A Beast's Tale

Chapter 29

"I ran into Ivetta in the hallway. She was beaming from ear to ear."

Clavis wore a wide smile as well when I walked into my office. I suspected she would have a similar effect on each of my brothers when they saw her, except for Licht, of course. I hadn't seen him smile since he was nine years old.

"Lord Denois will be the new owner of the former duke's estate," I said with no preamble. "The tea merchant whose books were out of order is due for another evaluation as well, and the gallery owner has a painting he believes I'll find of interest."

Clavis sighed. "Keeping me busy today, aren't you? Change your mind about our little discussion yesterday?"

"The new weapons manufacturing facility is near the town you hope to liberate. Look into it while you're there. If you can sabotage production, all the better."

His brows pinched together. "Now, how could you possibly know which town I was talking about? I didn't give you much information."

I took my seat behind my desk. "Primarily by size and proximity to your territory. There are villages closer to the border, but none large enough for the overseeing nobleman to make his residence. But there were other variables as well."

"Then you should know how far out of my way that weapons manufacturing facility will be. Let's not even consider the impossibility of a single person sabotaging production at a large enough scale to make a difference. I'm not suicidal, and I'm not doing it."

"If that is the case, then you're not doing any of it." I smirked. "And I assume Eyepatch promised some form of punishment should you fail to help his spy escape?"

Clavis' smile faltered, and he averted his golden eyes from me. "He did."

That gave me a sense of foreboding. I'd assumed Gilbert's threat involved Clavis' wellbeing, but my younger brother wouldn't feel guilty about making himself a target. "And?"

He hesitated for a moment. Then his eyes snapped back to mine, hard as polished gold. "A bloody feather."

That was less than ideal.

Gilbert was taunting me. He knew I'd find out what Clavis was doing, and although I wouldn't allow him to use Ivetta against Rhodolite, I also wouldn't allow harm to reach her were other options available. This was a safeguard to ensure I'd give Clavis free rein in the matter.

I sighed and muttered, "You fool."

"Then I have your unofficial permission?"

"Yes."

There was a knock at the door, one we both recognized. Clavis winced. The door opened, and he and Sariel made eye contact with each other, golden versus lavender meeting in a challenge.

"Chev, the four-eyed fiend is here to see you."

"What a delightful nickname from Rhodolite's own hellcat," Sariel said, smiling his thin, frightening smile.

"Well, I have errands to run. Don't let him bore you to death, Chev. Or will Chev bore you to death?" he asked Sariel, and then he laughed. "Or you could bore each other to death. That would make my day."

"Go," I told Clavis.

He brushed past Sariel and left, and the moment the door closed behind him, Sariel let out a sigh. "Prince Chevalier, I have a matter of some importance to discuss with you. We received this in the mail today." He handed me a letter, with the wax seal already broken. "I realize it is too early for you to make a decision, but you understand the reason I'm bringing this to your attention."

It was a marriage proposal from a Benitoitian princess, Silvio's cousin. The king of Benitoite must not have known about it. If his own niece married a prince of Rhodolite, annulling our countries' alliance would become much more difficult.