Something about her tone set a chill in me, and I was not alone. Nadine’s face paled, and a pair of red spots rose in her cheeks.

“You forget your roots too often, Nadine cagir Elon,” she said softly. “And you forget my father’s nature. You have no ancient blood, no family to protect you when he decides to feed you to his wolves. And he will—it is his way.”

Maram did not strike her, indeed she never raised a hand, never reached for the high stewardess. But I thought, perhaps, with the guards at the door, and the handmaidens waiting to attend to Maram, that might have been better. She remained on her knees as Maram swept out of the room, the train of her gown billowing out behind her.

Too late, I thought to sink back into the shadows. Nadine looked and found me there, and her face paled yet further with rage. I said nothing, though my heart beat hard enough that my fingertips trembled with its beat. For long seconds she stared up at me, but I did not bow or sink to my knees. I waited, and at last she came to her feet, her eyes glittering with anger, and strode from the diwan.

21

The rainy season on the coast had at last started, which meant a suspension of the cavalry theatrics we had enjoyed until now. Any other day Maram would have taken her place among her peers, but the level of planning needed for the tour had seen her beg a day of reprieve from me. She could be at two places at once, and so she meant to take advantage of it.

On a day like this most of the estate and its visitors would have found private means to amuse themselves. Rabi’a, however, wanted the collection of princes and princesses who had forged ties to visit in her large salon. In the courtyard where we normally met, any of the other families visiting could join. But in her chambers was a small retreat, closed to everyone else.

Unfortunately for me, however, it meant that I could not escape Idris. We hadn’t seen each other since the night he’d caught me returning from my rebel assignation. In truth I hadn’t thought about what it would be like to see him again since then, but when I arrived in the royal suites, anger took hold of me. I grieved what we’d lost, but more than anything I raged—that he, a prince of the realm, could not see why the rebels were necessary was beyond my understanding. Those in power were meant to protect the weak, at any cost. That was the contract they entered into at birth. That he refused, that he saw my choice to step forward as a mistake—it was contrary to everything I knew and loved about him.