Page 19 of Ties of Dust

“Please summon Lord Armand to my room,” he said curtly. “I wish to speak with him immediately. And once you’ve brought him, go straight to the camp where the rest of the guards are waiting and bring back my new bodyguard’s belongings.”

He closed the door without waiting for a reply, then turned back to Flora.

“Allow me to apologize in advance,” he told her.

She looked bemused. “For what, Your Highness?”

“For Lord Armand. He’s certain to be insufferable. I regret the necessity of you witnessing the conversation.”

She said nothing, and before long, a smart knock at the door announced the nobleman’s arrival. Cassius opened the door, ushering Lord Armand into the room swiftly in the hope that the guards outside wouldn’t yet catch sight of Flora.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” the nobleman started, sounding maddeningly well rested. “I trust you passed a pleasant—”

The words died abruptly on his lips as his gaze shifted to Flora, who was standing at attention in a very guard-like posture and studying him expressionlessly.

“Who? What—?”

The nobleman’s disjointed words sent a surge of petty satisfaction through Cassius. It wasn’t often Lord Armand was at a loss for what to say.

“What do you meanwho?” he asked smoothly. “Don’t you recognize Princess Miriam’s bodyguard, whom you tethered magically to me without seeking consent from either me or her, or in fact seeking any kind of authorization?”

“I…but, Your Highness, I…” Lord Armand’s eyes seemed in danger of falling from their sockets. “But he was a…”

“Shewas a bodyguard, dressed according to her role.” Prince Cassius’s face was deadpan.

“She was dressed as a man,” contradicted Lord Armand. The shock on his face began to give way to anger. “A grossdeception has been practiced upon us, Your Highness. It is an insult to—”

“Stop speaking.”

Cassius spoke the two words slowly and deliberately, his voice dripping with cold fury. Even Flora straightened her posture a little. It was a tone he didn’t use often, but it was past time for Lord Armand to learn that Cassius was no spineless, powerless puppet prince. He was the future ruler of Carrack, and he deserved his subjects’ respect and obedience.

Lord Armand fell silent at once.

“If you were about to invoke some imaginary offense to Carrack’s honor, you would be wise to think before you speak,” Cassius said dangerously. “The last time you claimed an imaginary offense, you responded by crafting an illegal enchantment.”

“Not illegal, Your Highness,” protested the nobleman weakly. “I had authorization from—”

“You had no authorization,” Cassius cut him off brutally. “Your actions were illegal, and you are well aware of it. My father’s authority in matters of magic craft is absolute within Carrack, but we were in Siqual. And you had the audacity to direct your enchantment at a member of the Siqualian royal family’s guard. Whatever instructions my father gave you to defend Carrack and myself, I do not believe for a moment that he intended you to subject me to such embarrassment and inconvenience.”

“It wasn’t my intention to do so,” Lord Armand tried.

“But it was the result.” Cassius didn’t let him speak. “In more ways than one. Your illegal act forced my hand in withdrawing immediately from Siqual in order to protect you from arrest and incarceration which, quite frankly, would have been justified. You weakened Carrack’s position in alliance negotiations. And I need hardly add, in light of subsequent revelations, you have subjected me personally to incredible indignity. I don’t know what other name I can give to being forced to have a young woman shadow me through every aspect of my daily activities, not only surrendering my privacy but announcing to the world that Carrack considers her services necessary for my protection.”

Keeping his expression stern, Cassius stole the ghost of a glance at Flora. She was unsuccessfully fighting down another faint flush. She hadn’t asked for this debacle, and he knew the words were discourteous to her. But he needed to speak in a language Lord Armand would understand, and talking about the lack of consideration he’d shown a random Siqualian guard was unlikely to discompose him.

Not that he was as discomposed as Cassius would have liked.

“Your Highness,” he said, a hint of wheedling in his voice. “You are understandably upset by this revelation. But there would be no great indignity if the Siqualians had not intentionally deceived us about this girl’s identity by—”

“Intentionally deceived us?” Cassius repeated incredulously. “Do you mean to suggest they dressed her as a boy to try to bait us into abducting her by means of an illegal tethering enchantment? That suggestion is too puerile for even such an imbecile as you.”

Lord Armand looked like he wasn’t sure whether to be offended or mortified by the insult. Either way, it had reached him, which made Cassius think he should have dispensed with politeness much earlier.

“Make no mistake, Lord Armand,” Cassius went on, when the nobleman remained silent, “the fault is on our side. And my father will share my displeasure when helearns that your actions exposed his son and his kingdom to ridicule.”

The nobleman looked pale now. “Your Highness, I beg you to believe that was not my intention. I deeply regret the inconvenience you’ve suffered, and I implore you to believe that it would be a misrepresentation to suggest to His Majesty that my actions were motivated by anything other than the utmost loyalty to Carrack.”

Cassius regarded him, pretending to soften. “Perhaps we can simply forget the whole thing if you can lift the enchantment.”

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