Few people could tell the difference between religious orders through their clothing. Even those who were clergy couldn’t always identify the subtle differences in the clothing of various Belcoy orders, let alone laymen.
Yet the young woman had boldly spoke out and not only identified the head priest escorting him to Horizon, but repeated the core values of that order. The confrontation that could’ve happened suddenly waned with her loud, but seemingly innocent question.
And Constantine couldn’t help but smile.
Though he didn’t know who she was at the time, he would later discover that that was his first brush with Victoria de Guevera.
He hadn’t known she was a fellow student at Lycée du Soleil until he saw her from across the auditorium. She had been with Ilyana then. Two beautiful young women together drew many people’s attention, but more so because Tori was somewhat infamous.
Had she bought her way into Lycée? Constantine had doubted it. Perhaps it was because he had met her before he heard of her that his opinion of her had not been twisted by rumors. It was unfortunate that they were in different classes and dorms. Catching a glimpse of her had been particularly rare.
A thought had crossed his mind: maybe she was avoiding him. If she had recognized him from the inn, perhaps she had a negative opinion of him because of the head priest in his escort. Constantine had spent many unnecessary hours wondering if perhaps he had done something at the inn and earned her contempt.
Nothing had come to mind. He had thought he had been helping defuse the situation after she spoke.
It wasn’t like him to force relationships. His uncle had let him go to Lycée to experience a normal youth, have new encounters, and make friends his age. One would’ve thought that making new friends would be easy. He had had a good relationship with nearly everyone he met up until that point.
However, even as he thought that, Constantine knew that people were kind to him because of his uncle, the man who had adopted him, but most importantly, the man who was the current Pope of the Belcoy Church.
Before Constantine had set foot on campus, there were students and staff who had already known he was the ‘son of the Pope.’ With such a title, however unofficial and powerless, other students were drawn to him. Many were curious, some were looking for favor, and others simply wanted to know someone famous...even if he didn’t see himself as such.
The first girl to approach him had been Alessa Hart, a baron’s daughter from a small village in Anlar. She had rounded a corner in her rush to go to the baking club just as he was turning a corner to return to the dorm. The two had collided. Constantine, being the larger of the two, had stumbled back, but remained standing. Miss Hart had fallen back and her bag with some papers spilled on the ground.
Constantine had apologized and automatically knelt to help gather her things. She had introduced herself and from then on, would greet him whenever she saw him. He had thought she was a nice young lady and was polite in return, just as he was to everyone else. This formal politeness of his was drilled into him in Temple Mountain, but when he was faced with people his own age, Constantine had found that he had difficulty being informal.
He was used to addressing elders and acting older than his age because of the environment where he grew. If he threw tantrums or was disobedient, it would reflect badly on his uncle, and he couldn’t allow that. Even when his uncle had assured him it was all right to be a little selfish and act like a child, Constantine wanted to fit in at Temple Mountain. Everyone always said he was well-behaved and mature for his age.
It had been bad enough that he was put on some strange pedestal as the Pope’s son, but he didn’t act like his peers. Getting close to them had been more challenging than he thought, and when the First Year Excursion was announced, he was both hopeful and nervous.
Surprisingly, Miss Hart had invited him to join her First Year Excursion group.
At the time, while he had been well known amongst his classmates, most students were still politely distant and appeared hesitant to ask him. He had considered asking one of his classmates, but Miss Hart had appeared outside his class to ask, saying her group needed one more person.
Constantine had accepted and had been thrilled to be part of the group. This was his chance to make friends his age. He had become even more excited when he found out that two groups were going together. He had hardly slept on the wagon on their journey to Alpine Valley.
With a prince and his knight, the son of the Prime Minister, and a duke’s son, Constantine had believed his status as the son of the Pope would be overlooked, and he’d be treated like any other student in his group. He had imagined that any distance between him and his peers would diminish through the shared trials of camping.
He’d heard the guards of Temple Mountain talking about camaraderie forged through shared hardship. He had hoped the excursion wouldn’t be dangerous, but also hoped for something to bring them closer together.
When they had arrived at Alpine Valley, all eyes had been drawn to the six students in matching clothing and gear. Constantine hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that their bonding started before they left Lycée and as he watched them trek through the forest in a neat line, he felt some envy.
The young woman everyone had been speaking ill of was the leader of that group and she took care of them. She had prepared her friends for the hike well and they were at ease with her. She was the daughter of a marquis and most of them were commoners, yet she had been cooking their food.
That first night, Constantine had slept on the ground, curled up as close to the fire as he could get. He had ignored Prince Gideon’s annoyed grumbling and how he had called Tori selfish. Tori wasn’t selfish; she just wasn’t willing to let her friends be taken advantage of, even by the second prince of Soleil.
In fact, Constantine had thought it was rude to demand tents from another group when their group did not plan well enough and brought the situation on themselves. What he had thought was fair to ask about was something to eat, as they really had lost all their rations accidentally.
Constantine had made up his mind to ask Tori for food. The worst she could say was no and he wouldn’t hold it against her. He had tried to be as casual about it as possible, knowing that if he seemed to beg, Prince Gideon would be upset and insist that they didn’t need to beg from Tori’s group. Constantine had noticed Tori’s hesitation; she didn’t want to give them any food, but she still had it prepared.
It was why when he had heard that she led groups across the river, helped an injured student, and then led them to the exit, he wasn’t surprised.
He had almost wanted to laugh.
Victoria de Guevera, the girl everyone said was an arrogant idiot who abused her position and wealth, had a penchant for taking care of others.
At the end of the First Year Excursion, Constantine had noticed the distance between him, and others hadn’t decreased. Except for Miss Hart, everyone continued to be amiable and polite, but weren’t what he’d consider friends.
He couldn’t help but wonder: what if he had joined Tori’s group?
He had noticed her more and more, and just before they left for winter break, fate let them cross paths once more. He was embarrassed about it now, but he had gathered his courage to buy her coffee in the hopes of getting to know her better. Her face had been so stunned, Constantine couldn’t stay in front of her and fled as soon as he could.
His attempt to become familiar with her had backfired, as they didn’t have much contact since.
Until the Lycée projects were issued, and Tori had approached him.
He remembered how his heart had been slamming against his chest when she spoke of the projects and asked if he’d like to collaborate with her. He had tried so hard not to show his eagerness on his face and had been almost relieved when Miss Hart appeared, as it gave him a chance to calm down.
Part of him had expected Miss Hart to come to him, as he had heard her project had to do with an orphanage run by an abbey and it was well known that he had connections with the Belcoy Church. Miss Hart never seemed to shy away from approaching him, and he was thankful for her familiarity, but she was occasionally too familiar.
It was as if she was certain they were meant to be friends. That wasn’t a terrible thing, but they always seemed to run into each other when there was some benefit to her. She had studied with them and sat with them for meals, but that was the extent of it. It was strange, but Constantine had felt that she was both sincere and insincere. He couldn’t shake this feeling.
However, Tori had been quite clear about working together being mutually beneficial. From what he had observed of her, she wanted to do all she could to help the refugees.
Constantine had taken her invitation in a heartbeat, afraid that she’d retract it. He had missed being in her excursion group; perhaps this was the gods giving him a second chance.
The morning they’d taken a walk in the encampment and had a long talk, he knew he’d made the right choice. It was the first real time he’d felt connected with someone his age. What was better: she seemed to not only understand him, but encourage him. He’d never forget how her eyes lit up and her voice grew excited when he told her about his interest and what he was considering doing with his life.
The only other person who listened to him like that was his uncle.
It didn’t take long for him to be brought into her circle. He’d gone out to eat with them, played games late into the night, explored the city and the delta, and had the best tutor in the school on his side. Even when they were being respectful and formal with his name, it didn’t seem to matter nor did their actions and speech feel politely distant.
They tried to include him as much as possible. They talked often: both serious, thoughtful topics and ridiculous ones. They danced, played, and ate together. He felt that they saw him as Constantine the teenager and not Constantine the Pope’s son. He relaxed around them and little by little, picked up their small mannerisms, joined in on their teasing, and, as his uncle would put it - ‘acted his age.’
Needless to say, he enjoyed every moment with his friends.
However, Tori was always a bit different. Something made him aware of her and he wasn’t sure what, but he paid attention. She had made her thoughts and feelings clear, and they had settled on friendship, which he valued deeply. After all, she had been supportive when he told her about himself; of course, he would be supportive when she did the same.
Sometimes, Constantine felt satisfied. Who didn’t want friends who screamed their names during a boat race and made them food?
Sometimes, Constantine wanted more.
Asking her to be his witness if he joined the church would make them family. She had agreed without hesitation, and he had seen the joy and surprise in her eyes when she agreed. She had felt it was an honor. He should’ve been satisfied with that. No matter what happened, they would be connected.
But in that moment, when he had buried his face on her slender shoulders and felt her arms around him, silently comforting him without question, he wanted one more memory of her. One memory that was different from the ones he had with others.
So, he had asked to kiss her. A small, desperate, and selfish request.
While he had been disappointed when she agreed to only a kiss on the cheek - a traditional and common greeting and parting act in his part of Sur, it was good enough.
It was embarrassing to admit that he’d dreamt of his first kiss with her, but part of him didn’t believe it would happen.
Until now.
It wasn’t just her lips, it was everything. The comforting hand caressing and cupping his cheek; the whisper of her voice in his ear; and the scent of sweetened coffee mixed with the saltiness of the sea air around them. Her lips were warm and soft.
Constantine almost choked back a cry in surprise. He’d heard about this, but didn’t expect it. What did he need to do? Did he have to reciprocate? He didn’t know how. What if she hated it?
His wide eyes looked down at her face and could see her dark lashes. Her eyes were closed and so he shut his. He parted his lips and then....
“Even though I can’t give you anything more, I do care about you and will be here if you need me.” Her hand brushed aside some of his hair that had fallen over his face. “I hope you won’t regret this.”
Constantine blinked. It was over? Just like that? He just closed his eyes and it ended? He couldn’t remember the rest of it!
He couldn’t help but stare at her. “I....” An affectionate and kind smile met him, and his eyes watered. This was more than he thought he’d get, wasn’t it? He never thought he’d get such affection; he was raised in the most sacred of monasteries and there were very few people who had partners. He had assumed he’d be one of those without. But this wasn’t a bad memory to have; a bittersweet good-bye kiss to officially end his time in Lycée. Even if he wasn’t completely satisfied, there was a resigned peacefulness. He gave her a small nod and smiled. “I won’t.”
She nodded her head and cupped his cheek with her hand one last time. “Work hard and take care of yourself. Good-bye, Constantine.”
He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. His heart was full, but tight. He engraved her face in his mind. “You, too. Good-bye, Tori.”
In a daze, he turned around and headed up the gangway. He didn’t notice the awkward silence or the stunned and somewhat horrified faces he left behind. Constantine didn’t look back until he was on the deck of the ship.
Several faces looked up at him from the island.
Good friends are family that you are able to choose. His uncle’s words to him before he left for Lycée echoed in his head. You would be lucky to find them.
His hands shot to the railing, and he leaned forward. “Take care of yourselves!” He shouted as he raised a hand waved. The ship creaked as it pulled away. “I’ll see you in two years!”
Various shouts came from the dock. Ewan jumped up and down as he waved with both arms in the air. Ilyana was wiping her eyes, and Sonia put her arm around Tori as she waved. JP, Henrik, and Albert shouted for him not to study too hard and to let them know when he finished his cloistered period.
“I want to see Karap, so you have to show us around!” Albert yelled. Constantine laughed and nodded.
Constantine took a step back and bowed his head. When he lifted it, he saw Prince Piers give him a small, acknowledging nod.
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He walked along the port side of the ship, making his way to the stern so he could see his friends as long as possible. They didn’t leave the island immediately. Their tiny figures remained until they melted into the island.
“My boy,” Bishop Florakis put a fatherly hand on his shoulder and gave him a small shake. “You will see them again soon. Two years may seem long, but they will be over in an instant.”
Constantine smiled and nodded. “I know...it feels as if I just started at Lycée a few weeks ago and not two years.”
The old man patted his shoulder before withdrawing his hand. “Didn’t they tell you to open your gift when you were on the ship? You should see what your friends sent you.”
Constantine nodded. He headed to the small room he had been allotted and found it piled high with his various gifts from the villagers. The large chest was pushed against the wall. Constantine dug into his pocket for the key and opened it.
With each item he pulled out, his smile grew wider, and his cheeks grew wetter.
His friends were practical in giving him supplies for the seminary. He was sure Henrik and Ilyana gave him enough ink and paper for more than two years. Ewan’s coffee seemed to be from Cafe Fortuna and Constantine felt his chest clench. When they had studied above Cafe Fortuna, Mama J had always brought them this coffee.
Albert seemed to have taken care of his bedding and Constantine recalled how he mentioned the simple beds and how he’d need to buy new bedding to them once. To think that they’d been so meticulous and listened. The quality was exceptional, and the pillow was very soft. JP’s shoes were exactly what he needed when he was in his room and didn’t want to wear the formal shoes that were required outside. It was a small comfort.
He’d also heard about Sonia’s quilting. Mainly that she made quilts for her horse. Who knew she could make a regular one for him? The squares were different patterns and colors with different imagery. There was a lion, a tent, horses, books, the colors of Lycée, and sea motifs. Along each side were squares that had been embroidered with the names of his friends with their dungeon crawl item above it. If they didn’t have one, they had a different symbol, such as JP’s bow and arrow and Sonia’s horseshoe.
Sir Nassaun’s incense burner was a shock to see. It was expensive and old at first glance, and for a moment, Constantine worried he had given it by mistake. However, the note said that Sir Nassaun wasn’t sure what to give him that would be useful as Henrik and Ilyana had already gotten the paper and ink he had been considering. He thought the incense burner would be a good idea. He also added not to worry about the cost as it was ‘just something he had at home.’
Sir Nassaun’s home was technically Sun Garden, a ducal estate.
Constantine had both laughed and wiped his eyes at Tori’s gifts of beverage cooling charms, which would be useful in Karap’s warm humid climate, the air conditioner-heater, and the cloak. All her friends had Lions Gate outerwear styles named for them, now he had one, too.
As he ran his hand over the material, he felt something hard beneath the fabric. He furrowed his brows and felt around for a pocket. A small velvet drawstring bag was pulled out and he quietly opened it.
A gold ring with a black, opaque crystal. In the light of the small room, he could see faint lines carved into the stone. It was rather large, and he fished out the piece of paper tucked inside. Tori had made him a thumb ring with a crystal talisman for safety, wisdom, and focus.
Constantine smiled at once and slipped it on his thumb. After carefully folding the cloak, he moved on to the last item.
The last item had been carefully wrapped. It seemed to be a painting and was rather wide. A note was tied with it, and he opened it first.
I look forward to another meal with you. - Piers Emil
Constantine furrowed his brows. He didn’t know what to make of that, but he didn’t question it. He unwrapped the painting and his heart swelled.
“The same to you, Your Highness. The same to you.”
[https://static.wixstatic.com/media/334114_6091e4325c304c4d9804d3c53f9887d3~mv2.png]
“How could you kiss him!?” Everyone was likely thinking it, but of course she would expect the furious outburst to come from Gideon.
Tori didn’t bother to answer and continued to watch the ship getting further and further away. The others didn’t respond to Gideon either.
“Answer me!”
“Gideon,” Piers said in a clear voice. “Kisses are often done for greetings and partings in Sur.”
How does he sound like an expert now? Tori cracked a small smile.
“Aren’t you bothered by this?” Gideon asked. He was behind her, but she knew he was directing his frustration at his brother.
“No.” Piers didn’t elaborate. The group on the dock was quiet after he spoke.
Did they think he’d be jealous? She could only imagine how they’d react if they knew Piers had thought it was a good idea.
Well, that’s between me, Piers, and God. Piers knew very well her intentions and his place with her. She didn’t know if anyone else noticed, but the only person he was occasionally jealous of was Ilyana.
“Tori.” Ilyana leaned close to her. “Was it really a parting kiss?”
She nodded. “He asked permission to kiss, and I said yes.” Although, the good-bye kiss on the lips wasn’t planned. She was only going to kiss him on the cheeks and then that was it.
But then Alessa showed up.
The part of Tori that did not want her to win over Constantine, no matter how small of a chance there was remaining, took over. Alessa would lose this love interest permanently and Tori let her kiss cut the string.
Though Constantine asked for it, Tori didn’t deny it was selfish of her.
Somewhat cruel and poetic...a solid villainess move to kiss the love interest in front of the heroine to show her that he’ll never be hers. All I needed to do was cackle and tell her ‘he’s mine now,’ even though I don’t have any claim on him...I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt me.
She looked over her shoulder and saw the dumbfounded pale face of Alessa as she stared blankly out at the water, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened. Tori didn’t know what she was thinking.
“A parting kiss that required you to be stuck on his face for several seconds?” Henrik asked with a raised brow.
“If you want a kiss, you can ask, too. Not that I’ll agree.”
“No, I want to live.”
Tori snorted. “You make it sound like I’ll eat you.”
“Actually, a lot of people like you, Tori, but are afraid of you,” Albert told her with a slight shrug.
She scoffed and drew her head back. “Why are they afraid of me? What have I done that’s so scary?”
“Remember when you broke von Dorn’s ribs?” Ewan asked, as if Fabian wasn’t standing five paces away. “A lot of people saw that.”
“Or that time you argued against the Cow Man in public when you opened the store?” Sonia added.
“Or generally any time you’ve spoken to Guthry or Alvere.” JP counted off his fingers.
“Let’s not forget when you nearly froze everyone in that study room when they were rioting for Ilyana’s review session,” Henrik said as Ilyana nodded.
Tori’s jaw dropped. “Those were all defensive!”
“When we first came to the delta, you slashed a tent open to silence the village elders.” She slowly turned her head towards Piers and narrowed her eyes.
“Are you trying to help?”
“I am stating a fact.”
She looked at Axton. He averted his eyes. “You are soft and affectionate.” Her eyes lit up. “But terrifying when you’re angry.”
Tori blinked. “I already miss Constantine. He wouldn’t do this to me.” This world just never ceases to remind me that I am a villainess no matter what I do. I really need to embrace it more. “Let’s go back to the mainland.” She began to walk toward the opposite end of the island, where the dock with the boats that went to other islands were waiting.
“Tori.” JP called her name and she turned around. He motioned his head towards the three unwelcome visitors.
Her eyes narrowed. I forgot about them. She took a deep breath and frowned. It looked as if they just arrived, meaning they had likely been traveling through the night just to make it there early enough to catch Constantine before he left. It was safe to assume that the gatehouse tried to call her, but she’d been preoccupied seeing off Constantine and didn’t pay attention to her comcry.
If they were normal guests, she’d offer some tents and meals, and have them rest for a bit before they returned. This would be specifically true since Gideon was still a prince, and a certain amount of decorum was expected...at least in public. However, he used his authority to bring in unwanted guests.
How could she stand for it?
Tori shut her eyes and grit her teeth, trying to produce a rational solution that didn’t involve her turning into a screaming shrew and forcing them out of Viclya. If Gideon really wanted, and was aware of his privilege, he could counter and force her to let them stay.
“We will provide you with breakfast and then you will leave immediately.” All eyes turned to Piers. He seemed to tower above his brother, though the height difference now wasn’t as much as it had been her first year. Piers simply radiated authority and Gideon, despite the protest and frustration on his face, could only drop his head.
“Your Highness, may we please rest for a few hours?” Alessa asked, turning towards him. She looked exhausted and Tori wasn’t sure if it was because of the journey or because of her loss of a love interest. “We scrambled to find a carriage to take us here and were lost. We traveled all night.”
Tori stood up straight. They had to find a carriage? Gideon should’ve come with one. Piers said Gideon and Fabian always traveled out of the palace in a carriage. She looked at Gideon critically. “Do your parents know you’re here?”
Gideon seemed to freeze. Tori turned to Fabian, who grimaced. He took a step forward and opened his mouth, but Alessa cut him off to appeal directly to the one with the highest authority.
“Your Highness, please don’t be upset with your brother! I was confused and worried about Constantine. I panicked and I could only reach out to Prince Gideon for help!”
Piers’ eyes bore on to the top of his brother’s head. “Did you run away from the palace?”
“No!” Gideon’s head shot up and he shook his head. “I didn’t run away! I...I sneaked out.”
“You sneaked out?” Axton asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at both him and Fabian with sharp, demanding eyes. “Is the palace security so pathetic that you two can simply sneak out?”
“I brought other knights with me and said I was going on an errand!”
“In the middle of the night?” Axton’s voice rose.
“Who did you come with?” Piers was not pleased, and Tori motioned for her friends to make their way towards the docks discreetly.
“Sir Wilfort and Sir Lowell.”
“Axton, contact Captain Gaumond and ask if they reported the whereabouts of the second prince,” Piers said. Axton already had his comcry out. “Does Mother or Father know you’ve come here?”
Gideon was quiet.
“Call Monica du Soleil.” Gideon snapped his head towards Tori as she spoke into her comcry.
Was she really calling his mother to tattle? Yes. If he were some random, commoner kid, she wouldn’t think of doing such a thing; however, Gideon was the second prince of Soleil. Legal adult or not, it was simply too dangerous for him to leave Horizon without a proper entourage. The imperial palace should know where he was for safety.
“Tori?” A surprised voice came from her comcry. “Are you all right-”
“Mother, Gideon ran off last night and came to Viclya.” Piers spoke into Tori’s comcry as she held it towards him.
“What? When? Is he there right now?” The confusion in her voice slowly became more annoyed with each word. “Why was this not reported to me?”
“I will send him back immediately,” Piers said.
“What is he doing there? Did he at least come with knights?”
“He came with von Dorn and two imperial knights,” Piers replied.
“Piers!” Axton shouted over and they looked at him. “They didn’t report him leaving Horizon to Captain Gaumond. He thought they were in the city as he said he was staying over at a friend’s to discuss his project.”
Piers’ look darkened. “It seems that his knights did not report his leave properly.”
“Tell him to come home now! And send more knights with him!” The Empress’ sounded furious.
Piers looked back at his brother. Alessa looked worried. “Your Highness, Your Majesty, this is my fault-”
“Who is that? Who’s talking?” Empress Monica asked, still irritated.
“Baroness Hart.”
There was a chilling silence on the other end. “Send them to the imperial palace immediately.” Her cold voice made Tori shudder. She’d never heard the Empress speak like that. The light on her comcry dimmed. The Empress ended the call and Tori lowered the device in her hand.
“Did you order your knights to conceal your travel plans from Captain Gaumond?” Piers asked in a low, dangerous voice.
Gideon swallowed. “Yes.”
Piers’ face hardened. He turned around and walked towards the boats in silence. Axton let out a low breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He shook his head and looked as if he wanted to say a word, but in the end, turned and followed Piers.
Gideon and Fabian looked at each other. Alessa looked at them, just as confused.
“Who is Captain Gaumond?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter who he is,” Tori said as she stood to the side and pointed towards the dock in a gesture to force them to leave. “But because he prohibited his knights from reporting that he had left the city, they could lose their positions.”
“What?” Gideon snapped his head up and stared at her. “You’re lying! How would you know that?”
“I had to review security protocols for when you came here. Why would I lie?”
“Because you don’t like me and are trying to frighten me.”
“If I wanted to frighten you, I’d go to Piers!” Tori retorted. “Don’t you understand? The only knight who ultimately answers to you is him.” She pointed to Fabian. “That’s why his title is personal knight. All the other imperial knights, even your escort knights, even Piers’ escort knights, ultimately answer to your father. Because they did not properly inform the palace of your whereabouts, they could lose their knighthood!”
Any remaining color drained from Gideon’s face. He slowly shook his head. “No...no-”
Tori turned to Alessa. “Why did you go to the second prince for help? You know he lacks the freedoms that lesser nobles and commoners have when it comes to movement. His safety in transit must always be taken into consideration because he’s a prince.”
“He...he’s the only one who’d be able to bring me here,” Alessa said in a quiet voice. “I heard you can’t get into Viclya unless you’re a resident, worker, or have an invitation as a guest.”
Tori narrowed her eyes and prodded. “That’s true, but why did you bring Prince Gideon? What could he do?”
“I was told that imperial family members would be able to enter,” Alessa replied quietly. Her eyes lowered and stared at the ground in front of her. “I could only enter if he came with me.”
Tori held back the raging question of if she knew what kind of danger she was putting Gideon in. She had a more urgent question. “Who told you that?”
“Isn’t it well known?” Alessa looked at her, confused.
“That depends. Who told you?”
“One of my acquaintances.”
“An acquaintance? Who?”
“One of the businesswomen who is investing in Chetterswickshire.”
Tori’s eyes narrowed further. “What. Is. Her. Name.”
Alessa drew her head back and began to frown. Her arms moved in front of her, and she took a step back. “I don’t want to tell you.”
What the fu- “Why not?”
“You may poach them.”
Are you fucking kidding me? Tori stared at her. She didn’t want whatever merchant was doing business with Alessa. In fact, she’d gone out of her way to avoid doing so.
“Tori!” Axton called from the dock. “You go with Piers. I’m going to sit with Prince Gideon.” He glared at the second prince.
Tori took a deep breath and stood at the start of the dock. “Please get on the second boat and Axton will escort you to the mainland.” She could barely keep her voice steady.
First these idiots come in unexpectedly, then Alessa had some weird attempt to try to stay relevant to Constantine, and now they find out that Gideon may have unwittingly gotten two of his knights fired. And that was only if it were those two who knew what happened. If his other escort knights knew, the problem was even worse.
Tori and Piers’ boat pushed off from the island first and the two sat across from each other, both lost in thought.
“What are the chances that his knights will be removed from service?” Tori asked. She wasn’t familiar with Gideon’s escort knights like she was with Piers’. She knew all the names of Piers’ escort knights and had their comcrys registered on hers in case of an emergency.
Piers took a deep breath. “Depending on how severe my father deems this, at best, they’d be demoted to a second-tier knight or sent for another four years of training. At worst, they will be stripped of their knighthood.”
Tori let out a low hiss. “What was he thinking? Didn’t he know about this?”
“Even if my brother didn’t know, the knights should’ve. The moment they realized they were leaving the city, they should’ve reported it at once,” Piers said.
Tori ran a hand down her face. “It’s well known that Viclya is a closed settlement in Horizon, but the fact that immediate imperial family members are exempt from the closure shouldn’t be well known. Kasey had found the exemption while looking for legal loopholes.”
Piers cocked his head and gave her a curious look before looking down. “Gideon couldn’t have known. He is not as well-versed in Soleil law and rules as we’d like.”
Tori snorted. “Obviously. Look what he did to his knights. And it wasn’t your brother. Hart went to him because someone told her about the imperial family’s exemption.”
His lips tightened. “Who told her?”
“I asked and she wouldn’t tell me their name, only that they’re a merchant investing in Chetterswickshire.” She glanced towards him. “How would a merchant know about an arcane exemption that would have nothing to do with them?”
Piers frowned more so. “The concept of a closed settlement was also relatively unknown prior to Viclya, as such a procedure has become irrelevant now. It should stand that the only reason the concept of a closed settlement is known now is because word spread by nobles. An invitation and reservation to come to Viclya makes it exclusive.”
“And they use it to brag.” Tori concluded. She already knew that; she had designed it that way.
The boat reached the promenade dock and Piers helped Tori out. As they walked towards the stairs, Piers spoke up. “Do you think the reason Baroness Hart rushed here was for Mr. Zisos?”
“I thought it was,” Tori said, solemn. “But now, I’m not so sure.” They reached the promenade and several imperial knights from Piers' escort were waiting.
“I called before we left the island,” he told her. “Sir Anderson, Sir Lloyd, Sir Fletcher, and Sir Wallenbach will escort my brother back. I will call for four more of my knights to take their place and come here.”
“All right. Have them keep a close eye on Hart and the others while they are here. Don’t let them wander around. Keep them at the restaurant and then have them escorted back to their carriage.”
Piers gave her a small nod, not questioning her suspicions, and went to speak to his knights. Tori headed towards the pergola where her friends were waiting for her.
“Tori, why are all of the escort knights out?” Albert asked as he looked around. “They should be on rotation.” At least a third of the escort knights sent by or escorting Piers weren’t on duty and should’ve still been resting.
They were likely dragged from their tents to deal with Gideon.
“A few have to escort Prince Gideon back, by order of the Empress,” Tori said as she rejoined her group.
Ewan’s eyes widened. “Has he been arrested?”
“Finally,” Sonia muttered.
“Is that even possible?” Henrik looked at his friend with uncertainty.
“In a way, he is,” Tori said. “It’s a long story and I’m not sure if I can talk about it, but he’s in trouble for being somewhere where he’s not supposed to be.”
JP almost sneered. “Perhaps their friendship isn’t weakening as much as we thought.”
“Or she’s taking advantage of him. Again,” Sonia replied.
Tori took a deep breath. “Whatever the reason, they have to go back to the imperial palace immediately. They’re going to eat breakfast at the restaurant and then go back. Just in case, keep an eye on them and make sure they, and whoever they came with, don’t wander around.” She turned around and looked towards the promenade gate leading to the dock. Gideon and his party appeared with Axton looming behind them, still frowning. Tori narrowed her eyes. “I need to call my brother.”