“I hope she succeeds,” I said. “The idea of us winding up on different sides of a … of a conflict makes me ill.”

Domenic laughed. “You and I? We’ll never be on different sides, Amalia. If we can’t find a side we both like to stand on, we’ll make our own.”

I wished I shared Domenic’s confidence. But my feet fell heavy on the carpeted embassy staircase as I descended toward the canal-side door and my waiting boat. It was difficult to imagine a way for our friendship to survive if I had to unleash Zaira to burn his home.

As I stepped down into the embassy’s foyer, hurried footfalls rang on the mosaic-inlaid floors. Baron Leodra crossed to the quayside door ahead of me, a footman conducting him to his boat. By the scowl on his face, whatever business brought him here had not gone well.

I hesitated, watching the embassy door close on his brocaded back. He’d stopped pushing for more aggressive imperial control of Ardence since my mother threatened to expose his bastard at the ball, but he still seemed an unlikely choice to conduct diplomacy with Ardence at this point. What brought him here?

Lady Colanthe Savony entered the foyer from the same gilt-framed doorway Leodra had, her spectacles catching the lamplight as they dangled from their chain on her chest. She met my gaze and nodded, as if she’d hoped to find me here.

“Lady Amalia. Might I have a word?”

“Certainly.” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice. I hadn’t forgotten that Marcello had spied her watching me at the ball, but I still had no idea what the duke of Ardence’s steward might want with me.

She gestured me aside to a corner, beside a potted plant, and waited until a scurrying aide passed through the foyer before speaking.

“Are you aware of the latest development in relations between our cities?” she asked.

My heart dropped at the severity of her tone. “Not if it occurred within the past few hours, no. Has there been some change?”

“Duke Astor has rejected the doge’s assurances that Raverra had nothing to do with the abduction of Ardence’s heirs, and refuses to cooperate with the Empire in any way or even receive the Serene Envoy at the River Palace until the children are returned.”

“But we truly don’t have them!”

“I know that. His Grace likely even knows that.” Lady Savony shook her head. “It’s a matter of principle, to show his nobles he’s taking a stand.”

“That’s folly.” The words burst out of me before I could choose more diplomatic ones. “To refuse to receive the Serene Envoy is another violation of the Serene Accords, and an insult the doge can’t ignore.”

“There’s a reason I’m returning to Ardence posthaste,” Lady Savony said dryly.

“Is there anything you can do?” I implored her.