“Ah, yes,” the young man said. The smile was melting off his face.
“Besides, his dates don’t all disappear.” She gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. “Only the ones he doesn’t like.”
The young man slowly backed away. “I see.”
“Oh, look! There’s Julian now.” Noa gave a big wave in the direction of a potted plant. When she turned back to the young man, he was halfway across the room. She gave a satisfied snort. She would have to remember that one. She leaned against a column, her eyes fixed on the obsidian clock that took up half a wall.
Four hours until she saw Mom again. She felt dizzy, then sick. Where was Julian?
“There you are!” Kell called, slicing her way easily through the guests, who sprang aside as soon as they realized who she was. “I heard you had quite the adventure last night. Wish I’d been there to see His Royal Highness give that traitor the comeuppance she deserved.”
Noa nodded faintly. It felt like the sea serpent rescue mission had happened weeks ago.
“Still queasy?” Kell squeezed Noa’s shoulder with her calloused hand. “You look like you swallowed a fire lizard.”
Noa shook her head. The thistledown feeling faded a bit under the weight of Kell’s concern. “Is Julian here yet?”
“Just arrived with General Lydio—there’s a sly old fox if I ever saw one. Come on, they’re waiting for us.”
Noa took a deep breath. She wasn’t in the mood for any of this, but part of her couldn’t help feeling pleased at the prospect of sitting next to Julian at the head of the royal table while he officially welcomed an ally for the first time.
Julian was resplendent in a new black cloak with glittering dragons embroidered into the sleeves. His hair was actually clean and brushed, and he was smiling warmly as he spoke to a man with blondish hair and a pointed nose. He looked every bit like a king, and the other guests seemed to sense it, too, for they all maintained a respectful distance, even his own mages.
“General,” Julian said, motioning to Noa as she approached with Mite stuck to her heels like a barnacle, “these are my sisters, Noa and Maita.”
Noa wasn’t sure if General Lydio could see Mite from that angle, but he greeted them good-naturedly anyway. Noa didn’t think he looked much like a fox. He looked old and small, and he was wearing many layers of expensive fabric from which his head stuck out like a turtle’s.
“I hear you’re the brains behind the throne,” he said to Noa with a wink, and Noa understood then what Kell meant, because he was clearly trying to flatter her. “Perhaps you can advise me on whether I’m making the right decision in siding with your brother.”
Noa tore her eyes from the clock and forced herself to focus on the general. This man could become Julian’s most important ally. “It’s the right decision,” she said. “Julian is the rightful king of Florean, after all. Whether it’s a smart decision or not, I don’t know. Which island are you from?”
General Lydio paused, as if he hadn’t expected this. He looked at Noa with actual interest, not just flattering interest. “Sevrilla.”
Noa nodded. “That’s close to the islands Julian already controls. You probably wouldn’t have to worry about King Xavier attacking it to get revenge on you for switching sides. And of course, you would be the first general to side with Julian, so you’d be rewarded after he becomes king. Strategically, I’d say it’s the smart decision.”
Julian looked amused. General Lydio blinked rapidly. A slow, genuine smile spread across his face.
“Most impressive,” he said. “I’ve been thinking this over for months, and you summed it up in ten seconds. And I suppose the little one is a whiz at economics, is she?” Mite, who had been poking her head out from behind Noa to watch the conversation, flushed and disappeared again.
“Though you’ve left out one thing,” the general went on. “I’ve long been troubled by the rumors I’ve been hearing about Xavier. Some of his councillors whisper that he’s planning to expand his campaign against dark mages. That he wants magic wiped out in Florean altogether. If that happens, I fear it’s only a matter of time before one of the kingdoms of South Meruna attacks us. They hate magic, but they also fear it, and if Florean’s mages disappear, all that will be left is their hatred of us.” He smiled faintly. “You might guess that as a general, I spend most of my time thinking about war. But in fact, I think about preventing it. Your brother is better for Florean than Xavier.” He grimaced, glancing across the room at Kell. “Despite the company he keeps.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed. “Captain Kell is one of my most valued councillors.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” General Lydio bowed his head, though his expression was carefully blank, and Noa knew he wasn’t convinced. He wandered off to speak to a woman even smaller than him, who Noa assumed was his wife.
“You gave our guest a turn,” Julian said, smiling at her. “Lydio says he supports me, but whether he’ll do anything about it is another question. It sounded like you gave him a push in the right direction, my Noabell.”
She felt her anger at him crumble away in the face of that familiar smile. “Julian,” she said quietly, “I need to talk to you. This afternoon, in the tower—”
“I’m a little busy,” he said, motioning to Kell. “Can it wait until after the banquet?”
Noa glared at the side of his head. “No, it can’t,” she said, pulling out her chair. “You should probably sit down first—”
“What are you doing?” Julian said.
Noa blinked. “Is sitting down not allowed at this banquet?”
“Oh—I’m sorry, Noa. That seat is for General Lydio. His wife sits next to him, and Renne and Kell are at my right hand. You understand—as much as the general seems to like you, it would look strange to have
