The Beginning of Everything by Kristen Ashley Page 0,55
have warned us.”
“I do not wish to note this, but I will,” Mars began. “He was in this very palace with you, and me, and Father the night before his blade struck treacherous and true. He was my second father. I spent much time with him the whole of my life. He was my father’s most trusted lieutenant, and Father spent much time with him as well. And he, and Sofia, often joined you and Father in your bedchambers. And we, not one of us, understood his duplicity.”
She turned a face set stubborn away from him.
“Just think on it, Mama, this is all I ask, and this will be the only time we discuss it.”
Elpis faced forward and mumbled, “And for that last I will be glad.”
Mars sighed again and moved her down the hall.
As they descended the stairs, he noted the vestibule was crowded.
All had gathered to begin the procession.
But his eyes searched for her.
And his cock made itself known when he saw her.
By the gods.
“Mars, may I have a word?”
He turned his head with annoyance when he had to take his gaze away from Silence.
Prince True.
“We have a parade to attend,” he reminded the prince.
“One moment, and it’s important,” True replied, glanced at Elpis, gave a small smile with a small bow and then he looked back to Mars. “And with respect to you both, I need this moment to be alone.”
“I’ll make my way to my steed and ask the others to follow,” Elpis said. “My son,” she dipped her chin to Mars. “Prince True,” she repeated the gesture.
With that, she waded into the bodies in the vestibule.
Mars looked to True.
“A moment,” he granted.
True didn’t waste that moment.
“Neither Farah nor Sofia will participate in the procession,” he announced.
Mars stared at him.
True wasn’t finished.
“My men have gone ahead to search for a safe place for them to watch the arena without anyone seeing them so they won’t miss anything. But they won’t be sitting on the podium. After this, they’ll be escorted to the reception tent, again without anyone seeing them.”
“Both Farah and Sofia enjoy Firenz events, True,” Mars told him. “They’ve been away from them for years. But also, Farah is your bride, you’re a part of the procession and you should sit on the podium with your betrothed.”
“Your mother doesn’t forgive them, which is understandable. But can you stand there and guarantee me that every citizen of Firenze does?”
Fuck, he had not thought of this.
And thinking on it, he saw the wisdom in True’s caution.
However, in that moment, he had to assess the wisdom of trusting True with their protection.
They locked eyes.
“Your men will guard them?” Mars asked.
“My father’s guard will be the Dellish representatives in the procession. Alfie, Wallace, Luther, Bram and Florian will remain behind to escort Farah and Sofia to the arena. They’ll also stay with them.”
Mars had met these men.
He had sat with these men.
They were True’s entire personal guard.
True had Farah’s best interests at heart.
And Sofia’s.
And True mentioned it but made no judgment about Elpis’s feelings on this matter. He simply made his point without driving it home in other ways that would not be welcome.
A good general.
A good diplomat.
Perhaps just a good man.
An oddity for a Dellish.
A boon for Farah.
Mars liked this.
“It will be done,” Mars murmured.
“My gratitude, Your Grace,” True replied, dipped his chin and turned, moving through the quickly clearing entryway on a path to Farah.
Finally, Mars was able to turn his complete attention to Silence and he did this as he walked to her.
She wore a gown not of Wodell. It was not of Airen. It wasn’t even of Firenze.
He’d never seen anything of the like.
A red nearly the exact same shade of his cloak. It ran in gathers over her shoulders, covering her breasts (mostly, part of the swells down the middle could be seen). Under them, the cloth was attached to a wide belt of the same material that had horizontal gathers, rather than the vertical at her breasts and skirt. That panel molded to her midriff, stomach and upper hips and from it, the same silk floated down and swept the floor.
Her hair was up in a profuse bundle of loose curls that covered the entire back of her head.
But at the front and through the curls were threaded a multitude of gold chains that seemed to link in a knot behind her left ear. There, a number of strands tangled, falling down the wide path of bare, ivory skin of her front, between