A Dark and Starless Night

Chapter Twenty

Rik

Afternoon tea with Queen Leanna Varhindal was never an easy affair. Well, perhaps when Rik was a child, and all they had talked about was his lessons or his friends. But the older he'd grown, the more tiring the conversations had become. Now, her words were always accentuated with a pointed look, especially when she was talking about women she deemed suitable. It was exhausting on a good day and absolutely soul breaking on a day like today.

He had been sick with guilt from the moment he had said no to asking his father to intervene on Don's behalf. He knew his father would say no and that a lecture would likely follow about the moral and ethical obligations of a monarch.

He rubbed a hand over his face, exhaling sharply. It was a gods-awful mess. And he had done nothing to help except offer a lawyer. Some friend he was.

"Richard," his mother hissed, swatting his hand with her fan. "I asked you if you'd given any thoughts to the outfits I had sent to you for approval."

He suppressed a groan. His birthday was fast approaching, and the ball would be spectacular. Food, drink, dancing. Well, the dancing part he wasn't looking forward to. Normally, he didn't mind it. But his mother had already told him he'd be dancing with every young woman on her list of potential wives.

"I really haven't had a chance to look yet," he said, tapping his finger on the table. Don had been like an uncle to him, had often helped him slip away at boring events. He'd given him advice about all sorts of situations, although Rik had never given names for fear that Don might let it slip in front of Eve.

"Well, my dear, I would appreciate if you would," she said, placing her fan on the table. "We only have a few weeks until the big day, so we need to hurry with fittings and the like."

He hummed in unenthusiastic agreement. "I promise I'll look soon. I've a lot on my mind."

"As do I," she continued, not even missing a beat. "I heard from a few different sources something rather unsettling." His stomach dropped in anticipation for what she might say. "The Prince of the Sands has apparently been spotted by a few of the Islan ladies that have been visiting. Can you believe that he would come here to our city and not present himself?"

"No, Mother," he said, trying not to look too relieved. "I can't."

"Well, my sources are very reliable and-"

He managed to zone out without alerting her – he made the appropriate sounds at the appropriate time, all the while his thoughts were beginning to give him a headache.

He knew that the courts would seize Don's assets, but luckily the house was a Mintarryl property and not Don's own. It meant Eve would be able to stay there safely, although the property would have to be open to the guards to assist with their investigation. He wasn't sure how that sat with him, the idea that Eve would be living somewhere that would no longer be private to her. Maybe Fin would do some snooping if he asked nicely, and find out if the guards on the case were respectable men.

He rubbed his hand across his face, sighing.

"Is everything all right, Rik, dear?" his mother asked, resting her hand on his arm.

"I'm just feeling a little stressed."

She frowned, worry clear on her face. "I've tried to bite my tongue on the matter-"

"Please don't," he said, groaning and moving his arm out of her reach.

"-but we are bound by duty. And associating with the niece of a man-"

"Mother," he snapped, silencing her. "I have a duty to my friends as well. And I will not abandon Eve. Not when she has no one else."

"She has family."

"Not here."

"Then maybe it would be better for her to go back south," she insisted. Her eyes softened after she huffed a breath. "I love her dearly, Rik. She's a good friend to you and she would be a wonderful young woman. But not if she stays here and lets Don's... predicament sully her reputation. It is in her best interest to go home."

"She is home," he barked, surprising himself with the bite in his voice. His mother blinked, her mouth working but no words coming out. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. But I know Don didn't do this. And I... Eve is important to me. And she considers this city her home."

She sighed, still looking put out by his harsh tone. "Let's not talk about it anymore," she eventually said, pouring more tea.

They finished their tea, talking about only topics that were safe – the races, his birthday, her friends. By the time they parted ways, he knew what he would need to do. Or at least knew what he needed to try. Because, knowing his father, trying was all he would manage.