A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1) (96)

When I’d told Tibris the woman had recognized my eyes, he’d gotten a look on his face I’d never seen before. “If you get arrested, I’m going to kill Vicer.”

He wasn’t joking. I swallowed. “Maybe you should take a break from healing for a night.”

He just shook his head. “The more prisoners who can access their magic, the better.”

I needed to talk to Lorian. Needed to convince him that if the seamstress changed her mind and I was arrested and executed, he had to work with Tibris to get the prisoners out.

Tonight, I was sitting at our table, listening to the other women as they gossiped. Lisveth rose to dance with one of the king’s advisers—a lecherous old man who insisted on dancing with each of us at least once every night.

Davis Boria had already asked Madinia to dance once, and she’d refused him, claiming her feet were sore. Now, he sat next to his father, his dark gaze continually drifting to her. I would have felt sorry for him, but according to rumors, he didn’t bother asking other women before he touched them. Women whose fathers weren’t close to the king. Women whom he caught in servants’ halls and stables.

Caraceli slid into Lisveth’s empty seat. From the malevolent look on her face, it wasn’t because she wanted to be friends.

“Katina would have loved this.” She leaned close, her eyes cold. “There’s nothing she enjoys more than dancing.”

I kept my expression bored with a hint of confusion. “Is that right?”

She gave me a slow smile, and my hands began to sweat.

“I know you had something to do with her removal from court,” she hissed.

I forced my mouth to fall open. “What are you talking about?”

“Unlike the rest of these idiots, I know how things work. No one stumbles into this position like you have. All you needed for your plans to work was for Katina to disappear. And when I find out what you did, I’m going to make you pay.”

I dropped my gaze. Hoping she would think I was intimidated. In reality, I needed to make sure she didn’t pay close attention to my eyes. The other ladies had gone quiet, and Madinia cleared her throat.

I opened my mouth, but a deep voice made me snap it closed once more.

“Setella?”

I took a long, deep breath and forced a smile on to my face, glancing up at the courtier standing in front of me.

Peiter was remarkably handsome, I could admit that much. He was also one of the few courtiers I didn’t want to stab with my dinner knife. With his sparkling blue eyes and blond curls, he had a boyish kind of charm. Almost innocent, which was something I hadn’t seen much of in this place.

But talking to him occasionally felt like walking a tightrope as he asked questions about my village. I knew enough about Mistrun to get the basics right, but I was terrified I would stir his curiosity—and that curiosity would mean he would look closer at who I was pretending to be.

“Will you dance with me?” If he felt the tension at our table, he politely ignored it.

I blushed. “I’m not a very skilled dancer, I’m afraid.”

Across the table, Madinia snorted her agreement. I turned my head, and she raised one eyebrow at me.

I scowled back at her. “Yes, I’ll dance with you,” I said, and Peiter held out his hand.

Sliding my hand into his, I followed him into the smaller ballroom attached to the dining hall. The musicians were playing a lively tune.

“Will you teach me the steps?”

Delight danced across Peiter’s face. “Of course.”

He raised our joined hands, sliding his other hand to my waist.

He led me through the steps, never wincing when I turned the wrong way or stepped on his toes. When he twirled me, I laughed.

The sound shocked me. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed.

My stomach twisted. Asinia was huddled in a freezing cell, and I was dancing just floors above her.

“You’re beautiful,” Peiter said.

I attempted a smile, and he slowed our steps. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said.

Couples whirled behind us, and I froze. Was that…Marth?

Peiter followed my gaze. “Are you sure nothing is wrong?”

I beamed at him with everything I had. “I’m sure.”

I glanced over Peiter’s shoulder. My gaze met Lorian’s. He wore a dark scowl as he watched me, and I raised one eyebrow.

He couldn’t possibly be…jealous?

After the next dance, I thanked Peiter and laughingly begged for relief, insisting my feet were aching. He gave a mock sigh but let me go, leading me to the side of the room and gesturing to a servant for a cup of wine.

“Promise me one more dance after you’ve rested, and I’ll leave you to recover.” I nodded, and Peiter grinned at me, turning to stride away.

More and more village representatives had begun arriving today. The queen was sitting at the royal table, speaking to one of the courtiers as she watched some of the villagers make fools of themselves with her husband’s wine. She’d declared all the dancing a waste of time, and today, she had finally decreed that her ladies didn’t need to suffer just because she was and we could go to bed when we were tired. I could count on one hand the number of decent things she had done since I had met her, but that was one of them.