Damn. Adelei inclined her head. “My apologies, sir. You’re correct, though I am making a list of guests.”
“What for?”
Her toes curled in her boots. “Does Shad have sepiers?”
“Depends. What’s a sepier?”
Ladies and lords of great importance moved through the hallway as their rooms were given, and the steward brushed by Adelei in a rush. “No, no, not that room—the Rouge Room I said—” he called. For a moment, the cacophony muffled her words, and she waited until the group followed the steward to the other end of the hall.
“From what I gather, it’s a special assignment to the royal family. Doing odd tasks for them. Ensuring their safety. Those sorts of tasks,” she said.
He tilted his head and peered at her. “I imagine all sorts of odd tasks pop up. For one with your skills.” His hand held a small, wooden staff whose top was decorated by thirteen blackened spires. He reached up with the tip to touch the scar at the base of her jawline.
The staff bothered her, but the little man held such fire in his eyes, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Master Adelei, formerly of Sadai,” she said and held out her hand.
He accepted it, his grip strong for one with hair so white with age. “Master Echon of the House of Echana.”
She left her hand in his through will alone. “I-I hadn’t realized His Highness brought mystics with him on his journey.”
“Master Adelei, forgive my bluntness. You seem unnerved to see me.” She swallowed hard and kept her gaze on him. “I know other masters of my trade roam Sadai freely. What about my presence bothers you?”
“Forgive me,” she said with the incline of her head. “Our mystics serve the House of Sharmus, God of healing and protection. To serve Echana…”
“The Goddess of Chaos is, I would think, more aware of people’s needs than Sharmus. These times—bad times they are.” He struck his staff upon the stone floor once. “But I’m not a mystic. Not yet, anyway.” The old man pointed to the top of his staff with bony fingers. “If I was, the spires would be lit by Anur’s fire.”
Little old to be a trainee. Adelei glanced over his head at the clang of metal behind him, and Echon pulled the door closer to his back as he stepped partially into the hall. “Echon. That isn’t a Shadian name.”
“Adelei isn’t a Sadain name either.”
“True. I was wondering, though, I saw a young girl in the group with His Highness. Does the prince have a daughter?”
The old man pursed his lips together. “He does not. If there’s nothing else?”
He didn’t give her time to respond as he stepped back inside and closed the door behind him. Interesting. Adelei knocked on several more doors, but her knocks went unanswered.
Who is this child? And why would the prince bring mystics here? And one serving Echana no less. Adelei left the state hall by way of a now empty staircase. Nothing good comes from chaos. The palm of her sweaty hand still tingled from his touch, and she rubbed it across her long tunic.
Her not-so-casual stroll through the servant’s wing left her no clues. In fact, the moment one of the castle staff spotted her, a dozen heads ducked back into their rooms, leaving the area mysteriously absent of people. Adelei could have entered their rooms at will, but chose not to make more enemies than necessary. Not yet anyway.
Though I have a feeling that will change.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Prince Gamun’s welcoming feast arrived with all the fanfare Adelei expected but little else. Everyone smiled at the royal couple. Everyone laughed at Prince Gamun’s jests. And everyone utterly ignored Adelei, who hovered nearby. She had several opportunities to politely inquire about the new guest and his court from Shad, but rarely did she speak a word before the person was caught again in the web of His Highness.
The creepy grin he shot her way when no one else was looking didn’t help. Adelei rubbed her arms as she sat before the fireplace in the King’s sitting room. A brief chill stood over Alesta. Windows were shuttered in the spring evening. She rubbed her fingers over her temples. It would have been nice to shutter her own eyes for a bit.
King Leon echoed her motion and took a sip of wine from his cup. “It’s creepy the way people are reluctant to discuss him,” said Adelei. “You can see the information on the tip of their tongues, but the minute they open their mouths to speak, their eyes gloss over and they forget, or they shrink in on themselves, afraid of him more than me. And that’s saying something.”
“Have you heard back from any of your Amaskan contacts?”
“Yes, I got word from a friend at the Order just before the dinner. But the information isn’t much better, I’m afraid. The rumors out there about this Prince are… are downright disturbing. I thought the rumors limited to Alexander but apparently not.”
“That’s an odd thought.”
Adelei bit her tongue. Not really, not if you are stealing land from neighboring kingdoms.
She gave a tired smile and continued, “But again, he covers his tracks. Anyone who’s a witness doesn’t live long enough to say anything. Not even the Amaskans have evidence on him, though that wouldn’t stop us from acting if necessary.”
“I thought the Amaskans followed an honor code of justice.”
“We do. Amaskans are like the local peacekeepers, just not limited to a specific locale. We often step in, especially when someone can’t be reached by the local law.” When her father’s frown deepened, she continued, “Let’s look at this Prince—everyone seems to think he’s guilty of great crimes, but proof hasn’t been found to one hundred percent confirm this. If you were to contract out the Amaskans on this, because the knowledge we do have leans toward his guilt, they would probably accept the contract and take care of
