IT WAS STILL a​​wkward the next day, and Irina chose to not mention the previous night's events to Myrina when they bumped into each other early in the morning. Irina had a fitting and Myrina needed to plan the luncheon, so they barely greeted each other before going their separate ways.

  Bing Yi frowned, noticing the tension, being the observant girl she was, but smartly chose not to remark on it. It was still a sore spot for both of them, and Irina had always understood the meaning of letting sleeping dogs lie perfectly.

  The fitting went by fast—she was starting to get used to them, and they were nowhere as much a nuisance as they were before. That, or her neck was starting to get stronger. Either way, it didn't ruin her day, and the modiste left her place humming a happy song, the dress in toll for final changes.

  Five days.

  Time was a ticking bomb, and she was getting nearer to the final explosion.

  Myrina came in at eleven, right after the modiste had left, invitation and event plan for the luncheon in hand. She gave a quick nod, didn't meet Irina's eyes, left it on her table and left. Irina didn't say anything, picking the papers up and quickly going through it. They were fine. She quickly called in Bing Yi to have the invitation copied and delivered for all the guests invited, which was most of them.

  The next thing she had on her list was to check the venue, which they were already decorating, and look over the rituals and ceremonies she'd have to be going through. Some she would be doing alone, some she'd be doing with Stephen. They were mostly boring, and plenty of kneeling was involved. Some of the servants came in after she'd gone back to Ning Yu Gong with the fan she was meant to hold that day to shield her face. It was red with golden feathers, the handle made of the best wood. Irina nodded her approval, and they left with the fan in tow.

  Irina let out a quiet breath. Bloody hell, that was a lot. Next up: visit Justine, then find Asteria to learn what she might have figured out.

  Justine was fine, already allowed to move around her residence. She was sitting at her desk reading when Irina arrived, and offered a small smile. "Look at me. Perfectly well."

  "The luncheon at Luo Yun Garden will take place tomorrow," Irina confirmed. "But that's not why I'm here." And she told her about her conversation with Myrina. She didn't mention Stephen.

  Justine was quiet for a long time when she finished, and Irina waited. Justine had never been the best with words, and she knew she was formulating a good answer inside her head. Irina had patience. When Justine finally opened her mouth, it was to say: "You know I never fully agreed with some of the decisions you made."

  "I don't think anyone did, not even Ryan."

  "Well, he's clearly a component in Myrina's breakdown. Have you asked him yet?"

  Irina shook her head. "Haven't had the chance. Might head to his palace after I meet up with Asteria to see what he did. Someone like Myrina doesn't just explode like that."

  "It's definitely part stress." Justine frowned. "I assume Ryan said something and triggered a part of Myrina to just, well, explode. And she has a point in asking you about why you made those decisions even though you knew they'd hurt your friends." She gave a pointed glance. "Why did you?"

  Irina said, "I don't know. They just seemed like the best decisions at the time," which was the truth, though perhaps not one anyone precisely wanted to hear.

  But Justine was someone who liked blunt honesty, and she gave a nod in return. "I suppose that's fair. We all make choices we don't understand. And we just have to stick with them, even if we realise we were wrong back then all along."

  "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

  Justine narrowed her eyes. "Somedays, I can't remember why I hate General Stoneworth so much. Or what I did to him."

  "Excellent question. I've been puzzling over it for a while."

  "I don't think there is an answer," Justine said with a sigh. "It happened too long ago, my memory doesn't work like that."

  "You met him a year ago."

  "No," she said, "we've met before. We were both at the Lasyan front, remember? When we were pushing the Meliqueans out of south Lasyan. We hadn't gotten along since then. I can't remember why—I think we disagreed about something. It's what precisely that was I can't recall."

  "Then it must have been unimportant," Irina replied. "But. Back to the point. Myrina."

  "I don't think we'll be able to figure anything out unless you talk to Ryan. But you. Have you thought about the things Myrina said properly?"

  "All night," Irina admitted. They'd stayed with her, haunted her. "As I said, they felt like the best decisions then."

  "And now?"

  "I see the consequences. Danna's attitude is directly because of me sending her to Melique. I don't know what happened with Io, but it happened after she came back from Melique too. And in a way, Myrina's not wrong. I did ruin her life."

  "And are you going to do anything to make it up to them?"

  Irina straightened. "Can I? I've already given Danna and her family anything they could possibly want. There is nothing Io wishes for, and Myrina... the only way I could make it up to her is by somehow allowing her to become a priestess. It's far too late for that now."

  "You could apologise."

  "And what good would that be? It's just words."

  Justine let out a soft chuckle. "I think you highly underestimate the power of words. Look at Danna. Has she actually done anything to cause disruption? No. But listen to that tongue of hers. The amount of shit that she spews, that's more than enough to piss everyone off and start discourse among us. A simple I'm sorry could go a long way, Irina."

  "Not for something like this."

  "So you do know how serious the consequences of your decisions were. So why did you make them in the first place?"

  "I told you, I don't know, Justine!"

  The other woman threw her head back. "Well, I still think you should apologise. It's long overdue, years overdue, but there's only a week before you leave Sai."

  "Wait. That reminds me of something else." Irina shut her eyes. "Are you well enough to travel? Did the physicians say?"

  "Most likely, I will not be cleared for long-distance travelling within a week." Justine grimaced. "The doctor said two weeks minimum. I might have to go later alone."

  "I'll have someone stay behind with you," Irina scowled. "Don't you worry."

  Justine smiled. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

   Irina glanced at the book she'd placed down on the table. It was in Arecian, rather unexpectedly. Justine usually preferred reading Saian books, so she asked, "What are you reading? I didn't have that sent over."

  "General Stoneworth stopped by two hours ago," Justine said with no small amount of amusement. "I'm pretty sure Prince Stephen forced him to, from his expression, and he dropped this off. It's actually pretty decent, thought I might as well waste some time on it."

  Irina's brows creased. "General Stoneworth came over? Alone?"

  "Oh," Justine reached up to swat her head with a laugh, "don't let your mind go there. The man hates me with his life. He just needs to at least seem civil with me. Only reason I didn't send him out crying was because I didn't want to cause any problems for you. I would have, under any other situation."

  Irina let out a huff. "And you say you don't even remember why you didn't get along in the first place."

  "I don't. But I do know why I still dislike him now. The man's name fits perfectly. He's an actual piece of stone, Irina. I swear he feels no emotions whatsoever. And even if he does, he doesn't bloody show it. It's irritating as all hell."

  "He's not all that bad. Most people view Asteria the same way."

  "Asteria is still a living, breathing person. She has moments of softness and she's kind to all her friends. General Stoneworth? I don't even see him being nice to Prince Stephen or Prince Frederick or Lady Katharine. I swear, he's the exact same around all of them."

  "He's probably different alone. Myrina, for example."

  "No," Justine shook her head adamantly. "I refuse to believe that. I absolutely refuse to believe that."

  "Suit yourselves." Irina let out a laugh as she stood up from her chair, smoothing her purple silk gown. "I should probably go meet Asteria, actually. You enjoy your book."

  "I'll memorise some quotes from it to use against General Stoneworth."

  "Of course you will." Irina shook her head. "Well, I'll see you around."

  "I'll see you around too." Justine smiled.

👑

  "NOTHING FROM THE Hrishnans," Asteria repeated, raising her chin. "Max and Cress are trying to figure out the Caershireens, but so far they've found nothing as well."

   Irina's eyes were narrowed. "You're absolutely certain?"

  "Diksha's absolutely certain. If it is the Hrishnans, it's being kept airtight. None of them seem to have a clue what's going on, apparently."

  "Well, that's annoying."

  Asteria nodded. "It might not be the Hrishnans. I might start investigating the Dumahians."

  "Wait until tomorrow," Irina said. "The luncheon. Myrina has it planned."

  "I know, I received an invitation." Asteria flashed a smile. "But yes. I'll wait and see what we discover tomorrow, or if anyone decides to strike. And I'll go from there."

  "Thank you," Irina said. "I really appreciate it. I know you'd much rather be spending time with Lieutenant Harlande right now."

  Asteria let out a hearty laugh. "You're absolutely welcomed, Irina. It's just part of the job. Allows me some time to catch up with old friends anyways."

  "Your connections are genuinely impressive," Irina said. "I don't know how you're good friends with so many people."

  "It's not that many."

   "I don't mean good friends, mind you." Irina shrugged. "Acquaintances are still connections. God knows you have far too many of those."

  "It's a talent. You're in a good mood today."

  "I just visited Justine," Irina explained. "She's well enough to move around now, and her voice isn't really that croaky anymore. You can tell it still hurts for her a bit to breathe, but she seems perfectly alright other than that."

  "Will she be cleared for travelling?"

  Irina shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. At least not for another two weeks. She'll have to travel separately. I'll find someone to go with her."

  Asteria said, "If you're going to pick someone from the people who's going to go with you, you should do it quickly. Don't rush anyone."

  "I know," Irina said. "I'll get Myrina to fetch me the full list and pick a couple people off it, most likely."

  "Sounds good to me." Asteria leaned back. "And now, we wait."

  Irina let out a sigh. "Yes. We wait."

  "Do you think the poisoner will try anything again at the luncheon tomorrow? We haven't had any social events since the banquet to welcome the Meliqueans, this would probably be their only chance until the wedding."

  "If they're determined to kill me?" Irina asked, tilting her head. "Yes. I do think so. They'll most definitely strike again tomorrow. Which is why I want at least one of you next to me the entire time, just in case."

  "Don't worry about that," Asteria assured. "I'll have Io following you as a maid. You can send Bing Yi off somewhere else. Do you want Malcolm to accompany you around?"

  "Not Malcolm. Someone else. You and Danna, for example, people they won't be very alert and wary around."

  Asteria said, "They'll be wary around me. People do know I'm involved in my father's work."

  "Danna, then." Irina gave it some thought. "I'll have Myrina, of course–" if they were on talking terms by tomorrow "—and the Diao sisters are here. Oh, watch out for Naeva tomorrow."

  "As usual," Asteria said, offering a small smile. "I'll make sure she's fine, don't you worry about that."

  It was a system of theirs. At least one person kept an eye on Naeva at all times, ensuring she wouldn't be cornered by some band of bullies or Malcolm's newest paramour. They'd set it up after Naeva had gotten humiliated one too many times, privately or publicly. No matter what, Naeva was still their friend. She might not want public intervention, but she'd never said anything about prevention.

  "How do you think they'll strike, though?" Irina asked, frowning. "Not poison again, that's far too simple. I don't think a dagger or a bullet would necessarily be their style either."

  "I have no idea," Asteria confessed. "We know far too little about this poisoner to be able to make any good guesses. Which is what confuses me. Everything about this screams of someone who'd never done this before. This is a crime of passion. And I can't help but feel like the poisoner is right in front of our faces, and we've just been brushing them off for one reason or another."

  "Oddly specific." Irina's eyes narrowed. "You have suspects."

  "I do," Asteria confirmed. "No solid evidence, but they are suspects. Which is why I'm also not going to say it. Don't want to lead anyone down the wrong path."

  If you're not sure, don't say it. Having a single suspect might easily bring them down a rabbithole of trying to find things specifically linking to one person, and that was horrible in cases like this. Asteria was wise to keep it to herself.

  "Well, fair enough." Irina picked up the porcelain teapot in the table between them. "Want more?"

  "I'm good," Asteria said, raising her half-full cup. "I have a meeting tomorrow, don't want to drink too much water before that."

  Irina glanced out of the pavilion they sat under, at the flowers and bushes surrounding them. "What meeting?"

  "It's with the Wheldrakians. About a potential alliance. I thought you knew?"

  "Oh, that," Irina frowned, "I thought that discussion was settled long ago."

  "The initial terms were settled. It's the details now," Asteria explained. "And my father's decided I'm to represent him for the next one."

  "Look at you," Irina offered a sly smile, "getting groomed for the position."

  Asteria grinned. "My father's been putting a lot of effort into training me the past while. I think he wants to semi-retire."

  "The Duke of Shui Xiang?" Irina asked, incredulous. "Retiring?"

  "I know, I know." Asteria let out a scoff. "Him? Retiring? Impossible. But I can't think of another reason why he'd be training me like this all of a sudden. And my mother's been putting money into renovating our country manor."

  "By god," Irina muttered. "Well, this is news."

  "Don't tell anyone," Asteria warned. "In case this isn't actually what my parents are trying to do, and they're just randomly deciding to do this for no reason." Of course, they both knew it probably was the reason. Being a spymaster was tiring, and why would the Duke insist on continuing on his job when he had a perfectly capable daughter who could take over? But just in case this wasn't what was happening, it was best they did not start any unnecessary rumours.

  "I won't," Irina promised with a roll of her eyes. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

  "It's a just in case," Asteria shrugged, "don't take it so seriously."

  Irina let out a quiet "huh". "Things are changing."

  "They've always been changing," Asteria said softly. "It's just that we've only noticed now, that's all."

  "That's a depressing thought."

  "But it's true, is it not?" Asteria gave her a pointed glance. "All of this, it has been building up for years. We've just been dismissing it until now."

  "That is true." Irina dragged her eyes away from Asteria's pensive face to the garden around them again. "The flowers are blooming prettily."

  "No they're not.." Asteria smiled. "Don't try to change the subject."

  Irina let out a huff. "Fine, it's not the reason for these flowers."

  "It's why you picked this pavilion," Asteria shot out. "Because no one would be here. If anyone wants to see flowers they'd be gathered at one of the other pavilions, where flowers are actually blooming."

  "Fine." Irina threw her head back. "When are you and Lieutenant Harlande going to tie the knot? You're not getting any younger."

  "Just because you're getting married doesn't mean I have to," Asteria huffed. "Besides, it's not like I won't be able to find a heir if I don't have children. I have plenty of cousins, and most of them are smart enough."

  "Do you not want children?" Irina asked, blinking. "I was always under the impression that you wanted them."

  "I'm indifferent," Asteria said. "Couldn't care less, honesty. I don't want to put them into danger and spotlight, and they probably will be thrust face first into both if they're born with my blood or Max's surname. Or both."

"You're going to force them to hyphenate their names?"

  "You're doing the same." In Sai, women did not take their husbands' last names. They retained their own. Therefore, to strike a balance, Irina's last name would become Ralloyn-Gu once she was married. "It's the best way for these marriages to work. Reduces the chances of argument and clashing with tradition."

  "Fair enough," Irina said. "Well, me, personally, I have far more faith in your branch of Lus than any other, so I do hope you have at least one child to take over for you, but oh well. So, no tying the knot yet. Disappointing."

  "Why do you want to see me married so badly?" Asteria asked with a snort. "Even if I do marry, it'll be a small ceremony, trust me on that. Neither Max nor I like to be in the spotlight or the centre of attention, and we're both private people. Something lowkey."

  "Sounds like you've been thinking about it."

  Asteria raised one brow, studying Irina. "You know, they say when people get married, they try to pair everyone around them together as well. I see that it's true, and an understatement at that. You're not even married yet and you're already like this. God knows what will happen when you are."

  Irina gave a mysterious little smile. "You wouldn't know what hit you."

  "I fear for all of us. Curious, though? Cassalyn and Cirinique weren't struck by the same syndrome."

  "Perhaps they simply haven't said anything about it, that's all."

  "I doubt it." Asteria shook her head. "You just want to share your misery, that's all."

  "I don't think it'll be a misery for you to marry Maximilian Harlande, would it be?"

  "I am also not answering that." Asteria chuckled. "Stop trying to trick me into saying things I don't mean."

  "My oh my, so careful."

  "Always, my dear Asteria."