My father remembered my favorite flowers, sadly.  Anger is more delicious when it’s justified, after all.  Now, with him standing pitifully before me with a sorrowful look in his eyes, clutching an elegant bouquet of irises, I just felt petty.  

Then my temple guards showed up to be our escort for the day and we both had to put on our masks.  Nothing but fond smiles and warm hugs.  I graciously accepted the flowers, handed them off to Opnie to be arranged in my rooms, and then we departed for lunch.

My father had decided on the location, but it had to be presented to the temple so they could arrange for my security.  I was of course informed of his choice and then relayed it discreetly to Gristil.  The ambassador timed his arrival perfectly.  My father and I had just covered the safe topics (weather, what to order, the difficulty of finding well-made fur scarves right now) and were veering on moving towards riskier topics (how my siblings were doing, how the family lands were faring, whether I was going to come home for the next major holiday).  Gristil’s arrival hastily put a stop to that.

It was a shame he wasn’t part of a nation we were potentially on the brink of war with.  We could have been a great team otherwise.

“Count Dagae!” he exclaimed happily, after entering the small cafe and inspecting the interior.  “What a surprise.”

He strode purposefully towards our table.  The wait staff, quite used to nobility frequenting their restaurant and the games we played, discreetly hurried off to fetch another table setting.  My father eyed me and I stared innocently back at him.  I didn’t care one way or another if he thought I had orchestrated this, but it occurred to me that he might be easier to manage if he was kept guessing as to how far I’d built my connections in the capital so far.

“I haven’t seen you around the capital in a while,” the ambassador continued.  “Not since, oh, before Alyere’s appointment, I believe!”

He paused to bow to us both, making sure to bow to me first as I was now a higher rank than my father.  That small detail and the hidden barb in Gristil’s comment towards my father made me very happy indeed.

My father hadn’t been visiting the capital as much, not since our falling out.  And as the crown’s most loyal family, Gristil had established a cordial relationship with him shortly upon his own arrival to our kingdom.  There was nothing incorrect in what he’d said.

It’s just he’d politely pointed out that he was fully aware that my father was avoiding me, and vice versa.

“I have quite a bit to manage at home,” my father replied.  “The family lands are quite vast and we don’t have much involvement in royal politics.”

“Is that so?” Gristil mused.  “Because it looks to me like once you secured the role of Beloved for your daughter you had no further use for the royal court.”

I could have choked on my tea from shock.  Gristil had just come out and said it.  He’d actually simply said it.

Then our waiter showed up to take our orders before anyone else could say anything.  Clearly they were used to serving nobility and knew when the veneer of etiquette was about to fall to pieces.  Our conversation quickly returned to the usual banter and thinly veiled insults.  I almost began to enjoy myself.  I only had to throw out any topic imaginable, and both Gristil and my father would find ways to subtly insult each other throughout it.  To a commoner, it would sound like an ordinary conversation.  To my trained ears, however, their annoyance with the other’s presence was obvious.

“The playhouse is having an opening night tomorrow,” my father said, turning his attention wholly on me.  “Alyere, would you like to go to it with me?  I’m sure I can get tickets.”

My father could play the game too.  He was reminding Gristil of his connections, both in that he could get tickets on short notice and also that he was directly related to the Beloved.

This was when Gristil would retaliate, perhaps referencing his own connections.  However, I had an opportunity to do as Misht had commanded and bring Gristil with me on my trip.  I only had to manipulate both men at the table into it.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I sighed dejectedly.  “After the fiasco in Manere, Queen Misht wants me to visit the surrounding cities to reassure everyone that their gods won’t go rogue anytime soon.  I’m so tired of traveling, spending hours cooped up in a carriage.”

I kicked my father under the table.  That was the signal for ‘this is a chance to make people think we’re trying to repair our relationship.  Do something.’

So he seized on it and quickly offered to go with me.  I forced a smile on my face and hesitated just long enough for Gristil to seize upon my unspoken discomfort.

And he fell right into the trap I’d maneuvered for him.

“Actually, I’m afraid I must tell you that I’ve already agreed to go with the Beloved,” Gristil sighed sadly.  “As delighted as I’m sure you are to see each other, I’ve been asked by my liege to tour the surrounding countryside and meet the populace.  We feel the commoners’ fear of our mages is hindering the relationship between our kingdom.  Then I heard Beloved Alyere was leaving on this tour and thought the timing was perfect.  She’s graciously agreed to let me accompany her as a symbol of cooperation between our two nations.”

Beautifully delivered.  Completely plausible.  I was impressed.  My father looked confused for a moment as to why I would prompt him if that was the case, but smoothly recovered and conceded to Gristil’s claim on my time.  Then he settled back into complacent politeness.  The matter was settled.  Likely my father thought the suggestion had been enough, a brief demonstration in front of the ambassador to prove that he’d reconciled with his daughter.  And Gristil, obviously, believed that he was rescuing me from spending tedious days in a carriage with a father I didn’t actually like.

I don’t think either of them realized what my real intentions were.

Queen Misht really had chosen well for the Beloved, I thought regretfully.