Storm Born Page 0,73

better than their king. So they too faked their own sort of appalling game play. Watching it was comical. I felt like I was in a scene from Alice in Wonderland. Having no such qualms about winning, I played normally, and even with aching muscles and no practice, I won pretty handily.

Dorian couldn't have been happier. He clasped his hands together, laughing. "Oh, outstanding. This is the best game I've played in years. These sheep won't know what to do now." He glanced at his fellow players and beckoned them toward the building. "Go, go, your shepherd is tired of you all."

I watched them go. "You don't really treat them...respectfully."

"Because they deserve none. Did you see the preposterous way they acted in that game? Now imagine that happening every second, every day of your life. That's what it's like to be royalty, to live at court among courtiers. Be happy you have no true throne yet. It's all simpering and groupthink."

I almost heard a touch of bitterness in his light voice. Almost.

A servant handed my coat back, and Dorian addressed her and a couple of guards. "Lady Markham and I are going to take a walk now through the eastern orchard. Seeing as she's dressed for business, I imagine she wants to speak alone. Follow, but keep your distance."

Turning, he offered me his arm again and led me off into one of the garden's winding turns, into a dense apple orchard. Like the other trees I'd seen, these were filled with fruit. Still more apples lay on the ground, round and red and waiting to be eaten.

When we were sufficiently alone, I said, "I'm not dressed for business, not in these shoes. I was dressed for business the last time I was here."

He gave me a sidelong look. "Women who show up looking as lovely as you do after barely stomaching my presence last time do not come on pleasure. They come for business."

"You're a cynic."

"A pragmatist. But, business or pleasure, it becomes you." He sighed happily. "I do so wish more of our women would wear pants like those. The warriors often do but not nearly so tight."

"Thanks...I think."

We walked on at a leisurely pace while the sky turned orange and scarlet.

"So I imagine you've changed in other ways since our last encounter. The very fact that you've come here so congenially indicates as much."

"Yes." I narrowed my eyes. "You know, I don't appreciate you telling me that Storm King bedtime story when all the time you knew I didn't know what was going on."

"Mean, perhaps. But also amusing - were you in my place. Besides, I did you a service of sorts. I provided necessary background information, Lady Markham."

"Don't say 'Lady Markham.' It sounds weird."

"I've got to call you something. Our normal rules of etiquette don't exactly outline anything for your situation. You are the daughter of a king without a kingdom. You are royalty but not quite royal. So you are addressed like a noble."

"Well, then, only use it in public. Or stick to 'Odile.'"

"What about 'Eugenie'?"

"Fine."

Silence fell between us. The orchard seemed to go on forever.

"Do you want to tell me why you're here yet? Or should I think up some other pleasantries to discuss?"

I repressed a laugh. Dorian played flamboyant and scattered, but he wasn't a fool.

"I need a favor."

"Ah, so it is business after all."

I stopped walking, and he stopped with me. Looking down at me, he waited patiently, his face pleasantly neutral. I shivered as another breeze stole through, and he took my coat from me, helping me slip it on.

I wrapped my arms around myself, grateful for the coat's warmth. Sexy was cold.

"I conjured a storm yesterday."

"Did you now?" His voice held less levity and more calculation. "What happened?"

I told him the story, just as I had for Maiwenn and Kiyo.

"What were you thinking when it happened?"

At first, I thought he was chastising me. Sort of like when you do something stupid and your mom asks, Are you insane? What were you thinking?

"Like how I felt? What was going through my head?"

He nodded.

"I don't know. I guess I went through a lot of moods. When it all started...I mean, I felt the same as for any other attack. Planned out what I would do, focused for a banishing. But once my mom got involved...I started to lose it."

"And when Corwyn had you trapped?"

"Who?"

"The elemental. He was one of Aeson's men. The spirits you banished came back telling tales, though admittedly, no one's