“Oi!” I gave him a light shove. “I don’t say it that infrequently.”
“Actually,” he gave me a broad grin, “I think this might be the first time ever.”
I laughed, but when I glanced up and saw Mariam watching us, I cut the sound off and assumed a serious posture. I was more concerned with the indulgence in her expression than the possibility of being reprimanded for over-familiarity with her son, but either way, I didn’t want Nyla to notice. I wasn’t sure which option she would find more disturbing.
I had stopped not a moment too soon because Nyla glanced our way, her disapproving eyes lingering on me.
“We have two members of the royal family about to arrive in our home! There is much to be done. Don’t just stand there!”
I nodded meekly and fled the room. It might be for different reasons, but I was no less eager for the night to go to plan than Nyla.
CHAPTER25
Rek and Adara were the first ones to arrive, and it took all my control not to run straight into his arms. It already seemed like too long ago that we’d stood together in Yasmine’s garden.
His eyes flashed when he saw me, standing discreetly behind the family who had lined up in the front hall to welcome them. But his life as a prince had given him as much experience at suppressing his emotions as my employment with Nyla had given me. Both of us held our places and assigned roles.
There was no sign of the three guards who should have accompanied him, but I knew they would have gone straight to liaise with the household guards. I had already had a long conversation with our small group of guards, so they had been ready to receive them. Our men didn’t have the experience of the royal guard, but after Rowan’s injury, they were eager to prove themselves. Naturally I hadn’t told them the full truth about the evening, but it had been essential I warn them to be ready to assist Rek’s men.
The royals were led into a receiving room where I served them drinks while they waited for the remaining guests to arrive. Once the meal began, I wouldn’t be able to continue serving alone, but Navid had issued instructions that any other servers should move through the room quickly. Only I would remain with the guests at all times.
Three weeks ago, Yara and the others would have found the arrangement odd enough to fuel a great deal of gossip and speculation. But they had all accepted that I no longer had a simple servant role in the household. Any who might have resented my new status under ordinary circumstances seemed willing to accept it in exchange for the advantages that came with a much more amiable mistress.
The next guest to arrive was Yasmine. She swept into the house wearing a heavily embroidered chemise and a stunningly simple full length red robe. But the superior smile on her face faltered when she caught sight of Rek and Adara.
By the time she’d risen from her bow, the smile was back in place, but I could read a more confusing riot of emotions lurking behind it. The opportunity for an intimate meal with two of the royals was enviable by most standards, but one look at Nyla’s triumphant face showed the cost of the offered reward.
Yasmine turned to beckon to a figure standing in the doorway, and an older man came forward to offer his bow.
“This is Isav,” she said. “He’s a collector of antiquities from southern Kuralan and an old friend. He’s making a short visit to Karema, and I couldn’t let him dedicate his entire trip to business.”
She included the whole room in her warm, gracious smile, but I barely noted it. While I was ostensibly keeping my eyes firmly on the opposite wall, my whole attention was on the man I could see out of the corner of my eyes.
Isav. Or Esai’s father. The twins had said he and his son were merchants. Yasmine claimed he was a collector of antiquities. Some combination of the two made sense for someone who had once led the gang of thieves. He must have reserved the rarest treasures from the back of the cave for his own retirement, however many years ago that had been. And even when the items removed from the cave turned to dust, he must have had plenty of wealth left from the treasures he had already sold.
Seeing him standing there beside Yasmine proved my suspicion, but the evening was too precarious to waste time congratulating myself. I might have correctly guessed how the situation would play out, but we still hadn’t brought it to a successful conclusion.
It made sense Isav had taken the role of Yasmine’s guest instead of Esai. While he had shown himself to be a bold man, his presence at the table would have bordered on foolhardy. Most people didn’t have my gift with faces, but even Ali might recognize a man he had shared such an eventful meal with.
Esai had to be here somewhere, though. My eyes flicked to the open door and the corridor beyond, but there was no sign of anyone else.
“Excuse me.” Isav rose from his bow with a confident smile. “I was just handing my horse over to your excellent stables. You will think me a foolish old man, and likely you’re right, but she is more precious to me than any antiquity. I always travel with my own groom, so I mean no disrespect on your fine establishment.”
Ali offered him effusive reassurances of his welcome and their lack of offense while I exchanged a meaningful look with Rek. I couldn’t say it out loud, but hopefully he guessed at the likely identity of the so-called groom, as well as the identity of the older man in the room with us.
I wanted to run out of the room immediately to warn the guards, but I reminded myself Benjamin and Samuel were with them and had seen Esai for themselves at the cave. They would give any necessary warnings while also keeping the enthusiasm of our guards under control until the right moment. Jerome’s presence would also help with that.
Adara sidled over to Navid, who stood just in front of me, while Ali continued to talk with Isav.
“That’s not the captain of the thieves, is it?” she whispered, her tone concerned although a polite smile was still fixed on her face.
“It’s his father,” Navid whispered back. “I’m guessing Esai is the groom.”
I relaxed. I hadn’t been sure Navid had gotten a good enough look at Isav at the party to recognize him now.
The sound of a new arrival filtered through from the courtyard, and Adara brightened.
“That will be Azzam.” She glanced briefly back at me with a conspiratorial look. “I’ll watch his face. Zaria, you watch Yasmine’s. And Navid, you watch this Isav. With any luck, their shock at being thrown together will be enough to implicate them on the spot, and we can get this whole charade over with.”