Page 48 of War Hour

I nod, not wanting to anger one of the few people to be kind to me since arriving in the capital.

Evander comes to a stop, turning to me with sudden seriousness. “A bit of a heads-up—it’s too easy to offend someone here. Enemies are made in an instant, so just be careful, yeah? Visha is a mild opponent to make, but even she has her connections.”

“She’s not an Heir like you, though, right? She wasn’t at my inquisition.”

Evander nods. “Yes, but her uncle is Lord Nicaise.” When my face projects confusion, he continues. “Lord Nicaise of the Court of Virtue. Visha was wearing his colors today—purple.”

“And should I be wary of Lord Nicaise?”

Evander lowers his mouth closer to me and mutters, “Nicaise is a good man, fair handed. His sister, Visha’s mother Nennirea, on the other hand, can be—tricky. She’s the one you want to steer clear of. I’ll point her out if we come across her.”

Cataloging the information, I nod.

The politics of this place is baffling. I haven’t even learned the courts, their Crowns, and their Heirs. And now, there’s more people I need to keep track of?

Back in Falland, all the power rested with Lord Drytas. I wasn’t better off comparatively, but I had always known who to fear—who to trust. I can’t say the same here.

Evander glances up and down the hall, eyebrows knitted in thought. “Well, originally, I planned to take you to breakfast before giving you a small tour. I don’t suppose you feel like having it a few hours late?”

My stomach growls loudly in response, and he grins.

“Answer received.”

“Any chance we can go somewhere less... busy than the dining hall? I passed by there with Sar, and I’m not sure I’m ready for the staring and whispers on such a mass scale.”

A look of understanding passes over Evander’s face.

“I know the feeling—I take most of my meals in my court’s quarters. A bit of reprieve helps sometimes. I know a spot that should be pretty vacant at War Hour.”

Evander continues ahead, while I’m stopped in my place, unsure if I heard him correctly.

“War Hour?”

Evander casts a glance back at me over his shoulder and grins.

“You can’t just drop a bomb like ‘War Hour’ and then not explain it.”

Evander frowns down at me. “I figured your people in Self would have given you a rundown of how things worked here. Wasn’t trying to keep you in suspense.”

I huff, shaking my head in disbelief. “Not as much as you’d probably think,” I say in a sour tone.

How much did they not tell me?

Regardless of my reigniting frustration at Torryn, I give Evander what I hope is a convincing smile. I shouldn’t be letting people on to the tension within our group. We need to at least look like a unified front.

So, I quickly add, “There’s been a lot going on, and they’ve tried to give me a heads-up where they could.”

Evander raises his chin, looking at me with disbelief, but I avoid his gaze, focusing on the tile floor in front of us.

“I planned to take you to the library for lunch. Perhaps you’d rather get a first look at War Hour. It’ll give you some background on who you’ll be dealing with here. I’ll tell you more about the courts.”

That would be more helpful than Evander probably even realized.

Peering at him from the corner of my eye, I watch for a reason to be wary of him. If everyone is so afraid of Torryn and his court, why Evander would work so diligently to help me?

But I can’t turn away his offer.

If Torryn isn’t going to prepare me, then I’ll do it myself.

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