If Prince Kiem had said that, Jainan could guess why. Guilt about the rushed marriage and Jainan’s bereavement. That explained some of the things Kiem had said at the ceremony as well. Guilt about Jainan, which led to Kiem extending favors. And if Jainan took advantage of that, it would poison the well that much sooner. Jainan was familiar with how guilt turned into resentment. The only thing to do was to try and make Kiem happy, and Jainan was uniquely incapable of that.

His clothes fit into half the space in the wardrobe. The box from Thea went into the back of a drawer. He emptied the chest slowly, and when it was empty, he shut it down until it was a thin flat block floating at chest height. He pulled it out of the air and faltered. Jainan would have taken it to Taam’s aide normally, but he didn’t want to disturb Bel.

He felt a sudden, crushing desire to be back in familiar territory. At least he’d known the rules there. His head gave another stab of pain.

Bel put her head around the door. “Message from Prince Kiem,” she said.

“He’s apparently made dinner arrangements. Would you go to the Room of Birds in twenty minutes? It’s in the Southern Tower by the Emperor’s Wing. I can show you the way.”

Jainan hesitated. Bel was intimidatingly brisk and efficient, and he had no desire to take up more of her time. “I know where it is,” he said. It wasn’t a dining room. He had a recollection of it from a palace tour when he’d first arrived, formal and empty, sometimes used for receptions. The palace had more reception rooms than it knew what to do with.

“I suggest formal wear,” Bel said. “Do you need anything else? No? I’ll be off for the evening, then. I’m on call—here, I’ll send you my contact data for your short list.” She spun her finger, and an image of a navigation wheel

appeared just below her hand.

“No, I—I need mine recalibrated.” Jainan touched his own wristband, which had not worked properly since they’d shut off Taam’s account. Now it would need to be linked to Prince Kiem’s. But Bel was going off duty, and he didn’t want to keep her. “I’ll ask Prince Kiem tomorrow.” That didn’t in any way lessen the cold tension at the back of his neck.

When he reached the upper floor of the Southern Tower, he couldn’t remember exactly which of the gold-swirled doors he should open, but it didn’t matter: an attendant bowed to him and ushered him to the right one.