Page 60 of A Queen's Game
Guilt and shame pitted her stomach and brought heat to her face. Who was she to question her dead husband’s past?
What Marietta needed was the truth, and fortunately for her, Keyain was the person to ask. As the Minister of Protection, he would have information about the group and he made it clear he met Tilan before.
“Marietta? What are you doing?” Keyain asked, startling Marietta from her thoughts. Outside grew dark, globes of gold drifted above the hazy, mist-covered garden, offering the only light. She turned to face Keyain as he lit the room.
“Oh, just sitting.” Marietta stood, leaving the blanket on the chair.
“Wow,” he said, taking in her entire body.
“Wow, what?”
“You look beautiful. The jewelry was a nice touch.” A smile grew on his lips but faltered as she stepped into the light. “Were you crying?”
“I had a rough afternoon.” Marietta crossed her arms, not meeting his eyes.
“What happened? What did Queen Valeriya do?”
“We had tea.” Marietta took a steady breath, thankful that tears didn’t come. Perhaps at that point, she had none left to give. “Queen Valeriya had some enlightening information to share.”
“What kind of information?” Keyain asked, stepping forward with a hand reaching out, brows furrowed.
Unable to stare at him, Marietta turned away, wrapping her arms around herself. “Tell me about the Exisotis.”
Keyain swore under his breath. “Marietta, we’re not having this conversation.”
“So it’s true.”
“I said we’re not—” A knock on the door stopped the reply as servants entered with dinner. “We’re not talking about this,” he finished, whispering. “You’ll feel better after eating.”
Dinner made her feel worse. Marietta sipped on wine and picked at the braised goat and vegetables, but her appetite was nonexistent. Keyain chatted about nothing important and every few minutes, Marietta would nod to something he said. That satisfied him enough.
What she needed was information on the Exisotis and what Tilan’s role was. The uncertainty led Marietta’s mind to question every detail of their life together—the late nights at the smithy, knowing random people around town, what he did when she was traveling. Gods, even how they met seemed suspicious. And if Tilan could hide the Exisotis from her, what else did he hide?
The servants cleared the remnants of dinner and left. Keyain sat across from Marietta, frowning, as she offered simple replies. With a heavy sigh, he stood up and walked to a cabinet. From it, he pulled out two glasses and a decanter of a dark liquid.
“Here,” he said, pouring a glass and handing it to her. “Go change; get comfortable.”
Marietta took it and stared at the amber whiskey inside, an idea coming to mind. She drained the glass of the burning alcohol and set it back on the table, gesturing for more. The idea would not be enjoyable.
“Oh, it’s that kind of night.” Keyain finished his drink and refilled both while Marietta left to change in the bedroom.
In the living room, Keyain sat on the couch with his legs propped up on the table. He slung an arm across the back.Keyain sat up straighter when she came into view, his jaw slacking.
Marietta stood in a scrap of indigo silk and lace that covered little of her body. Aware of how much skin showed, she bent over, grabbed a drink, and took a sizable sip. As she sat down on the other end of the couch, she stretched her legs out towards Keyain. “I felt bad for borrowing your clothes.”
“You don’t need an excuse. You look... comfortable.” His gaze remained locked on Marietta as if the sight would vanish if he looked away.
“Comfortable?” She raised a brow.
“Well, yeah. And beautiful, but I already said that once tonight. I didn’t think you’d want me to repeat it.”
“What lady doesn’t love to hear they’re beautiful?”
“Fair. You, Marietta, are the most beautiful.” In one hand, he held his drink, sipping the whiskey, and his other fell onto her bare leg. Instinct urged Marietta to move away from his touch, but she fought it, her plan working.
“I am also the most comfortable. Perhaps the Queen had my comfort in mind when she sent me silk nightgowns?” She tried slipping into their familiar banter.
“Oh, most definitely, it was purely a practical decision. I’m not even enjoying it one bit,” Keyain said, looking down at his glass with a blush before glancing back at Marietta.
