Dangerous Crowns by A.K. Fedeau

Author:A.K. Fedeau [Fedeau, A.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A.K. Fedeau
Published: 2019-03-14T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

The next night, the Moonlight Festival lit up the palace again, with wine and smoldering incense that filled the whole first floor.

The courtiers gambled and drank the way they had the night before, as the piles of desserts around them went cold in the evening air. The servants refilled the empty goblets and the oil lamps, and they tapped their toes to the music in the safety of the unlit halls. And Marcus strode by the courtiers toward a marble balcony, bathed in the pale golden light that glowed in the garden below.

All right. You can do this. Marcus straightened his collar and cleared his throat. If she comes over, don’t run. Keep her talking as long as you can.

Sure enough, Camilla excused herself and took another goblet of wine, and swept her skirt into her free hand as she followed him out. So instead of moving away, Marcus stood rooted to the spot, and let Camilla swish over to him in her pale pink satin dress.

“Evening, General Incipio.”

Marcus nodded at her. “Hello.”

“Where’s Livia?”

“She has a headache. She’s in her room for the evening.”

“Oh.” Camilla set her goblet next to Marcus’ hand on the rail. “Well, that’s a shame. It’s boring to spend the Moonlight Festival alone.”

Marcus gave her a small, uncomfortable grin. “It’s not so bad. I’ve seen worse.”

“I’m sure you’ve seen worse, sweetheart. That doesn’t mean you’re having fun.”

As Camilla turned to face him, Marcus smelled wine on her breath, and when she glanced over her shoulder, he saw a glassy sheen in her eyes.

Camilla smiled. “Let me keep you company.”

Marcus stiffened his grin. “All right.”

“Come on. I’m not going to hurt you.” Camilla poked his shoulder a little too hard. “You always look so serious. You ought to let your hair down sometime.”

“I’m afraid this is all the hair I have.”

“I thought you’d say something like that.” Camilla brushed his forearm as she reached for her wine. “How do I always seem to find the ones with no sense of humor?”

“I don’t know.”

“I do. I’ve got a weakness for military men.”

Camilla took a sip of her wine, then set it down again, and a servant stepped up to her, refilled her goblet, and slipped away. Marcus laced his fingers for lack of anywhere to put his hands - until he spied a bowl of oranges beside him, reached over, and picked one up.

“Tell me, Marcus. Do you ever get lonely up there at the front?”

“Of course.” Marcus sniffed the orange. “I think every soldier does.”

“Even the Severins and Jormunds?”

“I’m sure.” Marcus scraped the green nub at the orange’s end. “They’re no different from us. They have people waiting for them at home.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were getting soft on them.”

“Soft? No. Just observant.” Marcus smirked. “They were our allies ten years ago.”

Marcus leaned against the railing and gripped the orange in his hand, then dug his other thumbnail into the cool, leathery flesh.

“You know what I wonder?” Camilla asked.

“I genuinely don’t know.

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