glance at it one day and boom! That’s Agatha, or a twin sister. Could be her mother, I guess, but I think it’s her. The dress style isn’t that old.”
I studied the image, finding it hard to reconcile the plump, even merry woman in the painting with thin, enervated Agatha the weaver. Brenda was right, though: The resemblance was too perfect to be coincidence. “And she was captive in Yekpehr, but escaped.”
“Yeah. I was surprised as you all to discover that tidbit.”
“Have you spoken with her since we returned from the citadel?”
“Last night was the first time she came out of her rooms since you got back. She only stayed for a little while.”
“Think she’ll go back with us?”
“Hard to say—but I’ll find out.”
“Thanks, General.”
She smiled a little at that, though sadly. “By the way, I will go with you.”
“You sure?”
“Never been more sure. If one or more of my brothers and sisters are in there, I owe it to them to do this.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
* * *
I made it back to our rooms ahead of Lia, but just barely. I’d just poured some fresh water for Vesno from a pitcher into a bowl at the station Ibolya had thoughtfully set up for him when the doors opened and Lia glided in.
Even though Lia still hadn’t resumed the ritual of entertaining the Morning Glories, I’d vacated her bed at Ibolya’s knock and left the ladies to their grooming. So aside from a sleepy wake-up kiss, I hadn’t seen Lia yet that day.
She’d continued in the same vein as the night before, wearing a slinky gown that looked almost like a dressing robe to me. Except fancy. A pretty coppery color that matched some of the dark gold in her new crown and brought out her pale skin and jewel-like eyes, the robe had long sleeves that ended in huge cuffs bordered with a black angular pattern. The deep vee in front, bordered with the same pattern, showed off a lot of her breasts—which were obviously otherwise naked—and then a big black sash twice the width of my hand cinched her waist, tied off to the side in a giant, intricate bow. The robe divided over her long, lovely thighs, skimming to her sleek black heels. Along the bottom hem, stylized figures danced along the angular border, as if in worship. Hard to blame them.
Spotting me, she blushed, a pretty pinking of her high cheekbones. I grinned at her and she rolled her eyes. Yeah, the pair of us. You’d think we were kids.
Sondra muttered something and stalked over to flop on a sofa while Ibolya started to greet me, then cried out in dismay. “Oh, Conrí, I’d just had him bathed.”
I followed her gaze to Vesno, currently lapping up water and shedding sand with equal enthusiasm. He’d probably tracked it all through the portrait gallery and palace, too. Oops. “Sorry, Ibolya.”
She gave me an exasperated look, and I couldn’t help smiling. I’d rather she treated me like a pain-in-the-ass brother than the formal bowing and scraping. Of course, that made me think of Rhéiane, and her brilliant smile, her youth and innocence. Would any of that girl remain? I pushed that thought aside. I was going after her as soon as I could. I had to help Lia wrestle Calanthe first. Since it was my fault she had to do this in the first place, I owed her that.
“I’ll have to see him bathed if he’s going to ride in the carriage with You, Your Highness.”
Lia looked up from a scroll she’d been reading, one of a number that had been piled on her private desk in the short few hours we’d been gone. “No need. He’ll just get dirty again, since we’ll be riding to the temple.”
“Ride, Your Highness?” Ibolya repeated, somewhat faintly.
“Yes, on horseback,” Lia clarified unnecessarily, sliding me a serene look, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Conrí prefers it.”
“Ambrose is not fond of riding horses,” Sondra commented.
“But he can do it, and has,” I supplied. “Is Ambrose coming with us, though?”
“Yes.” Lia tossed the scroll aside, rubbing her twig hand with the good one. It must be itching or aching. Both, maybe. Her face darkened with concern. “I’ll need him to reach Merle before I attempt anything else. More disaster reports have come in. Abating the storm helped, but the earth tremors are worsening. I don’t want to delay any longer.”
“How soon do you want to leave?”
“Immediately. I can leave as soon as we pack