“Excuse me,” Royston said, startling me. He bowed when we both turned to meet his gaze, and when he straightened up he kept his eyes on Kouje, as though he were someone to be wary of. Then again, I rather supposed he was. I hadn’t been conscious for the scenes Kouje had caused—memories that he and Royston shared, and which echoed in the wary, intrigued amusement in Royston’s eyes.
“We couldn’t help overhearing,” Antoinette added, resting a hand on Royston’s arm. “We must insist that, if there is any information you’ve been keeping from us, now would certainly be the time to share it. It could mean the difference between a speedy recovery and, well… A speedy recovery is preferable, I believe. Especially since Your Highness expressed a desire to see the Esar as soon as possible.”
Kouje turned to look at me, surprise mixed with something else in his face. He nodded slowly.
“I will speak with you,” he said. “Perhaps while my lord prepares himself for his audience?”
There it was again, the feeling that somewhere along the way Kouje had learned something I hadn’t, and he had no intentions of sharing it with me.
“My retainer knows more of the situation than I do, it would seem,” I acquiesced. I’d trusted him for so long, and he had proven himself far better than my equal. Even if I was royalty, friendship and expediency demanded that I give him his autonomy.
“Then I shall escort you to the Esar,” Royston said, “for he is very keen to meet you.”
“And I will discuss things with your retainer,” Antoinette added. “That is, if this delegation of actions is agreeable to you.”
Kouje looked after me with a flash of panic in his eyes, then glanced to the open window, where sunlight streamed into the already bright room. He nodded to me, once.
“It is most agreeable,” I said.
“I take it that haste will also be agreeable,” Royston said, while he and Kouje helped me from the bed. I felt separated from my body still, though how much of that was the fever and how much of that was the Volstov magic, I was uncertain.
“Will you be able to stand?” Kouje asked.
“Will you?” I countered.
Beside me, Royston snorted, though not impolitely; I saw, too, that the velikaia Antoinette was stifling a smile. “Come,” she said, gesturing to Kouje. “All will go faster this way.”
“And as for us,” Royston said, “with your permission, I will teach you as we walk how to address our Esar.”
“Is he very far away?” I asked, accompanying Royston from the room. He held one arm out for me, and I wished we’d been alone, rather than accompanied by three of the men who’d been in the room when I awoke. They were not magicians, I decided just by looking at them, but guards. I was hardly dangerous in my condition, but I supposed they had no reason to believe this wasn’t a ploy of some sort.
“Not to worry,” Royston replied wryly. “It is much less difficult to address our leader than it is to address yours. No offense, of course; merely a statement of truth.”
“I understand,” I replied.
“In fact, you need only bow slightly to him to flatter his ego, and he will bow back, to flatter yours. But I doubt we’ll waste much time on formalities. The real crux of the matter is that he wishes to speak with you. So much so, in fact, that he has come to the Basquiat in order to meet with you as quickly as possible. If we have the time later, then I will explain why that is such an interesting break with protocol. Isn’t it a lucky thing that these faithful guards have no idea what I’m saying to you?”
“I have some information of interest to him,” I said.
“Ah,” Royston said. “I look forward to translating it.”
I was led down one impressive hall into one even more imposing than the last. The walls were hung with draperies, the wood carved to the very last detail, and the ceilings high. All was open to the sunlight, which shone in through enormous windows of stained glass and turned my skin all different colors as we walked. It was like passing into another world entirely.
There was too much color and too much light to appreciate the beauty beneath it. It was enough for me that I was placing one foot in front of the other without leaning too heavily on my impromptu