Lyanna had shrugged off the lingering burn of shame by the time she set her feet back to the stones and out towards the stables, but she was interrupted in her progress by Bliss, who called after her. Slowing to a stop, Lyanna about-faced, perhaps a bit too crisply for a conversation with a friendly acquaintance, but then she wouldnât really know that. The knighthood was just in everything that she did, plain and simple. She managed an expression of pleasant interest, which was honestly about as close as she ever got to smiling. Even Ephraim was less serious than she was, and that was really saying something. Those close enough to her understood that there was no offense to be taken in this, and Bliss was probably one of those people.
âBliss?â she questioned lightly, examining the other womanâs face for any sign of distress. She wasnât really sure if something had happened after she left, but Bliss wasnât one to become overly flustered and needlessly frustrated in social situations like she was, so she doubted that. Perhaps the Lady Giselle needed something? No, she had left a while ago and was probably still with Ephraim.
She was aware, however, that her schedule was pressing, and she couldnât afford to be late. âCan we walk and talk? The Shahari Prince likely just disembarked from his boat and is riding to the palace as we speak. I need to be there to receive him.â Actually, it might be a good idea to have a member of the castle staff there as well, and though Bliss was far from typical âstaff,â Lyanna didnât think her presence would hurt anything. She was, in many ways, what the lady knight sometimes wished she was: gracious, graceful, kind to everybody, and clever. Not to mention sociable. If they wanted to make a good impression, Bliss wouldnât hurt at all.
Tilting her head in the appropriate direction, Lyanna started walking at a moderate pace. âIs something the matter?â Her floundering tended to abate either in the line of her job or in conversations with those she knew well, and since both were true here, there was nary a stutter to be heard, only a subtle, surprisingly gentle confidence over a layer of duty-bound steel. It was really a shame it abandoned her at crucial moments.
At first, he was almost certain that heâd mortally offended her, and was thinking to apologize again, when she thanked him. At first, it was a bit tremulous and uncertain and not at all like spirited Gigi, but then she repeated it with a smile and a gale of laughs and her usual fire back in her tone, and for once in his life, Ephraim grinned, broad and unabashed and lively. Heâd never say it out loud, because it sounded trite and clichĂ©, but nothing in the world made him quite as happy as the happiness of others, especially his friends. If he happened to have some hand in it, well⊠that was all the better.
He stood with her, escorting her to the door. âIâm glad my earnestness is amusing,â he said with the arch of a brow. But he knew it wasnât that she laughed for, and that was just fine by him. If only securing the happiness of the rest of the people in his life, in this
kingdom was the matter of a gesture so simple and obvious to grantâkingship would be a much easier burden to contemplate.
They reached the door, and he glanced back at the stacks of paperwork on his desk. Most of his work was done, at least everything that he could do for the day, but he still had a few last-minute matters to set up regarding the ball. âJust so you know,â he informed Giselle, opening the door for her, âPrince Malik is arriving from Shahari today. I donât think the two of you have metâI only met him on a state visit a few years ago, but heâs a veryâŠ
interesting fellow.â He shrugged; it seemed prudent to inform her so she knew the stranger staying in their hallway was supposed to be there.
âAlas, I have to go see the chef and a few other people about arrangements for tonight. AlsoâŠâ he hesitated for a moment, unsure for once if the offer would be poor form or not. It wasnât, after all, every day one broke off an engagement of nearly seven years, âIf milady doesnât find an appropriate escort to this eveningâs festivities, she would be welcome to rescue me from the boredom of it all.â He wouldnât want her to be uncomfortable because heâd chosen
today to drop this on her, after all. âOf course, I highly doubt finding an escort of more suitable sort will be a challenge for you.â His tone was light, even jocular, and it was clearly one of those rare moments where it wasnât so impossible to believe that he and Elijah were related after all.
Malik threw on the shirt Suâda handed him with an air of faint disappointment. Sailors rarely bothered adorning their upper bodies, and the prince of Shahari was definitely not new to sailing, or heated weather. But Merderva was a temperate clime, and frightfully stuffy about certain points of etiquette that simply didnât exist in his country. So a shirt it would be, and boots as well, for that matter. It was probably for the best; the place was honestly a little too
cold for Malik, even now, in the height of summer. Ridiculous.
He tied the dark blue sash over the black-and-silver shirt, pulling his boots on as Lorri gave him the traditional welcome speech, variants of which heâd heard in every country from here to the ends of the earth. Still, it wasnât badâhe could tell this particular Merdervan had a real fondness for his home, even with so formal a recitation. âWell, she
does come highly recommended,â Malik conceded with a crooked smile that lit his sky-blue eyes as though from within. âMy father was Merdervan, Lorri, and he never did quite get over how much he missed it.â
The diplomatic marriage between his parents had been basically the opposite of a love match, which was probably why there was only ever one son. Add to that the fact that his father was dead, probably at his motherâs hand, and it was perhaps understandable that Malik himself didnât much believe in things like romance. Sensuality, sure, and sexuality was great, but love was⊠well, it was something for stodgy, stiff people like the ones who generally tended to occupy such traditional countries as this one. Malik didnât really
do traditional, but for his motherâs sake, he curtailed the worst of his habits on his diplomatic missions, and only ever complained to Suâda.
Then again, he shared almost all of his thoughts with Suâda, so that was hardly surprising. The man was an astute listener, and much smarter than most people would assume. That heâd done a lot of the fatherâs or older brotherâs work in raising Malik tended to help. Glancing over his shoulder at said manservant, Malik flashed a grin, one that clearly read âletâs see what trouble we can stir up,â and descended the gangplank on feet as quiet as catâs paws. That was something heâd learned from the man behind him, as well, and now it was as natural as breathing.
There were several horses awaiting their party, and though Malik preferred boats to beasts, heâd learned how to ride over the years, perhaps somewhere back in a visit to Effemagne, where it was like the men were born riding. If you were going to pick up a skill, learn from the best. Swinging astride the beast, he surveyed the port, finding it not half as lively as the one back home but almost as busy, and then they were off. The palace itself was about an hourâs ride from the docks, part of that through town and the other part through a bit of farmland. He was looking forward to seeing it. Travel was rarely boring, after all.