“I regretted betraying my family—because it was the wrong thing to do for Gaule. But if it would have saved my kingdom, I’d do it again. No question.”

Confusion creased his brow. “I don’t understand.”

Edmund’s voice invaded their conversation. “Your family, Dell.” He walked into the room. “They’re going to overthrow the king and I need your help to stop them.”

Dell rubbed his eyes. “I think I’ll take that wine now.”

Edmund returned from the cook-room balancing three cups of red wine.

Dell took his and gulped greedily before devolving into a fit of coughing as the wine hit his taste buds.

Edmund chuckled.

“I think I’m dying,” Dell wheezed. “What is that?”

“Wine.” Camille hid a smirk behind her cup.

When Edmund finished laughing, he explained. “In Bela and Gaule, we don’t cut our wine with water as you Madrans do.”

“Why the bloody hell not? That was horrid.”

“You get used to it.” Camille shrugged.

Edmund stood. “I’ll get some of the olives I picked up at the market today. That should ease your Madran palate.”

Dell lifted the cup to his lips again without thinking, but as soon as the wine hit his lips, he put it down and shook his head. “Doesn’t the great ambassador of Bela have servants to fetch his food?”

Camille raised an eyebrow. “Do you know anything about him at all?”

Did he? Dell tried to recall any facts about Edmund. He was from Bela and claimed their king and queen as his friends. He had some sort of magic. Beyond that, Dell knew nothing at all.

Understanding lit in Camille’s eyes. “Edmund isn’t one to ask someone to do something he can accomplish himself. Your king supplies him with enough gold to hire a host of servants, but he lives as simply as he would in Bela.”

“What about the man who greeted me when I arrived?”

Camille lowered her gaze. “From what Edmund told me, Bemus lost everything in a fire—including his family. Edmund employs him merely as a means to give the man a home.”

Edmund returned with a platter balancing on one hand. He glanced between Camille and Dell. Dell had always liked Edmund, but now he watched him with a new respect in his eyes.

Maybe Edmund wasn’t as different as Dell thought.

“What?” Edmund asked as he set the cheese and olive laden tray on the table. “Is Camille spinning tales about me again? She used to not like me very much.”

Camille laughed. “Used to?”

Edmund flashed her a grin before turning to Dell. All seriousness returned to his face.