“By the gods, Kasper. Have you no manners at all? The Thorn Queen is here. Show some respect before I have you flogged.”

I started to protest as the old man rose. The hunched-over posture he’d held in the chair appeared to be permanent, and it took him forever to actually get up. He managed something that passed for a bow-really, it was hard to tell the difference between that and his normal stance-and gave me a grave “Your majesty.”

And as the old man’s back was to the board, Dorian leaned over and moved some of the pieces around.

I opened my mouth, more in shock than to make any sort of protest. Dorian raised one finger to his lips in a shushing motion. I swallowed my comments and smiled at Kasper. “Thank you. Please sit down again.”

“And you, my dear,” said Dorian. “Come join us.”

The servant who’d led me in hastily pulled a velvet-cushioned chair over to the chess table. I thanked him and sat down, crossing my legs out of habit. When I saw half the skirt spill over and reveal nearly the whole length of my leg, I hastily uncrossed them. Dorian saw the leg, of course. He always saw everything.

Kasper’s eyes, underneath his bushy gray brows, were fixed on the board. He made a play, capturing one of Dorian’s pieces. Dorian frowned briefly, then put his smile back on as he turned to me.

“You are radiant as always,” he said. “That dress is particularly lovely. Kasper, look at her. Do you see the way that shade matches her eyes?”

Kasper looked like he wanted to study the board, but he turned to me obediently and gave a quick bob of the head. “Yes, your majesty. Most becoming.” Dorian quickly swapped a few more pieces and then put on a look of deep pondering when Kasper turned back around.

With a sigh, Dorian moved his bishop. “Not my greatest play, but it’ll have to do.” He seized one of Kasper’s pieces.

The move clearly took Kasper by surprise, not all that astonishing considering the pieces weren’t where they’d been the last time he looked. He studied the board for almost a minute and then moved a knight, though it didn’t yield a capture.

“Eugenie, you look as though you’ve been stranded in a desert,” mused Dorian. “But then, I suppose that’s the case, isn’t it? Such a shame, all those towns suffering and starving, towns like Songwood.”

The old man looked up sharply, eyes wide as he stared at me. “Songwood?”

“Songwood?” I asked in equal confusion. Dorian covertly moved more pieces.

“I was born in Songwood,” said Kasper. “People are starving there?”

“Oh, wait,” said Dorian. “Songwood’s in the Willow Land, isn’t it? Sorry for the scare. I was thinking it had been part of Aeson’s kingdom. I’m sure Songwood’s perfectly fine.” He studied the board for a moment and then deftly moved his queen. “Checkmate.”

Kasper gaped. “That’s not…” His eyes roved over the board, no doubt looking for any possible way to counter Dorian’s move.

“You can’t fight against the queen,” said Dorian glibly. “Once she’s decided to take the king, you might as well give in and enjoy it.” I rolled my eyes. Kasper sighed.

“Excellent game, your majesty.”

Dorian gave him a comforting pat as the old man stood up. “Don’t take it so hard. You played pretty decently yourself. Sloppy here and there, but who knows? There’s always next time.”

Kasper gave another wizened bow and then left us alone. I gave Dorian a censuring look.

“You’re a bad man. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Hardly,” he said. “That man’s the grand chess champion of seven kingdoms. A little humbling will do him good. And speaking of humbling, shall we get on to our business?”

He stood up and extended a hand to me. I didn’t take it and simply followed as he walked over to the far side of the room. He sank down onto an ivory satin couch while I chose a velvet loveseat the same color as my dress. I felt adrift in a sea of purple. Dorian produced a stack of parchment from a nearby table.

“There you are. Just sign, and we can get this out of the way.”

I flipped through the papers, astonished. I didn’t understand most of it. It detailed amounts and shipments of assorted goods, listed interest rates, and laid out some sort of schedule. I gave Dorian an incredulous look.

“What happened to negotiating?”

He poured two glasses of white wine from a carafe that sat on the table to his other side. “Oh, come now. You don’t want to actually do that. I don’t want to do that. So why waste our time? I assure you, the terms are very, very generous. Probably more generous than you deserve, considering the way you toy with my affections. Your people will be getting a lot of goods on faith for copper that has yet to materialize.”

“Then why did you make me come here?”

“Do you have to ask?”

“No,” I grumbled, signing my name with a quill. A quill. Honestly. “You’re a bad man.”

“I try. Wine?” He gestured to the glass he’d poured for me.

I shook my head. “Wouldn’t want you to run out. So, I guess me sitting here is part of the price I pay for my kingdom’s food. What do you want to do now?”

His eyes held mine over the top of his wineglass. “I could make up a list of things to do longer than that contract.”

Yeah. I’d set myself up for that one. “Okay, then. What would you like to talk about?”

“You,” he said. “And why you never come see me.”

“You know why. Because you used me and stuck me with that kingdom.”

“You sure do hold a grudge. Is that a human trait?”

“It’s a Eugenie trait.”

He smiled. “Of course. You know, Rurik tried to rape you, yet now you welcome him with open arms.”

“That’s not exactly how I’d put it.”

“You know what I mean. How can you forgive him and not me?”

I looked down at my lap and played with the dress’s fabric. I didn’t have a good answer for that. Rurik had really been a total asshole when we’d met, yet now I took him as a normal fixture around my household. Why did I hold such animosity for Dorian? Because things hadn’t started as hostile between us, I realized. Sure, I hadn’t trusted him initially, but he’d never done me any true harm.

I had grown to like him-care about him, even-which made what he’d done hurt that much more. Dorian was the one who’d guided me through claiming the Thorn Land after we’d killed Aeson in a pretty horrific battle. I’d simply followed Dorian’s direction, having no clue what I was doing until it was too late. Once I realized what I’d been stuck with, I’d felt like every interaction with Dorian had been one big setup. It had seemed like his endgame the whole time had been to oust Aeson and give me that land so that Dorian could eventually control it. That was why I resented him.

Are you sure that’s it? a sneaky voice inside me wanted to know. No, there might be more. Even I could admit that to myself. The truth was I’d developed physical and emotional attachments to Dorian, and I didn’t want them. I didn’t want to be bound to someone like him, someone who was full-blooded gentry-and had the annoying tendency to make me lose control. Slamming up walls of animosity between us was a way to protect myself.

“What are you thinking?” Dorian asked, sparing me from his other question.

“I was wondering if I just blindly signed my name to sexual favors in that contract.”

“Damn,” he said. “I wish I’d considered that.” From the tone of his voice, I think he meant it. “Oh, well. Perhaps next time since I’m sure this will be the first of many dealings between our kingdoms.”

“I hope not.”

For a moment, he almost looked hurt. “Is it that painful coming here?”

I felt bad. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I mean…I hope I don’t need any more help. I hope things will just work themselves out in the Thorn Land.”

His easy smile returned as he finished off his wine. He reached for my untouched glass. “Well, according to rumor, things are on the mend, thanks to the omnibenevolent Thorn Queen. Why, I heard the other day that you were out digging ditches and feeding orphans. It’s a wonder you have the time for that, what with your hypocritical job of battling your own subjects in the human world.”