Princeps

5

After Quaeryt left the princeps’s study on Vendrei and walked up to the private apartments, he looked first into the salon, then into the study where he thought Vaelora might still be writing. Both were empty. He found her in the dressing chamber, studying herself in the full-length mirror.

“What do you think of this?”

Quaeryt looked at what she wore, wide-legged purple trousers that, if she stood straight, looked like a skirt, above which were a yellow blouse and a tight-fitting jacket that matched the trousers.

“You don’t like it. I can tell,” she said when he did not immediately speak.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“The trousers and jacket are good. The yellow doesn’t go with your skin.”

“You could have said that first.”

“I … should have.”

She took off the jacket, looking at the blouse in the mirror. “I knew it.”

Quaeryt opened his mouth to ask why, if she knew it, she’d even asked him. Instead, he closed his mouth.

“The gray goes better … but it’s dull.”

“Do you have a pink or rose blouse?”

“If I had one, why would I be wearing the yellow? I didn’t bring a trousseau, dearest.”

The word “dearest” was not quite edged in acid, and Quaeryt kept still.

“And that’s not something my dear brother has bothered with sending.”

“And the seamstresses here are limited,” he offered. They’d been married with him in his browns with the one formal jacket-retailored temporarily to accommodate the splint-and she’d worn the best of the riding outfits she had brought.

“Are there any? With any great talent?”

Quaeryt stood, thinking. He knew he’d run across one. Then he winced. Why didn’t you think of that earlier?

“You have that look. What is it?”

“I just remembered. There is a seamstress in the harbor area. She used to create … tailor dresses for Tyrena.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t think of her until now.”

“Oh?”

That word spoke volumes, but Quaeryt wasn’t about to address the implications. “She was … is one of the Sisters. She was the one who first told me about Chardyn’s link to the Khanar’s Guard and the pretender. I went into her shop by accident.…”

Vaelora sighed. After a moment, she smiled. “I’m sorry. I know it’s just a small dinner with Emra and Straesyr. But I did want to wear something different, and Eluisa offered me the yellow blouse. It doesn’t suit her either, and she never wore it.”

Quaeryt smiled ruefully. “At least, I remembered in time for something else.” He handed her the oblong envelope with the card inside.

She extracted it quickly and gracefully, her eyes scanning the elegant script. “A ball? A real ball? Who is High Holder Thurl?”

“One of the High Holders whose estate is nearby … comparatively. We may have to ride.” Quaeryt had never seen the carriages that remained at the Telaryn Palace in use, and he didn’t even know if there happened to be a sleigh. Probably somewhere, but why would anyone have used one in the last ten years?

“Ride? In a gown?”

That did sound ridiculous, Quaeryt had to admit. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I doubt Emra would even attend if she had to ride…”

“I will see.” Quaeryt held up a hand. “I doubt that we would be invited, except that as the sister of Lord Bhayar, you could not be overlooked, and so … I, as a mere lowly princeps, must also be included.”

“Quaeryt…” She grinned. “That is almost disrespect.”

“But … I did remember the seamstress.”

“This is only two weeks away.”

Two weeks and a day. He didn’t voice that thought either.

“Can we see this seamstress tomorrow?”

“If it doesn’t snow.” He fervently hoped it would not be snowing on Samedi.

In the end, Vaelora wore the pale gray blouse with a rose scarf, conceding that it was “acceptable.”

Quaeryt thought she looked far more than acceptable as they left their quarters.

The governor’s apartments-those formerly belonging to the Khanar-were also on the third level of the palace, but to get there, Quaeryt and Vaelora had to descend to the second level, using the staircase on the east side of the second-level gallery, then walk to the west end of the palace, where a separate staircase, which could be closed off by two sets of iron doors, if decorated and gilded, afforded the only entry.

A single ranker stood by the staircase doors. “Good evening, sir, madame. The governor is expecting you.” He gave two quick jerks to a bell-pull.

By the time Vaelora and Quaeryt reached the top of the pale gray marble steps, covered largely by a green carpet runner, Straesyr was waiting.

“Greetings! We’ll join Emra in the private sitting room.” The governor smiled cheerfully. “The salon would be overly spacious for the four of us. Also, it would take a great deal of wood or coal to heat it to be comfortable.”

If the private sitting room happened to be the smaller chamber, Quaeryt definitely understood what Straesyr meant, because the sitting room was larger than his official study as princeps.

“Do join me,” offered Emra, rising from where she had been sitting.

Quaeryt was still struck by the fact that Emra’s hair was a striking silver-gray, in contrast to her husband’s largely blond thatch.

The four of them settled into leather upholstered armchairs set in a semicircle around a low table, placed in turn before a ceramic stove that radiated a comfortable heat.

“Hot mulled wine … or red or white?” asked the governor.

“The mulled, please,” rejoined Vaelora immediately.

Straesyr left the sitting room briefly, then returned and reseated himself. Shortly, a ranker in uniform appeared with a tray on which were four mugs from each of which rose thin wisps of steam. Vaelora took her mug and immediately clasped her hands around it. Quaeryt took a small sip and almost burned his mouth. He set the mug on the table.

“I spend much of my time here,” said Emra. “It’s the most comfortable chamber. Would you believe that the master bedchamber doesn’t have a stove-just a fireplace that you have to keep fired up all the time if you want to keep the chill out?”

“It’s not quite that bad,” murmured Straesyr.

Emra raised a single eyebrow, but said nothing.

“The most comfortable room we have,” offered Quaeryt, “is the private dining chamber. The fireplace in the bedchamber smokes so much that we ended up sealing it up. Temporarily, with some timbers and rags, behind a most ornate-and useless-fire screen.”

“That works for you two. You’re young and newly wed,” replied Emra.

“How long before we stop getting snow?” asked Quaeryt, looking to Straesyr.

“Never,” said Emra quickly.

“It should start tapering off in the next week or so, but we’ve had snow as late as in Avryl, and once even in Mayas.”

“Like I said,” added Emra, “never.” Abruptly, she smiled. “I do tend to give Straesyr a great deal of grief about the chill, but I do prefer it to the heat of someplace like Thuyl. That’s where I grew up, you know. Solis is dry and cool compared to Thuyl.”

Quaeryt let himself wince.

“It’s worse than that,” Emra continued as she took in his expression. “I never worried about where we were posted because I knew it would be better than where I grew up.”

“What is your family like?” asked Vaelora quickly, still cupping her hands around the warm mug of wine.

“I suppose they’re still there, but they aren’t the kind to write. They could certainly afford the silvers for it.”

“They’re into cotton factoring,” added Straesyr. “They used to own all the warehouses in the delta. Emra married me against their wishes.” He looked to Vaelora.

“It wasn’t quite against my brother’s wishes,” she replied. “I just refused to marry anyone else.”

“She didn’t bother to inform me, either,” Quaeryt said dryly, before his voice warmed. “It was, shall we say, the greatest Year-Turn gift I’ve ever received … or ever expect to.”

“You’re very fortunate he understands that, dear,” said Emra.

“I am indeed … and for other graces that he possesses.”

“Were we ever like that?” Emra looked to Straesyr.

“In our own way, yes.”

“I suppose we were. Time does pass…” Emra paused. “I did persuade the kitchen to provide us with specially roasted game fowl. I do hope you like game fowl.…”

“Indeed,” said Quaeryt, almost simultaneously with Vaelora’s “Of course.”

Their eyes met, momentarily, and they smiled.

Quaeryt understood both the warmth and the sadness in his wife’s brown eyes, and resolved to make the evening as cheerful as possible.