Page 17 of Pawns of Fate

“That’s easy for you to say.” A memory of Ylimia throwing a teacup at a servant, missing, and nearly hitting Rose, who’d been reading in the garden beyond, flashed through Rose’s mind. “You don’t have to have tea with her,” she added.

“She specifically stated that she wanted a little quality time for her and Ava to talk as fellow noblewomen, or York would have stepped in. I don’t think she wants Ava to have York as a buffer.

She wants to see her as she truly is. Perhaps I shouldn’t even be sneaking you in.

” Nicholas’s shoulders slumped as he leaned forward, and the pleading look on his face softened Rose’s heart.

“No, I think you’re right. Ylimia will want to meet me as well. The three of us can… spend quality time as noblewomen.”

“Thank you, Rose. I knew I could rely on you.”

Rose sighed and prayed that tomorrow’s tea party would be over quickly.

Lady Dahtey always reminded Rose of the northern ice spiders because she was spindly, cold, and lethal when provoked.

She had been cordial enough as the servants brought out their tea.

Her gaze felt slightly predatory as she evaluated Rose and Ava with narrowed green eyes.

It was a look Rose was intimately familiar with.

Aunt Ghislaine had wielded it all the time.

Ylimia was sizing them up; the actual battle would begin soon.

Ava hadn’t stopped gawking from the moment the older noblewoman appeared, which certainly wasn’t helping anything.

It made Rose uncomfortable, and she wasn’t even the target of Ava’s staring.

Whatever well-meaning advice York or Nicholas had given her beforehand had backfired. Ava was clearly terrified.

“This tea is… unique,” Lady Dahtey said after taking a sip.

“You’ve decorated the garden well, too.” Rose couldn’t take any credit for that.

The servants had done a fabulous job decorating the white gazebo with vibrant peonies and zinnias.

The blue porcelain tea set the butler had selected complemented the flowers, and looked lovely with the lacey tablecloth they’d laid out.

“The tea is from a local restaurant called the Red Dragon. Ava claims they are the best around, and I agree.” Rose gave a friendly smile. “We could send you home with some if you like,” she added.

“No, thank you.”

Rose covered her discomfort with a small chuckle and a large sip of tea. By calling the tea unique, Ylimia had just played with the line between insult and conversation in a way Rose had only seen mature noblewomen master. It was the prelude to something worse.

The conversation lulled painfully, and the women sipped their tea in silence. Ava continued to stare wide-eyed at their guest. Rose tried to subtly pinch her to make her blink or shift her attention for a second. It didn’t work.

“Was your journey from Dahtey territory very taxing?” Rose asked.

“Not terribly so. I heard your journey from Robson Castle was far more exciting. Tell me, what were the ogres like? I’ve never seen one myself. Dahtey territory is so much more protected.”

This is still just the warm-up , Rose thought. Still, it is a good chance to show her I can play the game, too.

“Their blood is indigo colored and smells like rotting fish,” Rose answered primly. An uncouth response to an uncouth question.

“How ghastly!” Lady Dahtey set her teacup down with a loud clink. The hint of a smile played at her lips. “Ava, you had a run-in with ogres, too? When York rescued you from the slave traders? ”

So that was her game. Bringing up old trauma in a way that subtly jabbed at York and Ava’s difference in social status.

Ava blinked a few times, drinking her tea with a shaky hand.

“It’s such a romantic story, don’t you think?” Rose interjected. “Ava told me about it when I first came to the castle. York is such a strong knight; he wields lightning spells so well. I’m not surprised that he took down an entire barn full of ogres by himself.”

“That isn’t exactly what happened, Rose,” Ava mumbled.

“I heard your son has lost every sparring match he’s ever had with York, even just the ones with swords and no magic,” Rose added.

Ylimia offered Rose a frigid smile. “I suppose that’s true.

” She waved her hand as if shooing the matter away and chose a lime tart for herself.

“Rose, you’ve done quite well for yourself since you stayed with the Dahtey last year.

You used to hide in your room or the gardens, reading books all the time.

Now you’re hosting tea parties and verbally sparring with old ladies.

I expected to find two frightened kittens today,” —Ylimia tilted her head almost approvingly— “but you’ve matured. ”

“Thank you?”

“Tell me how you met Nicholas,” Ylimia commanded, leaning toward Rose.

“My uncle and his father arranged the marriage,” Rose replied coolly.

The conversation had shifted drastically; Ylimia’s demeanor was much lighter.

Had the whole thing been some sort of test?

Nicholas had mentioned that Ylimia probably wanted to judge her and Ava.

Perhaps the older woman wanted to ensure Rose had a backbone underneath her quiet exterior.

“So it isn’t for romantic love like those two?” Ylimia nodded her head at Ava. “I had assumed as much, but wanted to confirm it with my own eyes.” She took a delicate bite out of the lime tart.

“I respect Nicholas. But we only met two weeks ago. It isn’t fair to say that we’re in love.” Rose decided to leave out the fact that Nicholas was also planning on shipping her off to the Ojoh shortly after their wedding.

“My husband and I met in the same way.” A small smile played at the corners of Lady Dahtey’s mouth. She seemed to fall back into some memory, and her expression softened; Rose glimpsed the kind woman Nicholas said she’d been when he was a child.

“Idne had just taken over the Dahtey clan and needed my family’s support. He cared a lot more about the Dahtey than about me in the first months of our marriage. I was rather upset about that. Did my best to make things miserable for him.” Ylimia laughed.

“What did you do?” Rose was shocked to hear a noble lady admit that she’d done anything to undermine her husband’s lordship. One of the most basic rules of surviving the nobility was to never admit to weaknesses in your family, even if you were the one causing them.

“I used to intercept letters and change his replies. I argued with him in front of the servants. I caused chaos at every social gathering we went to. It was fun,” she reminisced.

“But we almost separated because of it. On the night that Idne told me he wanted to divorce, we were arguing in his office. I told him he didn’t care for me because he only cared about the Dahtey clan.

Idne looked like I’d slapped him in the face.

I still remember that look.” She sighed.

“Idne told me he cared for me deeply and gave me the most passionate kiss of my life. He put in more effort to make time for me, and I stopped causing him trouble after that. We were a good team, as it turned out.”

“That’s a lovely story,” Ava said. She and Rose had been hanging on every word.

“I miss him every day.” Lady Dahtey’s smile was tight-lipped but sincere.

As if realizing she was showing any emotion besides thinly veiled ill regard, she cleared her throat and focused on Rose.

“I hope my story shows you that just because a marriage is arranged for political reasons doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love.

I worried that you were too meek and quiet for a persnickety fool like Nicholas,” —Rose barely kept herself from spitting out her tea— “but our conversation today has shown me that perhaps I was wrong. If you and Nicholas trust each other, love will grow.”

“I know what you mean, Miss Dahtey,” Ava said, finally comfortable enough to join the conversation.

Rose elbowed her and hissed, “Lady.”

“I mean, Lady Dahtey,” Ava corrected, cheeks flushing. “Rose and Nicholas are always taking care of everyone else. Rose is kinder than Nick, though.”

Rose blushed at the compliment and let her mind wander to Nicholas, the kiss they’d shared, the flowers he’d given her, even his interest in her magic. Could she dare to let a little hope for their relationship bloom in her heart ?

“Precisely,” Lady Dahtey replied. “If they can trust each other, they’ll do very well.”