Kiss of Snow

10

My fingers still burned from where I’d touched his skin, and I tucked them into the folds of my skirt as though one of my sisters would somehow see my secret. I shouldn’t have touched him, and I didn’t know what had come over me in that moment. It was too familiar with my Captain of the Guards. I was lucky he was so professional and had simply ignored my impulsive need for human contact in the face of an uncertain future.

“Lily?” Jasmine’s voice broke into my thoughts.

“Yes?” I focused on my sister, hoping no one had noticed my confused response.

Her eyes gentled. “Are you well this morning?”

I helped myself to some still-sizzling bacon and reached for a pancake, distracting myself with the mundane routine of breakfast.

“Lily…” Dahlia’s voice said she knew everything that had happened last night, and I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze. “You need to tell them.”

“Tell us what?” Camellia asked.

I turned around and each of my sisters had their gaze pinned on me. “I had an unexpected guest last night,” I said, my mind racing as I searched for the best way to present Keane’s plan to them. I knew I had to go to the summer palace, but that was almost the easy part. Telling my sisters was the part tearing at my heart.

“Oh?” Jasmine’s dark eyebrow rose a fraction. “Who?”

“Lord Malren.”

Violet’s pink lips parted. “King Raith’s cousin? What did he want?”

“My life.” I held up a hand to stop their exclamations. “But no one is to worry, because he didn’t get what he came for and now he’s our very honored guest in whichever prison cell Keane chose for him to stay in.” I kept my voice firm. The emergency had passed. There was no need for any of them to worry.

“Why would he attack you?” Violet asked.

“How did you stop him?” Camellia added.

Iris gasped. “What are you going to do?”

I spoke quickly to try to calm them all down. “Keane has suggested I go to the summer palace immediately per Dahlia’s plan.”

Dahlia lifted her glass of juice. “That is wise. It’s smaller, easier to defend, and no one will expect you to be there.”

“But did you fight him?” Camellia asked, unwilling to let this go.

“No, I… Keane helped subdue him.”

Luckily Violet saved me from her twin’s next question. “When do you need to leave?

“This afternoon.” There was no point in waiting.

Dahlia nodded. “I think that’s for the best, and it solves the other issue of meeting your suitors. In the meantime, I’ll have Garon send some of his Ravens out to investigate these attacks.”

“Are we all going?” Iris’s voice was very quiet as she asked her question.

I looked directly at her. “No, not all of you. I request that Jasmine, Camellia, and Violet stay behind and run the castle for me.”

“And me?” Her expression turned curious.

I took her hand. “I think it would be a good idea for you to come with me to the summer palace.”

“What? Why?” She flipped her wild mass of red hair out of her eyes, and I suddenly saw her mother peering back at me from that amber gaze.

“Because…” I hesitated again, and Dahlia picked up my thought.

“Is Iris in danger, too?”

“I hope not.” I glanced at Iris, and decided she needed to hear the truth. She was old enough now, and it would be better if she heard it from me instead of someone else. “We have some intelligence that it could be Riala behind the attacks on my life, and we think we should protect Iris as a precaution.”

Jasmine gasped. “Riala? Are you sure?”

I shook my head. “No, we’re not. We only have Lord Malren’s word to go on, and I’m pretty sure his word isn’t worth much. But I can’t take the chance he might not be telling a lie, so Iris and I need to go to the summer palace while our people investigate.”

“I’ll look after the palace and the girls,” Aunt Dahlia said, her face firm. “Everyone will be safe with me and Garon. We will protect them with our lives.”

I offered her a small smile. Dahlia had raised all of us almost like a mother, since we’d all been motherless for most of our lives. If anything, Dahlia knew the role of Queen better than I did, and I had no doubt she’d manage Winton and my sisters with perfection in my absence. It made it easier to focus on Iris and our journey, knowing Dahlia would be here. “I know you will. Just like you always have.”

“Whatever it takes to relieve this threat.” She stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Garon. I’m sure he’ll want to question Malren immediately.”

As Dahlia left the room, I turned to Iris. “Go and pack yourself some things. I’ll send a lady’s maid to help you.”

Iris jumped to her feet with a nervous excitement written across her face, and she went around and gave each of my sisters a big hug, then scampered off. Then it was my turn to say goodbye.

“I’m going to miss you both.” Jasmine’s big brown eyes filled with tears.

“But just think,” Violet chipped in. “When she comes back, she might bring the man she’s going to marry to meet us.”

“Yuck.” Camellia voiced her disgust about anything to do with men that wasn’t about fighting, and I concealed my grin. Love would hit her harder than anyone because she would never expect it.