Alabaster Cities (Kings and Thieves Book #2)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Queen Rowena was not going to be pleased, and, frankly, Lyla didn't want to be the one to face her.

First of all, she had to deal with the matter of explaining that Ari Carondolet had been the one to start the fire, not to mention why he'd done it.
Perhaps Her Highness would be alright with cancelling the horse race- her actions betrayed remarkable patience sometimes. After all, she had hired Ari and Aveline in the first place, even though they'd been stealing from her kingdom (among others) for years. Granted, that was after they had rescued her son from a creepy peasant family back in Diviel.
If Lyla wasn't perturbed at the moment, she would have smiled at the thought- their adventure seemed forever ago, even though she knew it had only been a few months previous.

Lyla regarded her companions as they walked beside her. The pair had been friends since childhood— at least that was what she had picked up from the rare times that either of them mentioned it. Aveline was one of the very few who could stand to be around Ari for more than two minutes.

Lyla knew they had been an enormous part of the reason her life in Apreuna had improved. They provoked a more confident side of her that she hadn't seen before. Or maybe there was something about endangering your life with someone that brought you closer to them.

Anyway, Lyla needed Ari and Aveline to be in good graces with the Queen right now- rumor had it that she was planning on giving them more responsibilities. What that meant, Lyla had no idea-

"Lyla?" Lyla winced at the voice- and the sight in front of her. Her mother had materialized seemingly out of nowhere, her hands planted on the silk fabric across her hips.

Her mouth tightened as the Grand Duchess took in Lyla's companions. "What are you doing? I hope you didn't leave your guests alone." Her tone strained to be soft- Lyla knew it well.

"Mother," she started, "there's something wrong with the racehorses, and Ari and Aveline were just alerting me to the fact."

"Wrong?" Her mother lifted one eyebrow. "I didn't see anything wrong with them."

"They're injured, Your Grace." Aveline respectfully inclined her head while maintaining firm eye contact with the Queen's sister. Lyla had always envied the way Ari and Aveline handled their superiors.

"It would be very dangerous to go on with the race now," Ari added.

"Fine. I will see to it that the proper people are informed. In the meantime, Ari, Aveline, why don't you have some champagne, meet some more of the nobles? I'm sure the rest of the tournament will commence shortly."

Aveline didn't move. "We're not leaving until these horses get a farrier."

Ari folded his arms as if to emphasize his first mate's statement, and Lyla jumped in before her mother's glare could take over her entire face.

"How about I go?" She suggested hastily. "Ari, Aveline, you stay and watch the competition. I'll make sure the horses are taken care of."

"But your guests are waiting for you," the Grand Duchess protested. Lyla couldn't help but sigh at the image of the two stuffy lords in the courtyard.

"This is important, Your Gra- uh, Mother. I'll be back." Lyla nearly tripped over her skirts in her hurry to curtsy and get out of there. She could practically feel the disapproval of all three of them radiating behind her.
The Queen would know what to do, she thought.

"Where is she?" She asked a nearby guardsman by the palace wall. He stared at her blankly, stiff in his uniform.
"The Queen, where is she?"

"Her Highness is on the other side of the courtyard, I believe-"