“It is my understanding that the lady Vara is friends with that village girl,” Torcan said calmly. He poured Darius a goblet of wine and handed it to him before pouring one for himself.  “It would explain prince Cyrus’ actions. She is his sister after all.”

“It doesn’t explain why he needed to return home all of a sudden,” Darius growled, “he sent for his physician. That should have been enough. There was no reason to go back. He made a promise to my sister.” His hand clenched around the goblet. This Cyrus didn’t take this alliance nearly as serious as he should. No matter if this was a political arrangement, the Tirzé name was at stake. He wouldn’t let anyone make a mockery of his sister’s marriage.

Torcan sighed. “I know that look. Don’t do anything foolish, Darius. Please. We do need this alliance. You cannot insult king Aurelios.”

“I am no fool, Torcan,” Darius growled, “I don’t need you to tell me what to do, nor how to be diplomatic.”

“Forgiveness,” Torcan muttered. It was rare for him to be on the receiving end of Darius’ anger. The prince had a long way to go before he was ready to take his father’s crown. A kingdom didn’t need a king that lost his temper over every little thing.

Darius put his goblet down and stood up. He stared out of the window of his chamber. “This wedding needs to take place as soon as possible,” he stated. At least when they were wed, it was irreversible.
He glanced at Torcan. “We need to speed things up.”

***

“The best you can do is make her as comfortable as possible. Feed her. Give her water. Speak to her. I have seen this before. There is nothing I, or anyone else, can do.”

Vara bit her lip and fought her tears. The physician’s words played over and over in her mind.

“Nothing to be done.”

A stroke, he had said, a damage to the brain. No one knew why these things happened.

Was this it then?

The thought that Eunice’s mother might die caused a knot in her stomach. Antonia was very dear to her too.

The door opened and closed and Eudemas walked into the room. She was carrying a tray that held a goblet. Quietly she set it down on the low table next to Vara’s chair. “I warmed up some spiced wine for you,” Eudemas said softly, ”it will ease your stomach and your mind.”

Vara offered her a faint smile.”Thank you, Eudemas. That was very thoughtful.”

Eudemas answered her smile with a sad one of her own. She kneeled in front of Vara’s chair. “Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked quietly.

Vara shook her head. “No thank you. Don’t mind me. I will be fine.”

“It must be really hard, to be unable to do anything to help your friend,” Eudemas said.

Vara nodded. “Yes, it is. It’s just all so sudden.”

“Vara?” There was a soft knock on the door.

Vara stood up and wiped her tears and nodded at Eudemas to let Cyrus in. He walked up to her and gently took he shoulders. “Are you alright?” His eyes were filled with concern.

She knew she should step away from him, keep her distance. She shouldn’t let him come so close.
But she wanted to be comforted.

Before she knew it, she had buried her head in his shoulder. Immediately, Cyrus locked his arms around her and held her tightly. “Shh, it will be alright,” he whispered in her hair. His hand rubbed her back in a soothing manner. “I’m here,” he whispered and he placed a soft kiss in her hair.

Her hands clenched his tunic. She never wanted to let him go.

Eudemas glanced at the door nervously. She didn’t want Vara to get in trouble. If someone were to walk in right now, it wouldn’t look good.

Quietly she moved to the door to stand watch.

Reluctantly, Vara let go of Cyrus and stepped away from him. She wiped at her eyes. “You should go,” she whispered.

“I don’t want to leave you like this,” Cyrus answered. He caressed her cheek.

“They’ll wonder where you are,” Vara replied, “they’ll come look for you. And if they find you here…”

“Let them find me,” Cyrus growled, “I’m sick of all this pretence. I’m tired of denying how I feel. What are they going to do? What can they do that they haven’t done to us already?”

“We need the support of Tireze.”

“I need you!” Cyrus growled.

Vara bit her lip. “Cyrus…”

“Lord Iolaus,” Eudemas’  voice rang from the door.

Cyrus and Vara broke apart quickly. A second later, the door was opened and Iolaus stepped in the room. “Vara? I came to see if…” he paused when he saw Cyrus. “…you were alright,” he finished.

Vara wiped the tears from her cheek. “I will be fine, Iolaus,” she said softly, “thank you for your concern.”

Iolaus nodded quietly and raised an eyebrow at Cyrus. He wasn’t fooled. He knew exactly what was going on. He decided not to say anything on the matter. “Aren’t you ready yet?” he asked Cyrus instead, “prince Darius and his sister are already on their way to the parlor.”

Cyrus gritted his teeth. He had forgotten. There was supposed to be an intimate dinner between him and the Tirzé siblings. Vara had been invited as well.  A dinner with his future bride was the last thing on his mind right now. “We’ll be right there,” he said curtly.

Iolaus nodded in understanding.  He gave one last glance towards Vara and then looked at Cyrus again. “It would be wise not to keep them waiting. Prince Darius is not a very patient person.”

“I said we’ll be right there,” Cyrus repeated annoyed.

Iolaus sighed and left the room. At the door he looked at Eudemas.”Look out for Vara,” he said quietly, “she’ll need you.”

Eudemas gave a serious nod. “I will watch over her.”

He smiled at the servant girl and headed downstairs. He had a bad feeling about this.

Cyrus looked at Vara tenderly. “I must go change. Will I see you downstairs Or should I excuse you?”

Vara took a deep breath. “I will be there.”

“Good,” he smiled at her. Slowly he leaned in to kiss her cheek. His thumb traced her cheekbone. “I will be waiting.”

Vara watched him retreat and let her breath escape. She didn’t want to go to this dinner, but it was expected of her an it would be suspicious if she did not  show. She ran a hand through her hair. “Eudemas,” she said quietly, and the servant girl approached her.

“My lady,” she said with a voice filled with sympathy.

Vara looked at her and took her hand. “Whatever happens,” she said, “do not leave my side tonight.”

Eudemas nodded in understanding. “I will not let you down.”

***

Darius impatiently paced the room. “Something is going on. Is he with her again?”

Torcan sighed. “She is his sister. It is only natural that he goes to see if she is alright.”

Darius gritted his teeth. “She is not his birth sister. And even then, doesn’t she have a maid who can take care of her?”

The door opened and Darius turned towards it, but it was only Iolaus. “Where is he?” Darius asked, “we are waiting.”

“He is on his way, your highness,” Iolaus answered calmly. He’d had enough of this arrogant youth. He couldn’t wait for the man to return to Tireze.
Iolaus had barely finished speaking when the door opened again. Cyrus stepped inside and nodded at Darius. “Prince Darius, my lady Ariane.”

“Is the lady Vara not joining us?” Darius asked bluntly.

“She will be her shortly,” Cyrus answered casually, “We can sit down and have some refreshments while we wait. He gestured towards the recliners that were set up in a half circle and sat down on one of them. He motioned of a nearby servant to bring food and drinks.

Darius guided his sister towards the recliners and sat down next to her.

Both Torcan and Iolaus lingered in the background. No matter their position in either household, this was a private gathering and tonight they were not guests, but manservants.

Ariane flinched slightly when her brother nudged her side. She took a deep breath and kept her gaze don. “I hope the lady Vara is well, my lord?” she whispered.

“It is difficult for her to watch her friend suffer,” Cyrus answered politely, “she will be grateful for your concern.”

Ariane gave a shy nod and accepted some food from a tray a servant held in front of her.

“The lady Vara,” a servant at the door announced.

Vara entered the room with Eudemas in tow. She curtsied for Darius. “Your highness.”

He had stood up and nodded at her. “Lady Vara.” It didn’t go by unnoticed that she took a seat on a different recliner than Cyrus, but he didn’t comment on it.

Vara smiled at Ariane. “Will you not share a couch with me? We could get to know each other better and let the men speak off politics.”

Ariane glanced at her brother, who nodded at her, and moved over to Vara’s couch. “I hope you are well,” Ariane said, “I heard what befell your friend,.“ She might not understand why Vara would maintain a friendship with a village girl, but she could still muster sympathy for the situation.

“It’s not me you should be concerned about,” Vara answered, “I’m not the one that has fallen ill.”

Ariane looked down. “Forgive me, I meant no offense.”

Vara sighed. ‘I know,” she said softly, “it’s just hard to see her like this. Eunice is my best friend. We have known each other all our lives.”

“She is very fortunate to have a friend like you,” Ariane said.

Vara shook her head. “I am the fortunate one.”

Ariane bit her lip guiltily. “Yes, of course. It must be hard to see her live in such poor conditions while you are living at the palace.”

Vara frowned confused. “That is not what I meant.”

…

Darius was upholding light conversation with his future brother-in-law. Every once in a while he caught Cyrus glancing at Vara. There was nothing brotherly about those looks and he narrowed his eyes at the thought of there being more between them. Had they been mocking him behind his back? A man reserved those looks for the woman he bedded. He wouldn’t allow for his sister to be made a  fool of.
His hands curled around his goblet and he cleared his throat.
He fought hard to stay polite when he addressed her. “Lady Vara,” he tried to make his voice sound inviting instead of demanding. When she looked at him, he continued. “Would you do me the honor of conversation? I would like for us to get more acquainted.”

Vara watched him surprised. Why the sudden interest in her? “I thin you made it very clear how you feel about me, prince Darius,” she answered casually.

“Then allow me to stand corrected,” Darius answered stiffly, “we will be family after all.”

Vara glanced at Cyrus from the corner of her yes, but he offered no comment. He studied her intensely. He kept his face emotionless, but by the set of his mouth, she could tell he was displeased.
She turned back to Darius. “Very well,” she complied and she moved over to sit on his couch with him, but to her surprise he stood up and offered her his arm.

“Shall we?” He gestured towards the other side of the room so they could speak in private.

She studied him cautiously, but steadily placed her hand on his arm so he could guide her away.

Torcan and Eudemas quietly followed them.

Darius guided her towards a part of the room that looked out over the garden. They were still in sight of the others, but out of hearing.
He let go of her and stared out over the greenery. “I hear you have been fortunate,” he said to start up the conversation.

She looked at him confused. “What do you mean?”

“You are not of royal blood,” Darius clarified, “yet you are living at the palace.”

Vara’s eyes narrowed just the tiniest bit. And her voice sounded a bit stiff when she answered him. “Not being of royal blood does not mean I’m less fortunate.”

He saw anger flash behind her eyes. On the outside she was every bit a lady, but there was a fire in her look that could rival his own.
He changed the subject and cut to the chase. “Prince Cyrus seems to hold some affection for you.”

“We are childhood friends,” Vara replied with reserve.

Darius studied her thoughtfully. “I just want to make sure that my sister’s marriage is not tarnished by a scandal.”

His head jerked to the side when Vara slapped him. Before he could glare and snap at her, she had already turned around.

She stalked out of the room with a bewildered Eudemas following after her.

The others watched her departure confused and Cyrus narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He glared at Darius. What had the young Tirzé prince told her to make her so upset?

Darius was furious. How dare that woman hit him? He moved to go after her, but was stopped by Torcan, who grabbed his arm. “Don’t Darius,” he said, “we are not at home where women do as they are told. Here, they are allowed to have an opinion. A scandal?” He looked at Darius surprised.

“Have you not noticed?” Darius asked, “the way our Aurelios prince looks at her? There is something between them.”

“Have you proof of this?”

Darius shook his head. “No, whatever the case, they hide it well. I will not let the Tirzé name be shamed by a peasant girl that worked her way up into the royal bedchamber.” He rubbed his jaw. The girl hit hard. He could still feel the sting. “She needs a lesson in manners.”

Torcan sighed. His friend wasn’t easily riled up. He needed to caution the young prince before he did something rash. “Be reasonable, Darius,” he said, “she is under royal protection. The king himself considers her his daughter. You can’t accuse her without proof. It will reflect on the Tirzé name.”

Darius gritted his teeth. He knew Torcan was right, but he couldn’t just let this pass. He would have to keep a close eye on the young woman. “She needs a husband,” he growled, “surely then she would think twice before opening her mouth.”

“Such a shame you are already married,” Torcan muttered under his breath, but Darius still heard.

He glanced at Torcan. “But you are not.”

Torcan stiffened. He shook his head at his friend with a pained expression. “That is not funny.”

“Then don’t mark me.”

Torcan sighed and his shoulders dropped. “Forgive me. I was merely looking out for you.”

“And now I need you to look out for my sister,” Darius said, “I need to leave on the morrow. I have already postponed my journey home once. I cannot leave my father waiting. I entrust my sister to you. Don’t fail me.”

Torcan straightened up and made a deep bow. “I will not disappoint you.”

***

Eudemas hurriedly followed Vara into her room and bit her lip at the sight of Vara’s fuming eyes. “That was not a wise thing to do,” she offered quietly.

Vara turned around and looked at her furiously. “And what will he do about it? Go to the king and repeat what he said to me?!”

Eudemas didn’t answer. In truth, she didn’t want to think about what prince Darius might do. The man was unpredictable. He didn’t seem like a reasonable man either. “Please calm yourself, Vara,” Eudemas said when she watched her friend pace the room with angry strides.

There was a knock on the door and Eudemas hurried to open it. “My lord,” she curtsied when she recognized Iolaus.

Iolaus nodded at her and stepped further into the room. He sighed at the sight of the obviously furious pacing young woman. “It wasn’t wise to insult a guest, Vara,” he said sternly, “especially Darius Tirzé. There are politics involved.”

Vara whipped around and glared at him. “You did not hear what he said to me,” she hissed.

Iolaus gave her an even stare. He was not impressed by her fit. And this was not a game. “No,” he admitted, “I did not. But I can guess. I have sisters too.”

Vara glared even more ferocious and opened her mouth to lash out at him, but he cut her off. “I have known both you and Cyrus for a long time. It is no secret how he feels about you. I know you are honorable, Vara, but you cannot blame Darius for his concern.”

Vara crossed her arms. “I will not apologize.” Apologizing would be admitting that there was truth in Darius’ words. He didn’t know her. He judged her without knowledge. It only made this harder.

“I didn’t say you should,” Iolaus interrupted her thoughts, “apologizing would indicate he was right. But be careful, Vara. The house Tirzé is not to be taken lightly. Don’t make him your enemy.” He sighed. “Best stay out of his way.”

“That shouldn’t be hard,” Vara growled, “my very presence is insulting to him. He looks down on everything and everyone that is not of royal making.”

“Yes,” Iolaus nodded. He walked up and playfully lifted Vara’s chin. “But he is a pompous fool. Don’t let him make you feel less about yourself.” He offered her a smile and watched the anger drain from her eyes. He sighed in relief. “He will depart tomorrow. You won’t have to face him again until the wedding.”

That brought another scowl to her face.

“Be nice, Vee,” Iolaus muttered softly. He tapped her cheek. “I have to go back before Cyrus murders his guest.”