“Prince Talon,” Cassidy replied.

“Gray, you should go on and get some supper,” Talon said.

Gray didn’t move.

“That was Prince Talon’s subtle way of telling you he wants to talk to me alone,” Cassidy said.

“Do you want to talk to him?” Gray asked.

Talon felt as if he’d stepped on ice but didn’t quite lose his footing.

What in the name of Hell happened to Gray today?

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Cassidy said, nudging Gray with an elbow. “I should go back inside beforeVae comes out to find me.”

“You’ll wear your hat tomorrow,” Gray said.

“I’ll wear my hat.”

“You won’t pick up tools.”

“I won’t pick up tools.”

“You’ll—”

“Gray.”

“Are you going to swear at me?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

Gray grinned, nothing more than a boy again. Then he headed for the stables, where the men would have some food for him.

Alone with her, Talon wondered how to ask the questions that needed asking.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been around a Queen. Maybe too long.

“I heard there was some trouble today,” Talon said, looking at her hands. They were bandaged so thickly he wondered if she had any use of them.

Cassidy shrugged and stared at the dug-up flower bed she could barely see.

“Are your hands going to be all right?” Talon asked.

“Yes,” Cassidy replied. “Shira says I didn’t do any permanent damage. I’ll just have to be careful for a while because they’ll be tender.”

Talon nodded. “You want to tell me what happened?”

“No.”

He tapped a finger against his chest. “Master of the Guard, remember?”

“It’s . . . personal.”

Personal. Theran wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t have gone up to her room last night without an invitation. Would he?

“Did Theran . . . ?” He looked away. He didn’t want to say the words, but he couldn’t dismiss the depth of Yaslana’s fury—especially when that fury seemed mostly aimed at Theran. “Did he do something he shouldn’t have?”

“No.”

He heard the lie, but he couldn’t call her on it. Even as her Master of the Guard, he couldn’t call her on the lie. But he could—and would—talk to Shira and find out if Cassidy had any other injuries.

He didn’t think Shira would tell him anything ugly—mostly because he was certain Yaslana wouldn’t have let Theran live if the harm the boy had done to Cassidy had been physical.

“I heard Yaslana dumped a couple buckets of water on you,” Talon said. “Not exactly a courteous thing to do.”