She took a look inside the wardrobe, and there were several dresses. It only took a moment to choose, she’d always looked good in dark blue. Plus, she might not be able to wear a sword, but the dress she chose would accommodate and conceal her strapping on four of her six throwing dagger sheaths, which would make her feel better about it.

  “The dark blue one please.”

  The maid nodded, and Luna started to get undressed. The maid laid out the dress and some underclothes before taking her leave. The girl had taken her clothes and leathers with her, no doubt for cleaning. She’d have preferred to clean them herself, used to being self-sufficient now, but again she allowed it so as not to insult her host’s hospitality.

  The hot water, along with the soaps and oils, felt amazing on her chilled skin, and she just took a moment to enjoy the quiet and peace of a bath. But dinner hour wasn’t that far off, and the water wouldn’t stay hot forever, so she didn’t linger too long before she picked up the washcloth and started to clean herself. It felt a little weird not practicing her magic during bath time which had become a solid habit, but she’d already done so that day on the road to help pass the time and avoid getting bored to maintain vigilance.

  It felt good as she got dressed. The soft gentle fabric of the dress sliding over her body. The dress she’d chosen wasn’t too restricting on her walk or movement, but it still felt inhibiting. Even as at the same time it felt really good to be wrapped up in soft comfortable fabric instead of hard leather. She strapped two throwing daggers to her calves as the dress was ankle length and it’d take too long to get to her thighs in an emergency. The other two went on her inner forearms beneath the loose sleaves.

  The servant came back a short time later, and she helped her fix her hair and makeup. She had to admit she looked good, as she looked into the full-length oval mirror. It was a part of who she was, a princess, and in some ways it felt right to wear a dress and go speak to a queen. In others, it didn’t feel right at all, as she didn’t see herself as that person anymore.

  She was a sorceress and a warrior, not a high-ranking ornament.

  So, she was a bit conflicted, felt comfortable and out of place at the same time, but it was what it was. Her life had always been complicated, and she’d deal with it.

  Her team went to the general dining room in the public area of the castle, while she was escorted to the royal wing, and then Alisa escorted her through that checkpoint and to the queen’s private dining room.

  She looked over the room. She’d never met any of them, save Alisa, but they were all easy to recognize given ages, sex, and dress and what she knew about Xevell from her tutors. It looked like dinner would be just her, the court mage, and the royal family.

  The queen sat at the head of the table and was still lovely in her late thirties, with light brown hair and lively brown eyes. She was lithe, and Luna guessed she’d be about five foot nine if she’d been standing.

  Her daughter and heir apparent, Princess Eloise, sat on the queen’s right. She was just eighteen and looked very similar to her mother with the same hair, eyes, strong cheekbones, and slightly pointed chin.

  Prince Consort Duron sat on her left, and he was a wide shouldered man of at least six feet in height, and he had darker brown hair and eyes. Their son who was her age at sixteen sat next to the prince consort, and took after his father around the face, but he’d inherited his mother’s lighter brown hair and eyes.

  She got good vibes off of all of them, especially Queen Jacinta, save for the heir. Eloise was… she found it hard to define, but her instincts told her to watch her back around that one for some reason. She didn’t sense imminent danger, or even dislike from the young woman, just that it would be an extremely bad idea to misstep with her.

  Except… that misstep would most likely only be in Eloise’s mind, which made her feel suddenly cautious.

  Entitled and tempestuous came to mind. Although she couldn’t say why she felt that way, but she trusted her instincts as they’d sharpened over the last few months with her magic growth, and they hadn’t been bad before that.

  It felt incredibly outrageous for her to judge the heir of Xevell at merely laying eyes on her, but she couldn’t help but hope the woman grew out of her faults before her mother passed and she inherited the throne.

  Only a short moment had passed, as she’d entered the room and all that went through her head.

  Jacinta smiled, “Welcome, Luna,” as Alisa took a seat at the table next to Eloise, and Jacinta waved at the seat next to her son.

  She moved to sit down there, “Thank you for your gracious welcome. It’s a pleasure to meet you, your majesty.”

  She smiled lightly at the others, to include them in the sentiment as well. That’s when she recognized the attraction in Prince Tyrek’s eyes, but it was one she didn’t feel herself. He was handsome enough she supposed, but it was no more than him admiring the view, and circumstances wouldn’t allow anything else anyway. She was bound to her oath of service, to another king and kingdom.

  It was just something she acknowledged in her mind. She was long used to admiring looks from the opposite sex.

  Jacinta said, “I want to thank you for dealing with the raider problem. You took care of it more swiftly than I could’ve asked, and the opportunity to question Larius may end up being even more important and save even more lives in the long run.”

  “It was my pleasure, your majesty.”

  Jacinta smiled, “I’d also hoped to hear of it in your own words, beyond the cold facts in the reports. But that can wait until after we’ve eaten, I’m sure you’re hungry after a day in the saddle.”

  They dug in as the servants brought out the food. Alisa gave her a knowing smile, as she activated her array just long enough to cast a detect poison. Luna was relieved to see no mistrust or anger there at the act.

  It was a very pleasant dinner, and late evening of conversation, as she did exactly that. In all, she enjoyed herself. She did give a lot of the credit to her team, as it would be unseemly to brag and it was the simple truth. She may have been the hammer that drove the nail against the lopsided odds, but it had been teamwork and their combined planning that had allowed them to succeed as well.

  She wasn’t the only one that talked, and she learned Jacinta was a very good queen. One she’d be proud to model herself on, and not at all like her uncle. She supposed that wasn’t too important in the grand scheme, but it did further cement the idea she was acting and working on the right side of things.

  The only downside to the night was when Jacinta informed her that her cousin, Wizard Captain Tyvek and mole for Hadrius, had escaped. The man had simply disappeared from his post and hadn’t come back before he could be arrested the night before last. It was thought either he was teleported out, or that they’d extracted him via mundane means and the man was on the road east toward Cynia. Either way, scrying spells had failed to locate the spy and traitor.

  He might’ve been a weak wizard, but hiding from remote divination, locating spells, or remote viewing didn’t take hardly any power at all.

  She was mentally and emotionally exhausted from the day when she got back to her room, and it didn’t take her long at all to fall asleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The indoor garden had a glass roof to let sunlight in, and it was warm and filled with delightful scents. She suspected it was more Alisa’s magic that kept the place so nice in winter though, and all the flowers blooming, than that particular fact. It was the next morning, and they’d just gotten done with breakfast in the common dining hall.

  She wore a light red dress with black accents, and the servant girl had helped her get ready again that morning. She had to admit she was enjoying the nice clothes and being pampered, but a part of her was ready to put her leathers back on and go back to Thaenid.

  Kade interjected into the silence, “You clean up well, your highness.”

  She laughed lightly, “Thanks, I think. What’s really on your mind?”

  “Just wondering how long we’ll be here.”

  She shook her head, “I’m not sure. A day or two longer at most. Our business is done I think, but it would be rude to shove us out the door when we just got here. It’s a noble thing.”

  Kade snickered, “And as such, doesn’t need to make sense?”

  She laughed, “Yes, something like that. Though we’re allies, so it’s about more than the mission. Accepting hospitality is as important as giving it. Ready to get back to work already?”

  Anisa interjected, “It’s likely we’ll all stay together as Sebastian’s major troubleshooting team.”

  She hadn’t really considered that. That the five of them would stay together over the long term, perhaps even for the entirety of her service until Sebastian released her from her oath. It was a comforting idea, she got along with all of them, though they were all far different.

  Kade said, “To answer your question, not especially. I can stand a little time off before our next mission, and it’ll probably be pretty tame during winter.”

  She understood, “You’d just prefer to do it at home, among friends and family.”

  Kade shrugged, “Something like that, yes. Though this place is hardly a hardship.”

  Right, and it was mostly about her. She’d been the only one invited to dinner, and she suspected if she wasn’t a princess they’d have just been thanked, perhaps rewarded, and sent on their way. Her team was just caught in surroundings they couldn’t really relax in, and it was just another part of the mission to them.

  There was little they could do about it.

  Jonas changed the subject, “They think Tyvek is on the road east, but can’t find him with magic?”

  She nodded.

  Jonas asked, “Can’t you do that thing you do, isn’t that the same problem they had with the raiders?”

  She tilted her head, “Yes and no. Blood, fear, and death. Rape. It all leaves potent psychic traces and imprints in the ground. The earth elemental can read those, and it followed them to the ones responsible who were tied to it.

  “Tyvek simply abandoned his post, conceivably was teleported out, or perhaps just disguised himself and got on a horse to flee. An elemental wouldn’t be able to follow that. Even if he was afraid for his life, I imagine many people feel similar levels of anxiety in the city every day. The elemental wouldn’t be able to track that, or if it could I can’t express something that minor and specific properly.

  “Subtlety doesn’t translate well, elementals are alien in thought and motivation to us, and for it to work I’d also have to truly know Tyvek and what he was feeling in subtle shades, which is impossible. No one knows another that well.”

  Jonas nodded thoughtfully, “That makes sense, I didn’t really understand before now exactly what you’d been doing.”

  Their conversation was interrupted as a young page entered the arboretum.

  He approached Luna.

  “Your highness. There’s a cleric at the gate seeking admittance to speak to you. His name is Janus, and he says he knows you.”

  She suppressed a grimace, what could be so important that the idiotic twit would track her down. She almost dismissed it out of hand, she really didn’t want to see him again. But the man had ridden hard for two days to get here this mid-morning, so it must’ve been important.

  Liam gave her a look she interpreted as an offer to go beat the man for her, which made her have to suppress a smile.

  She hoped she didn’t regret it.

  “I’ll meet with him. Is there an appropriate room for a small meeting in the public part of the castle?”

  She wouldn’t feel right inviting anyone inside the guest wing, which wasn’t part of the public part of the castle. Almost anyone could be in that part, although most commoners wouldn’t dream of petitioning the queen while she held court.

  He nodded, “I can escort you there, then fetch the cleric.”

  She smiled, “Thank you, that would be perfect.”

  They started out.

  Liam asked quietly as they walked, ‘Are you sure?”

  She shrugged, “No, but I’m a little curious what made him ride for two days to see me after treating us so churlishly.”

  Kade said, “Plus, it’s a distraction.”

  She laughed. She hadn’t considered that angle, but she supposed it was true enough.

  The meeting room was small and appointed with art and flora. There was an eight-person table in it and nothing else as far as furniture. The room was probably used by the nobles for discussions and deals, her uncle’s castle had similar sized rooms for that. The five of them were seated when the page came back with Jadus in tow.

  She did not offer him a seat, not yet anyway, as the page stepped out, closed the door, and no doubt took post there to escort Jadus out at the end of this meeting.

  She said in an even tone, “I was surprised to hear you wanted to see me?”

  Jadus gave off a lot of vibes, and it was clear the man hadn’t changed his first impression of her at all, if anything it’d gotten worse. She got the sense he’d rather be anywhere else at that moment, and she was coming to agree with him. She hadn’t done anything to earn such contempt, save knock on his door, but it had been an emergency of sorts. They’d needed to move fast on it.

  Tyvek had escaped, because of him.

  Jadus said grudgingly, “Before I get into those reasons, I’d like to apologize for my poor reaction the other morning, and for not verifying what you told me before dismissing it. It was… a bad time.”

  She nodded in agreement.

  Jadus stared, then said, “Well?”

  She smiled lightly, “I’m still waiting, that nod was giving you permission to make your apology.”

  Kade snickered under his breath, and she gave him a warning glance.

  She wasn’t being entirely petty about it, and she didn’t truly want to humble and embarrass the man, which Kade’s unfortunate snicker may just do. It was a test, she wanted to hear his words, tone, body language, and feel it out with her instincts.

  Because where she was sitting, he not only wasn’t sorry, he was embarrassed and pissed off, and probably wanted to yell at her some more. She suspected it wasn’t really about her anyway, the man had probably written off all woman because a woman with some similarity to her had abused him in some way.

  But he should be. Sorry, that is.

  He said, “I apologize for calling the guard on you, and not hearing you out while discerning the truth with magic.”

  She tilted her head, and almost replied, ‘but not sorry for treating me with contempt and judging me without knowing me.’ But she held her tongue for now.

  On the other side, it also meant she didn’t extend the offer of allowing him to sit. She always gave respect by default, until it’d been lost, then it had to be re-earned, if that was even possible. She had to admit, she really disliked him. His unreasoning contempt of her drove her crazy, he didn’t even know her.

  Granted, she didn’t know him all that well either. Perhaps he was a good man, almost had to be given his vocation. But his attitude of dismissal toward a polite woman told her a whole lot more about him than he knew about her.

  She also wondered how good a cleric he could be, when he looked down on the fairer sex with so much anger in his heart. It was also confusing, because his goddess given power and innate power should make him good at judging people. But his goddess hadn’t revoked his power or position, so who was she to judge? Perhaps he’d grow out of it.

  She remembered how much she’d doubted her own abilities that way, when Captain Modesto who she’d accounted an ally and even a friendly acquaintance and good man had turned out to be a woman hating rapist. That the man she’d seen was a lie, for benefit of the king’s daughter. That had shaken her confidence badly at the time, but she’d gotten over it and was better than ever now at judging people.

  Perhaps something similar had happened to shake his confidence, and he hadn’t yet found it again. Perhaps it was just easier for him to blame all women that acted anything like the one that messed with his mind.

  Or maybe she was reading too much into it, and the man was just an ass, period. She doubted it though. The gods often repudiated clerics and no longer granted them powers when they strayed from the mission.

  “I’ll accept that much. You didn’t come here to apologize though. That was just what you thought you needed to say to get into this room, and to get me to listen to the real reason you’re here. So, out with it.”

  He turned red in the face at her regally certain tone and judgment, and he visibly swallowed the angry response he so obviously wanted to give. It actually hurt her feelings a bit, and she knew she should just dismiss him and walk out. Being around him was toxic, and she had to admit it was revealing a pettiness in her she hadn’t known was there, but that was also perhaps justified in his case.

  But she was curious, and although it wasn’t her problem, she wanted all the information before she dismissed the man from her life for good.

  Let the goddess sort him out.

  He finally got out, “I’ve been given a mission by Brynone directly. To swear myself to your service for a duration of one year. I will serve you honorably.”

  She froze in disbelief. Especially given her last thought prior to his statement. Apparently, the goddess wanted her to sort him out. She also suspected the man was closer to repudiation than she’d imagined, and this was Brynone’s way of kicking him in the ass to straighten up and get over whatever had happened to make him this way.

  If that was all it was, she’d dismiss him. She didn’t like him, he had bad vibes, at least when it came to his opinion of her. His crisis also wasn’t her problem, and if she owed him anything it would be her contempt at his shortsightedness allowing a spy and traitor to escape.

  That she could relate to him at all, and sort of understand, didn’t mean she owed him anything.

  At the same time, she had no doubt he was honest in his words. He would serve faithfully even though he hated her. He’d do so out of love and obedience to the goddess he loved and served, even as it chafed at him. It would either break him or fix him, as he got to know her.