Page 118 of Artemysia
“Princes are crowned at twenty-two?” Delphine’s age. Dammit, everything reminds me of her.Delphine this, Delphine that. I’d be disgusted at myself, except that thinking of her makes me happy.
I must be drunk. I’m never happy.
“Are you married?” Sylvi’s brother Kye asks, stroking the gold wedding band that the Syf lent me.
“I am.” My entire body flushes at the impossible idea of Delphine—married. To me.
“Where is your wife, then?” Sylvi pours some of her drink into mine.
I take a generous swig at the heart-twisting thought of Delphine as my wife. Would she, in her right mind, ever consider marriage? I never have. Not before.
“I have no idea.” I wipe the bourbon dripping off my chin.
They laugh at my reply.
After the easy questions, the game inevitably wanders into more intrusive places.
“How many women have you slept with?” they ask me.
I drink more. They giggle.
I better start asking harder questions, or I’ll be drunk by myself.
“Is there anyone here you’d want to be with tonight? Either of you?” I ask.
They both drink. But Sylvi, the bolder sibling, fixes her gaze on me while she swallows.
I glance away, pretending to admire the manor. “The prince’s winter manor, huh? I’ve never stayed at this estate. I’ll bet his quarters are extravagant.”
“Royalty occupies the fourth floor. The entire fourth floor,” Kyesays.
“West Wing is the prince’s,” Sylvi adds. “The prettiest door is his bedroom, but he only allows his sexual conquests inside.”
“Ah.”
“If we go somewhere else, would you kiss me?” Sylvi asks pointedly, her blue-purple eyes glimmering.
“Sylvi, you’re too much,” her brother says, taking away her drink.
“I’m loyal to my wife,” I answer.Where is this wife of mine?Still dressing? She’s probably charming everyone around her and getting a lot further than I am in gathering information.
“Well, that’s sweet but boring,” Sylvi goads, turning away to catch a server with a platter of food. She swipes a few items before letting him continue.
“You’re both high-ranking and beautiful enough to fuck anyone here. Leave the married men alone.”
They eye each other and laugh shamelessly. “We don’t want any of these men,” Kye says.
“What’s fun for you then?” I ask.
Sylvi offers me a bit of cheese on herbed bread. Since I haven’t eaten all day, I let her pop it into my mouth.
“Kissing somewhere in the dark,” she says. “This ballroom smells like the sweaty old balls of the creepy barons.”
“I’ll let you take me on a tour of somewhere more fun than the ballroom, but there will be no kissing.” I’m hoping for the chance to explore the rest of the manor.
“Kye, let’s show him the trophy room!”
“But that’s private.”
