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Chapter 28
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Dain stopped at a fountain and dampened the cloth he held before passing it to his brother. Other than around his eyes, he could get by making it to his rooms without everyone suspecting that something had been wrong.
Dynan leaned back against the fountain, shaking his head as he washed his face. “I’m never going to make it through this.”
Dain watched him, thinking the same thing. “You know, I could get to her a lot faster than running through the Palace. Think you could stand it if I went instead of you next time? Leave you on the outside to get me back if it came down to it.”
“No, and we’re not supposed to try shifting right now. Not until Marc gets a better sense of how to manage.”
“I don’t think we have time for that, Dynan. We’ll never catch Maralt this way.”
“I said no. You’re not going after him by yourself. No, Dain. I’m not arguing about this.”
“All right. You’re wrong, but all right. For now.” He smiled when Dynan glared at him. “But instead of both of us running through the Palace, it would maybe be better if it was just me. It scares people, and it’ll wear you out fast. I would have all my guards, not that they can do anything about Maralt, but I wouldn’t be alone.”
“No.”
Dain looked to the treetops, contemplating whether or not he should argue. “You’re being a little unreasonable.”
Dynan rinsed the cloth out, twisted it dry, and tossed it back at him. “Don’t you have meetings to catch up on, or something?”
“Not until Allie has the com system files back up. Won’t do any good for us to sit around and ask how have you been. Guild doesn’t have the information we want to see for the same reason.”
“Maybe we should start writing things down again, on paper. As much of the King’s file as possible, Lord Chancellor files. All the important stuff.”
“Like your coronation schedule.” Dynan turned from him and walked off, heading out the way they had come in, but moving this time at a much less frantic pace. Dain still had to hurry to catch up to him. “We’ll need some way to make sure that the things we do write down, don’t end up in the wrong hands.”
The implications made Dynan rethink the idea, but he shook his head. “There are office vaults already installed. I haven’t even opened the one in the King’s office.”
“Just make sure you check it for traps,” Dain said.
“You’d think if he was going to do something like that, the crown vault would have exploded in my face.”
“Maralt didn’t spend as much time in the King’s rooms as he did your office, or my room. I haven’t opened the vault there either. Haven’t thought to until now.”
“I guess they should all be checked, the ones that haven’t already been opened.”
“Trevan ought to love that,” Dain said, and then slowed as they left the arbor. The long hall beside the courtyard was domed, giving an impression of height when there wasn’t any. Grey light filtered in from outside. The snow had stopped, but it was mounded several kem tall in places. “I have to ask you if it’s all right for me to take Bronwyn to the ball tonight. She doesn’t seem to think it’s a good idea.”
Dynan laughed. “She’s probably right, but as long as she doesn’t care what they think, then neither do I.”
“She’s concerned about complicating your life with more women trouble.”
“More. That’s a nice way to put it. She may not enjoy it so much when all those people turn their collective noses up. She might say it won’t bother her, but she might feel differently when confronted with those sort of attitudes.”
“You know, I’m getting sick of everyone around here taking the fun out of everything we have to do. Maybe I just won’t go to the damn thing.”
“Dain, tell Bronwyn I said that it’s fine with me, but you should warn her. I mean, when in our history has the mother of a bastard child been taken to a Governor’s Ball? Never.”
“I’m not going.”
“I want you to go. Take the emphasis off who I’m bringing.”
“Forget it. I’m staying here. I can’t leave Garan here by himself anyway.”
“Bring him with you. That way you can leave earlier than the rest of us. How old were we when we attended our first Governor’s Ball?”
“Four, but—”
“And how old is Garan? Maybe it’s time you gave him that ring. Let him find out what being a Prince is really like; standing around for a few hours where there isn’t anyone else his age.”
“With nothing to do but watch all the pretty girls. I remember, and the place is going to be packed with them tonight. Have you seen the guest list? Every Lord and Guildmaster is bringing at least one daughter, some of them not even at age of rights.”
“Then most of them will be relieved you’re bringing Bronwyn. Or maybe you’re having second thoughts about it yourself.”
“I’m not. All right. We’ll all go. I can’t wait to hear what she has to say about this.” He shook his head. “If it’s a diversion you want, you’re going to get one. Speaking of, is Loren still going with Drake?”
“She’ll be there. More because she wants to get out of here than anything else.”
Dain nodded, then told him about the idea of sending her to the Beach Manor for a few days, leaving out Marc’s involvement, and after an initial reluctance to allow it, Dynan agreed. “Shalis too,” he said. “And Bronwyn. Get all the girls out of here for a while.”
“Not Bronwyn,” Dain said, surprised at how strongly he wanted her with him. He caught Dynan smiling at him. “I have a lot to catch up on.”
“And it’s easier to do that when it’s someone you know, someone who means something to you and she isn’t involved with someone else, like Ralion, for instance.”
Dain only frowned at him. “I’m going to go talk to Loren about all this, then upstairs to change and break the news to Bronwyn.”
“Don’t keep Loren too long. The clothier’s going to be here soon, if he isn’t already. Tell Bronwyn not to worry.”
“Won’t do any good.”
Dain retraced his steps as Dynan left, and found Loren on her way out. She looked about the same as Dynan, accepting the same dampened cloth gratefully. At first, she was reluctant to agree to leave. She had a lot to do, she’d have to find someone to supervise all the planning, and she was unsure of being so far from Dynan with Maralt around.
“I think you’re the first person I’ve ever had to convince to go to the beach. It’ll be warm,” he said, and leaned close. “No snow. Lots of sun. No one around to watch every little thing you do.”
She smiled at his persistence. “All right, but just for a few days.”
“Three glorious days. You won’t want to come back. I’ll set it up.”
She stopped him from going, and kissed his cheek. “He’s so lucky to have you here. We both are.”
Dain shook his head. “We’ll be all right. I promise. Now come on. We have to get you back upstairs so you can get ready for the ball.”
“I shouldn’t go,” she said.
“Why not?”
“I just shouldn’t. I won’t be able to have any fun. I’m supposed to be upset about Danetha. That won’t be hard.”
“Fun? I think I’m the only one here who knows what that means. Stay with me, Princess, and I’ll make sure you have a good time.”
He took her and danced her down the length of the long hall toward the stair that would take them back to the Palace proper. She was laughing, out of breath and a little dizzy when he stopped. “I can’t imagine those old Governors dancing quite like that.”
“But the rest of us can. Have to do something to stir them up.”
“I’m sure that’s something you excel at, Dain.” She laughed. “All right. I feel better now. Thank you.”
“What I’m here for.”
He escorted her up to her rooms and found Bronwyn helping Shalis and the clothier with her gown. The moment Loren walked in, Rembrant’s daughters descended on her, ushering her back to her room. Rembrant followed her a moment later.
“Beautiful as always, little girl,” Dain said, admiring the gold and green gown she wore. He turned to Bronwyn. “Dynan said it was fine.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“This ought to. We’re bringing Garan.”
“What? No! Dain, he’s too young.”
“I went when I was four. He’s not too young.”
“But you’re a Prince and he’s...”
He smiled at her frown. “I can’t leave him here alone. This way we won’t have to stay so long.” He moved next to her, whispering because Shalis was still in the room, telling her what they could do with the Palace mostly empty, most of which left her blushing and him wanting to take all her clothes off. Shalis rolled her eyes at him and left them alone. “You have to change, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Need any help?”
“Papa!”
Garan charged into the room, and Dain quickly stooped to catch him as he launched himself. A little off balance to begin with, momentum knocked them both over. Garan wasn’t small and as soon as he had Dain on the floor, worked to trap him there. Garan got tickled for his trouble, but then Bronwyn ganged up on him too.
They spent the next several uncounted minutes chasing through the apartment, which ended up involving a few servants trying to get their work done. They didn’t seem to mind, and Garan howled with laughter every time he was caught. Dain managed to corner Bronwyn a time or two, stealing kisses before they were caught. He was a little overwhelmed by how much he wanted to be with her, and at how little he’d thought of Geneal.
“What are you thinking about?” Bronwyn asked after Garan had been sent off to get ready.
“You,” he said and pulled her over to him. “My ready-made family, and how much I want to keep you here. I love you, Bronwyn. I didn’t think it could happen this fast.”
She smiled up at him, laughing. “You are the sweetest man I’ve ever known, Dain Telaerin. My only one, and I love you too.” She smiled at his sudden surprise. “You didn’t know that? Roth and Burley sometimes encouraged me to look. Corwin too. They wanted me to get on with my life, but I never thought it was right. I could never imagine Garan having another man’s name.”
He didn’t know why the fact that she’d never been with another man was so unexpected or gratifying. Bronwyn smiled at him, kissing him quickly to stop sudden tears. He pulled her even closer and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her at the same time as trying to move them to her room.
About the time Dain found her bed, Garan reappeared. Without warning, the little boy clambered up as Dain unfastened the first set of buttons on her gown and jumped on his back.
“Garan, what did I tell you about knocking before you come into a room?” Bronwyn said, pulling him down between them.
“Sorry, Momma. I forgot.”
“I think we realized that,” Dain said, but he laughed. “Come on. We’ll leave your mother to get dressed on her own.”
“No sliding down the rail,” she said, as they got off the bed.
He had to wonder how she knew that was exactly what he intended. Garan looked at her with the same expression. “We’re going to pretend we didn’t hear that,” Dain said, smiling back at her as he quickly ushered his son out the door.
