Page 52 of Ties of Dust

The housekeeper narrowed her eyes, and continued as if Flora hadn’t spoken. “My staff work tirelessly to keep the royal suites in the highest state of cleanliness, and I won’t have them spoken ill of, especially not by a foreigner who doesn’t know her station.”

Flora was about to defend herself when she suddenly remembered the earlier interaction. Was it possible the maid hadn’t understood her joke?

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” she said. “If you’re referring to my comment to the maid in my room earlier, I—”

“Yes, there has been a misunderstanding,” the housekeeper cut her off. “You seem tounderstandyourself to be above the restrictions and responsibilities that apply to the rest of the guards. But you’re mistaken. We don’t consider guards to be foreign dignitaries, lass, no matter who they work for. So I’ll thank you to keep a respectful tongue when—”

“Is there a problem here?”

The prince’s smooth voice caused both Flora and the housekeeper to start. Flora hadn’t even noticed the conversation ceasing inside the prince’s receiving room, and she was very confident the housekeeper hadn’t observed the prince’s approach. She would never be speaking so freely if she had.

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness.” The housekeeper sank into a curtsy. “I apologize for disrupting you.”

“How about you apologize for berating my guard?”

Prince Cassius’s tone was formidable, and Flora felt a flash of sympathy for the older woman. She felt more sympathy for herself, however, along with a healthy dose of irritation. Did the prince really think that humiliating the staff on her behalf would improve her situation among the servants?

“Your Highness, I was merely following up on a complaint made by this young woman regarding her rooms.” There was definite resentment in the housekeeper’s voice.

“The guard complained about her rooms?” The queen had appeared behind her son, one thin, sculpted eyebrow raised. “Bold, given the extraordinary degree of distinction she’s been shown.”

Flora bent her upper body in a respectful bow. “I can assure Your Majesty that there has been a misunderstanding. I have made no complaints regarding my accommodations, and I am fully aware of the undeserved honor I have been shown.”

The queen didn’t look convinced, but Prince Cassius stepped in.

“I find it inconceivable that Flora would complain about her accommodations.”

“Flora?” The queen’s eyebrow seemed to be attempting to meet her hairline.

“Yes, Mother, guards have names,” Prince Cassius said impatiently. “This one’s name is Flora.”

Flora resisted the urge to wave a greeting. It wasn’t the time to be flippant.

“I didn’t complain, Your Highness,” she said instead. “I attempted to make a joke regarding Dust, and I think the maid didn’t understand.”

“It seems a strange matter to joke about,” the queen said coolly. “I am not surprised our housekeeper was offended.”

“I was referring not to literal Dust, Your Majesty,” Flora explained. “I meant power. Magic, you know,” she added, when everyone stared blankly at her.

“I fail to picture how you spoke to the maid about magic and she heard it as a complaint regarding the dust in your room.”

Flora looked helplessly to Cassius. “Well, because there’s dust and then there’s Dust…” she tried.

Understanding blazed into the prince’s eyes. “They refer to magic as Dust in Siqual, don’t they? I remember hearing as much, but I’d forgotten all about it.”

“Do…do you not call it Dust here?” Flora asked.

“Of course not.” The queen’s delicate features perfectly communicated disdain. “Dust? What a boorish term for something of great intricacy and power. Something which, as I understand it, is your only significant skill. Do I take it you are an expert in dust, then?”

Flora was suddenly struggling to keep a straight face as the humor of it all hit her. As titles went, dust expert didn’t carry much dignity.

“I never claimed to be an expert, Your Majesty.”

“This hardly seems a matter worthy of such fuss,” Prince Cassius said with a note of finality. “I have other matters to attend to, Mother, so I’ll take my leave of you.”

With a respectful incline of his head, he left his mother in the doorway of his suite and strode off down the corridor. Flora and the other guard followed. Out of the prince’s range of vision, the man kept shooting her sideways looks that told her the incident would be recounted to the rest of the guards at the earliest opportunity.

The next couple of hours consisted of a report regarding the investigation into the attacks in Siqual and Torrens—containing a frustrating lack of progress—and a meeting with disgruntled members of the Smiths Guild who wished to dispute a new tariff the king had applied. The other guard changed shifts with a fellow, casting a calculating look at Flora when she remained in place.

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