ dreams, wherein they gathered secrets or planted plots as they wished.

While some of the court slept with talismans 84 meant to keep them away, not everyone did.

And people sometimes took unexpected naps.

Which meant that either the ambassador learned something and was trying to scare Adelyna into agreeing to a marriage to get Jelia’s alliance, or the ambassador was bluffing to gain the same result.

Adelyna forced her court smile to her face, the one she used when a musical performance went on far too long. “I appreciate your offer, Ambassador. But again, any such decisions belong to the R?ll. And the R?ll alone.”

The ambassador bowed her head. “Of course, Lady. As always, I am your servant.”

Sure, she was. And Adelyna was a racoon in a dress.