Unfortunately, cell phone service had become shaky recently, making it harder to trade text messages. If things went bad, they were supposed to meet up in the basement Maris had brought them to. But things weren’t going to go bad. Everything was going to be fine.
Apparently the first guard had notified the rest of the house when Prince Caelan arrived because they were immediately ushered inside and greeted by Chancellor Croft’s assistant. She smiled, but it looked far too tense as she showed them to a comfortable sitting room. Refreshments were brought and then nothing. For an hour.
By that point, Rayne was pacing and ready to rip someone apart either with his words or even his bare hands. Caelan just reclined in a comfortable chair, enjoying the peace and quiet for as long as he could while trying very hard not to think about Drayce and what he might be doing right then.
“I don’t like this, Caelan,” Rayne said in a low, hard voice.
“Is it because you’re not wearing one of your fancy suits? Is it making you feel less prepared?” The teasing earned him a hard, cutting glare. Okay, so this was a really bad time to poke at him.
He did feel for his advisor. The man was always sharply dressed, appearing as if he could take on the world with just a look. Now he was stuck in jeans and a T-shirt that were long past their prime.
“She should have been here immediately to speak to you,” Rayne continued.
“Yes, and she’s been largely left on her own for the better part of a month to manage a siege following the queen’s murder. We don’t have a full view of the state of Stormbreak and the rest of the kingdom. We don’t know our resources or what’s being planned to get rid of the Empire.”
“All the more reason to come to you immediately. That’s your job,” Rayne snapped.
While Caelan wasn’t exactly giddy to jump into all of that side of his job, he was eager to finally get the kingdom back on track. And as much as he hated to admit it, the wait was starting to get to him as well. This felt like a power play, and Caelan was in no mood for games with this woman.
“Then I say we go find her. Maybe we can help with whatever is keeping her,” Caelan announced, pushing to his feet.
They didn’t get more than a couple of steps across the room before the door opened and Chancellor Croft breezed inside with a too-bright smile. No, he definitely didn’t trust her.
Despite rations and all goods being limited in the city, it didn’t appear that the chancellor had suffered one bit. She looked completely refreshed and bright-eyed in her deep emerald-green pants suit. Her white-blond hair was pulled up in a fancy knot with a few tendrils left down to frame her face. It struck Caelan as a young woman’s hairstyle, out of place against a face with ample lines and wrinkles that she’d tried unsuccessfully to hide with make-up.
He thought he’d heard she was in her late forties, but her face seemed older, as if too much scowling had dug furrows in her face.
“Your Majesty,” she exclaimed, throwing her hands out in greeting. “We are all so excited to learn you are still alive.” She took a step closer with her hand extended to him. Caelan reflexively retreated and Rayne naturally slid between them.
Despite his grubby attire, Rayne held himself perfectly erect, shoulders straight and hands at the small of his back as he glared at the woman. This man did not need a suit to be impressive. “You forget yourself, Chancellor. You are addressing the King of Erya.”
Octavia stopped short and blinked at Rayne. Her smile became brittle as she curtseyed low to Caelan. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, for this breach of etiquette. I am simply overjoyed that you have returned safely to Stormbreak.” Each word sounded as though she were grinding it between her teeth.
Caelan was tempted to leave her there in that awkward bend, staring at the floor until she learned from her mistake, but being petty wasn’t going to get them anywhere. Besides, knowing this woman’s ego, it was probably better if he played good cop to Rayne’s bad cop.
“Completely understandable, Chancellor Croft. We thank you for your warm welcome and for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with us.” Okay, maybe he wasn’t completely above making one petty dig. “Let’s sit, and you can bring me up to speed on what has been happening in Stormbreak since the murder of my mother.”
Caelan thought he saw her flinch, but she quickly recovered and smiled. She motioned toward the sofa and chairs arranged around a delicate coffee table. The tea service still sat there untouched from when her assistant had brought it in. Caelan had no stomach for tea. Whiskey would have been nice. He wouldn’t even mind a beer. But now was not the time.