ilver

until the sun had crossed the sky, lea

e long hou

from the wardro

e to the

about it. My boots brushed softly against the stone fl

corner of t

s learned the sh

the loc

pped

ed, but it wa

een them stood a tall, slender man dressed in a velvet doublet the color of crushed plums. His silver-gray

s settl

nt, something cold pa

sg

ps disap

diately behind a

graceful bow. "I am Duke Varn,

m, smooth, and ca

... less comfortable than I would have preferred. My guards

dn't

ts of my wool trousers and looked

said, "you could have started

gave a qu

and your f

e never

f the royal family have died in a matter of months. Until w

ety?" I

cour

and gestured to

rmal. Just a chance to welcome the last o

ed pas

wasn't

n't explain, his ab

e, but I trusted Duke Varn

ve much cho

ed to anyone in the palace," Varn

d toward t

ll come

into place aroun

close enough that I could hear the soft

tretched on

ers. Portraits of long-dead kings watched from dark wooden fram

vants

choed through

as quiet as the room Cass

heavy walnut doors carved w

rds ope

rrying the rich smell of roasted veni

stomach t

maller than I expecte

ows of burning candles. Silver cutler

g immediatel

ble wa

cou

ble g

coming

repared at the far end of the

uncil business," Duke Varn said smo

eason for you

lightly on the

eas

ed before

with a high back and crimson velvet c

, a servant appeared from the shad

word, he

on resting in a dark wine sauce. Beside it sat

hed silver goblet filled almost

he southern valley

ll and keeps a

the fireplace instead of

ted loosely b

le neve

rom him to

cted my face in

th fel

d the room, but the sweet scent ris

d for th

stem settled i

ifted it fr

ht the candlelight as I

ell across

uld touch my lips, a black-glov

p was i

other hand struck the b

lew from

mahogany table before bouncin

lashed acro

clutched my

re you

air as though he had stepp

't made

of his sword, but his eyes never left

voice calm. "Lady Arianna's wrists are sti

my mouth

I s

m curled from t

e wool

ank, and slowly dissolved

replaced by a sharp chemical stench

ne was

table so quickly the chair s

hundered i

swal

l it would

t turned m

later, the acid would already ha

rpet, then at the silver

e room looke

he se

he gu

en Duk

maged rug and sighed as though so

quietly. "That rug came

n for another moment before

has grown careless. The

y," Cassia

revealed

ood sent to Lady A

ly looke

her meals the

inclined

ble prec

urned as smoo

won't leave you with a poor impre

red a

sta

out barely a

ted me to

ression di

you to enjoy

ns will answer for

enough disappointmen

mo

't con

r was

e two men felt sharper

rn stepped away

either of yo

e another

ell, my

y again t

closed gently ar

om

n't a

e dining hall wit

epped aside t

closed behind us d

sn't an

N

u k

es

till broug

kept w

end with someone trying to kill you," he

led me more tha

ead, silent except for th

at me," I s

welcom

er me before I fini

stopped

ad met him, there was someth

kind

rin

e Upper War

t always u

arm and started

without a

s refused

neath crystal chande

th polished silver, expensi

taught me to fear k

d taught me s

led before they