Page 78 of Shadows and Roses

Damon answered efficiently. Not so difficult to work with, once they got past the bluster.

Eventually, Thakris turned to her. "I'll accompany our new friend out of the palace, and sort through the details. We will bring Castien back, my Queen."

Doable without too much risk. Hope was a fragile spark that could kindle the raging flames of war. The Queen nodded her permission.

"See you soon, my dear." Damon's eyes wandered over her again before they left.

Jerome barely waited for the door to close. "Canwe trust an insolent, crude rebel?"

"Without Damon's help, the risk would be too high," Thakris replied.

The captain frowned. "Do we need to rely on a dangerous criminal to rescue the most expendable one of us? An Escort with no purpose."

"Like Madeline?" Anais asked quietly.

Jerome flinched, his cheeks coloring.

She touched his arm. "You know I don't mean that she's useless. She is one of us, and she is my friend. Castien is one of us as well. I brought him into this, and I will not abandon him."

He bowed his head.

Her lips thinned. She wasn’t unhappy with the rebel developments; things were progressing as expected. Laureline had done exceptional work, the policy changes just enough to wake the people but not too much as to anger the nobles. Everything was a balance, a scale they could only guess at.

No, Anais wasn't worried about the rebels. But Castien… Every day he spent in Nadraken made it more likely they'd receive his corpse as a gift. She'd seen plenty of death, had caused an abundance of it herself, but this body—this particular corpse—might just break her.

—

Another barely-tolerable council session scraped at her patience. As always, Duchess Satryani pushed for war, her sycophants supporting her cause. Anais was finding it more difficult by the day not to agree with her. Even the opposing voices of the council were weak. Nadraken had pushed them all too far, and none of her nobles were truly opposed to war. They liked to bicker and banter and curry favor, but the idea of blood and death lightened their moods.

Fools.

The moment one nation declared war, all of them would take the opportunity. Drantar’s legions would never be capable of taking on every other nation at once. It was always a risk. Situated at the center of the land and surrounded by enemies, Drantar served as bait and buffer for all.

Thankfully, the heavy rains and coming cold weather forced Nadraken to stay on their side of the border. For now.

The Queen managed to sit through the pointless bickering. Best to let them vent and think she was listening than ignore them entirely.

—

When evening finally came around, she relaxed on a large, cushioned seat with her feet propped on a soft stool. Her outer chambers, public bedroom, dark playroom—whichever name they called it—was its usual dimly lit self. Most of her toys were put away, setting a simple scene of luxury and comfort. The intention wasn’t to frighten the Master of Shadows, just intimidate.

Today would have marked the last day of Castien’s bond. His birthday, spent in Nadraken’s dungeons. The Queen ruthlessly shut down that line of thought, buried it behind every single layer of her masks.

The Night Courts had made inquiries toward their lost courtesan. Their letters only asked after his well-being since Castien no longer belonged to the Houses, but they clearly still considered him an asset.

A knock and Master Iberius entered, pausing in the dark entryway.

Her door closed with a firm thud.

He bowed low, doing himself credit by not flinching. "My Queen. Your elegance and grace shines even brighter in darkness."

Stretching her feet, she beckoned. "Come. Sit. And be of use, will you, dear Iberius?" she purred.

The Master was not easily cowed, gliding forward to settle on the chair and casually take one of her feet into his skilled hands. "My Queen. You wished brevity last we spoke. If I may, has Castien been recovered?"

She considered him silently, watching his fingers apply the perfect pressure. Leaning back, she sighed. "Oh, Iberius. Your hands are a delight. Have you ever pleasured a client just by touching their feet?"

"Not yet, my Queen. I would be honored to be of service, though I am far from experienced these days."

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