Page 63 of The Rebel's Prize

"I'll be fine. If Deandra and her friend prove uncooperative, then we'll be on our way back to Lumia by this evening anyway. Come to think of it, even if they do cooperate, we'll be taking them back to the capital." He slitted one eye open. "Maybe we should take advantage of this bed before we're back in those damn bunks for a few nights." A curl of inviting heat stole through the bond.

Tempting. Even sleep deprived and rumpled, he looked delicious.

Another set of boots stomped past their door.

"No wards, remember?" she said regretfully.

"We could be quiet."

Somehow she doubted that. Not with the bond so fresh, amplifying everything between them. "Not that quiet. Besides, if you don't show up for breakfast, they'll just send someone to look for you."

He sighed but rolled again, dropping a kiss on her mouth before sitting up. "You know, perhaps the Andalyssians are sensible about their marriage rites after all. They give newly wedded couples a month mostly to themselves."

"We're not exactly newly wed," she pointed out.

"It was only a few weeks ago," he growled.

"For the second time."

"A second time where we once again failed to manage a wedding night."

She winced slightly. No wedding night because she had run. Though the attack on the palace would likely have disrupted it anyway. "I'm sure your mother would be happy to have a third ceremony of some kind."

He scowled. "Don't even joke about that possibility."

She winced again. "It might be nice to say the vows without being forced to do it."

Neither of their weddings had been at their own instigation. And even though the second ceremony had been less fraught, neither of them had known if they would stay married. She'd promised him a year. Now things were different. Now he could have a lifetime and it wouldn't be enough.

"We can do that without an audience," he said. "But I'm more interested in the part where we get uninterrupted time together. Once all of this is settled, I'm taking you to Terre d'Etoi for a while and making sure everyone leaves us alone."

"You're the marq. Do you really think they'll leave you be the first time you come home in months?"

"They will if I tell them to. Besides, there are several hunting lodges on the estate. We can hide away. Use Octarus as our seneschal. No one will get past him."

She smiled at the thought. "I like that idea."

"Good," he said. "Then let's get to work."

* * *

Getting to work began with breakfast with Imogene and Silya.

Imogene yawned over coffee. "Any progress?"

Lucien shook his head. "None of the regular troupe seemed to know anything. Most of them, I believe, probably knew nothing about what was happening. They were terrified enough at the thought of being interrogated by a Truth Seeker that I think they would have tried to confess if they had any idea what was going on."

"They are actors," Imogene retorted.

"If it's an act, it's a very good one, and they're wasting their talents with a wandering troupe." Lucien reached for another piece of toast from the platter in the center of the table. "We'll take them all back to Lumia regardless. They can wait until we reach the capital and have a better idea how to untangle the memory charms. Today I'll try Deandra and her illusioner."

"Captain Ilveut told me his name is Istvan. Istvan Vargas." Chloe frowned at Silya. "Is that a Parthan name?"

Silya shrugged. "Partha is something of a mishmash when it comes to such things. He could be Parthan or from one of the smaller countries in that part of the empire. Could have a Parthan mother and a father from elsewhere. The name is not Elenian or Andalyssian. But that does not rule out him having connections to those countries, or others, of course."

"Well, we'll see if he wants to be forthcoming about his family history." Lucien stirred sugar into his coffee. "Thank you, Sejerin. We should be on our way back to Lumia tonight, so I hope you won't be too bored today."

"I will not. Captain Ilveut asked if I would help the soldiers searching the troupe's belongings. Just in case there are any Andalyssian poisons lying around, I assume."

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