Despite Ruby’s reassurance, Trent could also see how pensive Victoria looked. She knew as well as he did that peace with Corrin would only be possible if Princess Ivy married Dalry’s first knight: Trent Marston. That had been the plan until Ivy saved his life.

  The only other way they might find peace would be for Princess Ivy to marry Prince Narius of Corrin, which continued to bother Trent for reasons he wasn’t comfortable admitting... even to himself. Xorumon had hit uncomfortably close to the truth. Trent could accept that Princess Victoria would marry another man some day, a royal man... but not Narius.

  Finally, Victoria’s blue eyes met his. “You’re confident we can restore Ivy’s soul?”

  “I won’t give up until we do. You’ll recall that Ruby was also torn from her body by an enchanted dagger shortly before we rescued you in those woods in the republic. The Enchanter was able to bring her back. We must be able to do the same for Ivy.”

  At his words, Ruby nodded eagerly. Yet Victoria didn’t look entirely convinced.

  “You said he told you the dagger the assassin wielded wasn’t enchanted.”

  “That’s what he currently believes. There’s a few theories we haven’t explored.”

  Victoria scooted across the couch and leaned on the armrest at the same time she leaned forward. At that angle, he could see right down her fine pink dress. She must know how much cleavage she had on display. Yet she didn’t seem at all concerned.

  Her royal breasts were just as lovely as those of any of his wives. Yet despite the obvious invitation to ogle, he made certain his eyes stayed locked with hers. He couldn’t tell if she was amused or disappointed, but there was absolutely a bit of mischief in her warm blue eyes.

  “What theories?”

  Without looking down Victoria’s dress, Trent calmly explained both his and Revca’s theory about imbibing Ivy’s quintessence and Bethany’s theory about the dagger’s enchantment only working during an eclipse. Victoria visibly considered both, then settled back on the couch again and sipped her tea. Her brief fit of whimsy faded.

  “There’s too much we don’t know. I hope finding her using her quintessence works. But I also think you should explore the eclipse theory. We can’t leave any stone unturned.”

  “Beth will be pleased to hear that.”

  “She’s a brilliant woman, and while I’m not a mage, the possibility that the dagger has some special property that only manifests during an eclipse seems as plausible as any other explanation. The devil assassin waited until the eclipse to attack you. There has to be a reason.”

  “Exactly.” Trent was growing more and more confident in Bethany’s theory. “The Enchanter believes it to be coincidence, but Beth and I think it was more.”

  Victoria brushed back a bit of her blonde hair. “And you believe this orrery will allow us to determine where a total eclipse will take place? So you can get there ahead of it?”

  “Emerald thinks so, and the Enchanter assured us it’s accurate. The unknowns will be how long we have to wait for another eclipse, and if we can reach it in time.”

  Victoria set her cup on the table, then looked at him hopefully. “Can I go with you?”

  Trent worked on sounding as diplomatic as he could. “I would love that, but it’s simply too dangerous for you to leave the monastery without a considerable escort. That would attract attention. If you were seen, Tallun could order a thorough search.”

  “I don’t mean leaving the monastery. Just to see the orrery. It sounds fascinating.”

  Trent relaxed as he caught her meaning. “Of course. It’s also within our walls. So, we can go collect Sapphire⁠—”

  “You and Ruby can escort me, can’t you?” A further hint of mischief entered Victoria’s eyes. “You’re my first knight, Sir Marston! If I’m not safe with you, I’m not safe anywhere.”

  Again, Trent remembered Xorumon’s words. He really should get Sapphire to go with them to the orrery so no one suspected any sort of impropriety.

  Still, Sapphire had said she wanted to go on a long walk. To clear her head. And Emerald and Ruby would be with them.

  He wouldn’t be going to a secluded part of the monastery to be alone with Princess Victoria. They would have two chaperones. Everyone else he might ask to join them was busy preparing meals, watching over Ivy, or searching for her soul in the Firmament.

  There was no reason to pull his other wives from their important tasks. He, Ruby, and Emerald could escort Princess Victoria through the monastery and stop anyone who threatened her. It would also be an opportunity for her to get out of her quarters.

  “We’d be happy to escort you to the orrery, Vicky.”

  “Wonderful!” Victoria hopped up with a noticeable bounce. “It’s a date.”

  “I...” Trent stood as well. “Shall we head down now?”

  Ruby hurried over before Victoria could answer. “Oh, I want to go right now! Do you want me to become a sword, Master, or should I help you escort Vicky?”

  Victoria hurried over too, and for a moment, he was afraid she was going to loop her arm through his. She obviously thought about it. Yet, at the last moment, her sense of propriety intervened. She paused a pace away and smiled warmly at him.

  “Lead the way, Sir Marston.”

  He ignored the way his heart pounded when he was next to her and smiled at Ruby. “I’ll lead our procession. You walk behind her. We’ll keep her safely between us.”

  Victoria nodded. “That’s more than acceptable. I trust you both.”

  “Then... this way, Highness.”

  They left her quarters with Victoria trailing a step behind him and Ruby walking closely behind her. The empty sheath on Trent’s back felt so light without Ruby’s reassuring weight inside it. He had his boot daggers and his father’s skinning knife, but nothing more.

  Yet today, he needed Ruby’s eyes more than he needed her blade, at least inside the monastery. She would spot anyone who got too close before they could approach near enough to potentially harm Victoria. Sapphire and Crane had been ruthless in their interrogation of newcomers, and everyone in the monastery seemed loyal... but they couldn’t relax.

  Captain Kyle had also seemed perfectly loyal, right up until he tried to chop off Victoria’s head.

  Once they emerged from Victoria’s building, the soldiers on duty asked if she wished them to accompany her. She assured them she’d be fine with her first knight and his mageblade, and they respectfully inclined their heads. Trent then set off for the training yard.

  As they walked, soldiers who were paying attention poked each other and gawked at Princess Victoria as she strode through the yard. Many saluted or bowed, and Victoria gracefully acknowledged everyone she could with a smile and a wave.

  Watching Victoria walk through the monastery, and seeing how much the soldiers here adored her, reassured Trent that once they had Tallun off the throne, Victoria could ascend with little difficulty. People adored her in Whitebridge, too. They simply thought she was dead.

  When they reached the training yard, it wasn’t hard to spot Emerald. She looked fantastic in her tight green leather armor, with the faint green in her dark hair shimmering in the overhead light. She drew back a mechanical bow and sighted along its length.

  As she loosed her arrow, the bowstring passed so close to her cheek that Trent was amazed it hadn’t struck her. A lock of Emerald’s dark hair stirred with the string’s passing. Her arrow was in the bullseye of the distant target before Trent could blink.

  Those mechanical bows really were something. Perhaps constructing more of them was one of the “important tasks” Princess Victoria had Lachlan engaged in at the moment. Even Dalry’s best longbows couldn’t match these, and only Braedon’s garrison in Clarion had them.

  Trent wondered how long it would be before the watch commander with whom he’d made a deal figured out there were no more bows coming. He didn’t feel bad about the deception. The man had arrested him and his wives, and he could likely sell each individual bow for more once he figured out they were even more rare than he knew.

  It was simply too bad that “Trenton Gale” had vanished into the wilderness.

  Emerald pulled another arrow from her quiver, then loosed and drew twice with a speed that Trent found difficult to track. Arrows thunked almost simultaneously into the bullseyes of a second target and a third, and the soldiers around Emerald all erupted in applause.

  Emerald took a graceful bow, straightened, then glanced at Trent. She grinned and winked. She said something to one of the soldiers and handed him the mechanical bow she’d been using, then offered a friendly wave before striding over to meet with Trent and his party.

  Trent watched her in bemusement as the soldiers whom she’d been showing off for all stared after her with besotted expressions. He suspected that if Emerald remained at the monastery, she would soon have as many fans as Ruby. Fortunately, while the other soldiers here appreciated the beauty of his wives, they also knew they were his wives.

  Emerald reached them, then bowed again. “Princess! How lovely to see you out and about. Are you joining us for the tour of the orrery?”

  Princess Victoria nodded regally. “Yes. I’d very much like to see one. My mother was planning to build one in Whitebridge years ago, but we never finished it.”

  “Oh? Did she get distracted?”

  “There was a large fire near the docks in the fourth district. Many homes were wiped out. She relocated the coin set aside for the orrery to rebuild them.”

  Emerald nodded approvingly. “Your mother sounds like a smart woman.”

  “She was.” Victoria’s eyes went distant for a moment before she returned to the present. “Where will we find this orrery?”

  “It’s deep beneath the monastery, but I know the way. Shall we go right now, or do you need to gather a few more escorts first?”

  “I’m certain those here can keep me safe. So, please. Let’s take the tour.”

  Emerald strode off at a respectable pace. Victoria had to lift her skirts with both hands to match it, but she did so with an eagerness that told Trent she appreciated any excuse to stop gliding around so regally all the time. He found himself imagining how Victoria would look in a pair of Bethany’s tight hunting pants. Her long, slim legs would look fantastic.

  He knocked that thought out of his mind, as well as his memory of accidentally cupping Victoria’s royal bottom when she dropped down a laundry chute in the chapel school in Whitebridge... and into his arms. She was his princess. She was not going to be his wife.

  It was simply the fact that she was off-limits that made her so alluring.

  Trent recognized the building to which Emerald led them. This was the workshop he, Ruby, and Bethany had explored the first day they arrived in the monastery. It was where the Enchanter made all of his wondrous devices, and where his automatons came to “charge” themselves with the power of kalor crystals when not going about their duties.

  It made sense that they would need to pass through the workshop to get to the orrery. It was likely powered by the same kalor crystals as the rest of the monastery. If it was as grand as Emerald claimed, having it close to the forges would allow it to be easily powered.

  When Trent entered the workshop, he was surprised to find it busy. Automatons stood at attention around the edges of the space, but people were actually working at its many tables, forges, and anvils. Artisans loyal to Princess Victoria looked to be hard at work.

  Several of the smiths working here looked up, gawked at the sight of the crown princess touring their workshop, and immediately bowed their heads. Others didn’t notice anything until Victoria was halfway across the workshop, and then only when their fellows alerted them.

  Victoria gently touched Trent’s arm, which was his cue to pause. She stood looking over the bowed heads of the gathered artisans and offered a warm smile.

  “Please, don’t stop on my account. I want you all to know how much I appreciate the hard work you’re doing, and that I am grateful we can count on your expertise to ensure our soldiers have the finest weapons and armor available. All of you work wonders.”

  A murmur of appreciative words rose from the smiths, leatherworkers, and others, who all looked appropriately awed by Victoria’s vote of confidence. Trent hid his smile at their reactions. Victoria knew how to motivate people, not through fear, but through loyalty.

  She might not believe it herself, but she would make an excellent ruler.

  When Victoria turned and moved on, Emerald led the way once more without batting an eye. They left the workshop and headed down a hallway before a door whisked open silently in the wall. That led to a set of spiral steps that wound around and around, and again, Trent found his mind struggling to grasp the sheer scale of the Enchanter’s monastery.

  None of the rooms fit inside the buildings. Every room in every building was bigger than the building containing it, and some had rooms inside them that seemed even less comprehensible. Revca had spoken of magnification magic, but even she didn’t understand it.

  Lachlan knew so much that no one in his world understood any longer. Yet even a man with that much experience and magical knowledge couldn’t think of a way to find Ivy’s soul and retrieve it from the Firmament.

  All that meant was that when Trent did find Ivy’s soul, it would make the deed all the more impressive. The first priority was finding another eclipse, then intercepting it. He couldn’t figure out the rest of this path until he took the first step, after all.

  Chapter Thirteen

  They passed through several more hallways lit by glassed-in lights that flashed on when they approached and off as they left. Trent didn’t see anyone controlling the lights, and he doubted someone would spend time down here simply for that. They must turn off and on through some sort of magic... or perhaps in response to pressure plates. Like a trap might operate.

  The last spiral staircase they descended was the longest. When they finally emerged from it into a huge underground chamber, Trent sucked in his breath. The chamber wasn’t as large as the huge underground reservoir that ensured the hundreds of people now living at the monastery had clean, clear water to drink, but it was still larger than it should be.

  There was a false sky above them, a sprawling black expanse of painted stone and tiny bulbs. What must be thousands of tiny lights gleamed just like the stars in the sky. In the gloom of the chamber, it really did look like there was a night sky above them.

  The Enchanter’s orrery filled the room, and it truly was magnificent. A huge golden sphere sat in the center of the room, easily as big as a house in Whitebridge. A metal column rose from the center of the large golden sphere, ending in a round disc.

  Deceptively thin brass struts that only looked delicate thanks to the size of the central sphere were set into the disc on the top of the column. Tiny spheres hung at the ends of the spindly struts like decorations on a tree during the Solstice Festival. Even tinier spheres extended from those on brass wires that were so narrow as to be scarcely detectable.

  As Trent looked the orrery over, he counted the spheres. There were eight, all of different sizes, with one of the largest also hanging the furthest out. It seemed like the weight of the spheres should bend the struts at any moment, but this orrery was masterfully made.

  Victoria clapped her hands together in delight. “Oh, it’s marvelous!”

  Seeing his princess staring in wonder at this fantastic contraption made Trent smile. After Victoria had endured so much, both with her mother’s death and her father’s betrayal, it felt wonderful to see her look genuinely happy, at least for a time.

  Ruby grinned proudly when she saw Victoria’s expression. “Oh, I’d forgotten how pretty this place is! I wish I’d spent more time down here.”

  Emerald smirked at her. “You were too busy playing in the mud.”

  “I never played in mud!”

  “You spent hours in the mud.”

  “Not once I was older! I was fencing, or riding, or learning my letters.”

  “You always were the Enchanter’s pet.” Emerald spoke with affection rather than annoyance. “I’m so glad you didn’t end up bonded to some boorish nobleman. Trent seems much nicer. And better looking, too.”

  Ruby grinned proudly. “Oh, he is so handsome! And wonderful. I can’t imagine loving anyone but my master.”

  Trent stepped closer to her and rubbed her back. “Me too, Ruby.”

  Emerald strode across the room toward a set of levers Trent could barely make out in the gloom. “You should have seen the place back then, Trent. The Enchanter had imported dozens of plants from across the world. That plain old courtyard up there was a forest of colors and plants I’ve never seen anywhere else.”

  As Trent stood beside Ruby with his hand on her back, Princess Victoria subtly moved a step closer to him. Their arms touched. He pondered moving away, but what would he do if she moved close to him again? He tolerated the contact to make her feel comfortable.

  Ruby leaned into him. “If only they hadn’t burned it all down.”

  Emerald glanced back sharply as she reached the series of levers. “Is that what happened? I wondered why the place looked so bare. I figured maybe the old man just got bored with all the upkeep on the plants and let them die.”

  Trent realized then that they hadn’t had time to tell Emerald what they had learned from Princess Victoria about how her ancestor had lied about Ruby’s enchantment and tried to get Lachlan killed. He glanced at her to find her looking up at him hopefully.

  “Princess? Ruby told me you know all about what happened to the monastery.”

  Victoria brightened, then sighed. “I’m afraid that’s the fault of my ancestor.”

  Emerald cranked a lever. “Sounds interesting.”

  Victoria reflexively snapped her arms around Trent’s waist as a loud metallic creak echoed through the chamber. As Trent stared in wonder, the creaking subsided into a more balanced mechanical whirring. Victoria flattened her body against him as she stared up.