red beneath his tan. Tobin reached up and fingered the elegant silver chain she had given him years ago, each flat link set with a small diamond so it seemed that his strong throat was circled by stars.
“Sentimentalist,” she accused fondly.
Andrade had decided that enough was enough. “Ostvel, let the girl breathe!”
The crowd dissolved into laughter. Musicians began to play as friends and families hurried forward to congratulate the newly wedded couples. Tobin and Chay found Eltanin and his bride, who seemed to be competing with each other in a blushing contest, then looked around for Rohan.
“They’re all wondering why he wasn’t first today with a bride of his own,” Chay observed, grinning. “How did Ianthe ever get the nerve to show up?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. Where is that miserable brother of mine? And for that matter, what happened to Sioned?”
“Andrade, too,” Chay said, scanning the crowd with narrowed eyes, no longer smiling. “She has some explaining to do.”
“Don’t they all?”
They made their way to the outskirts of the crowd and Tobin caught sight of a blond head and a red-gold one. Sioned was moving like an old woman, Rohan supporting every faltering step. He glanced around when Tobin called his name. Fear had taken all the joy from his eyes. “It’s that damned drug he gave her,” he said. “I should have killed him.”
Chaynal put an arm around Sioned’s bent shoulders. “Rough night last night, hmm?” he asked lightly.
“You could say that. Goddess, what a headache! It comes and goes with as much warning as the fogs at Goddess Keep.”
“What did he give you?” Tobin asked as they continued down the hill.
“I don’t know. I felt all right, and then I felt terrible—” She managed a smile for Rohan. “And then I felt wonderful.”
“I’ll bet you did,” Chay replied to keep the bracing banter going.
“Oh, shut up,” Rohan muttered, crimson to his ear-lobes. But there was a smug gleam in his eyes that brought a muffled giggle to Tobin’s lips.
“I can hardly wait to hear the whole story,” Chay went on.
“Tobin, you didn’t tell him?” Rohan asked.
“There wasn’t time.” She fell silent as they reached the camp, and went ahead to pull aside the flaps of Rohan’s tent. The two men half-carried Sioned inside, and Walvis was there at once with pillows to put behind her head as she wilted onto Rohan’s bed.
“I’ll go find Lady Andrade,” the squire said without being told, and vanished.
Rohan sat beside Sioned, smoothing the hair back from her forehead, holding her hand. A deadly anger competed with the aching tenderness in his eyes. Tobin exchanged a glance with Chay, and they both pulled up low stools and sat down.
“You and Roelstra aren’t just on opposite sides anymore,” Tobin said. “You’re enemies.”
“I should’ve killed him,” Rohan said again.
“Come on, out with it,” Chay said impatiently. “I want to hear it all.”
Rohan was spare in the telling. Sioned said nothing, merely gazed up at him, until he reached the part about the two of them walking along the river. She smiled, saying, “I think he’ll forgive you the details of what happened after that.” Rohan blushed again, and Tobin grinned at her husband.
“This morning,” Rohan went on, glowering at his brother-by-marriage as if daring him to tease, “we woke up and found Roelstra’s barge on fire. That’s the part I want to hear from Andrade. If anybody knows what happened, she will.”
“Nobody told you?” Chay asked, all humor gone.
“I don’t listen to rumors.”
“Neither do I,” Andrade said from behind them. She took a swift assessing look at Sioned, frowning. “The dranath?”
“If that’s the name of the drug, then yes,” the Sunrunner replied.
Andrade gestured peremptorily, and Chaynal brought her a chair. She sat down, folded her hands in her lap, and announced, “The royal mistress gave birth last night. For reasons unconnected to the fact that it was another daughter, Roelstra burned Palila in her bed.”
“Goddess!” Sioned breathed. “Rohan, I wish you had killed him!” Andrade nodded. “So do I. What are the symptoms of this drug?”
“A grandsire dragon of a headache. It comes and goes.”
“Was there any odd taste to the wine?”
“It was Giladan, but I don’t know enough about the variety to say if there was anything wrong with the taste.”
“Damn,” Andrade muttered. “Will you be able to appear tonight?”
“Of course I will!” Sioned tried to sit up.
Rohan pushed her gently back down. “You’re not well enough. Don’t even think about—”
“I’ll be there,” she said stubbornly. “Try and stop me!”