The Traitor by A. Lombardo (i can read with my eyes shut TXT) 📕

to leave the palace. The queen watches me, and her new maids watch me—I am Katori, and there are whispers around the palace that suggest I should not be trusted. People talk of you in the same way. I had hoped to be replaced like the other Katori maid, but Cordelia begged the Queen to keep me.” She touched his shoulder. “But if I hear anything, I will let you know.”

Kai nodded, understanding the risks. “It is late. You must return to Cordelia before Nola suspects something.”

♦ ♦ ♦

The following evening, the Winter Festival arrived in a display of grandeur and indulgence. Lace runners trimmed in gold and silver replaced the traditional blue-and-white table decor. Garland made of cedar boughs, holly, pinecones, and red roses swooped around the chandeliers and stone walls, filling the room with the smell of nature. Gold-trimmed plates and crystal goblets decorated each place setting.

Lords and ladies from around the land came to celebrate the Winter Festival. Many guests brought gifts; however, the queen did not receive each offering. Instead, they were displayed on an elegant table for all to see. Most were gifts fit for a queen: jewels, rare books, paintings, golden statues, and glass figurines.

Nola’s royal chair sat on the dais; the King’s chair was nowhere to be found. Kai was sad that his father would miss the event—but he was thankful Nola did not take the seat for herself. Aaron and Seth sat on either side—there was no place for Kai. Given his limited freedom, it surprised him Nola would let him near any of the city’s elite. Guards kept him on a short leash, never more than a few feet away, and they often blocked his path if he wandered too close to the Queen.

The great hall felt empty to Kai without his father, and the celebration felt hollow and fake. To the best of his recollection, this was the first Winter Festival that Iver had ever missed. He divided his attention from the grand hall, gleaning the King’s chamber to monitor his father’s labored breathing while pretending to have a pleasant time. Sigry sat with Iver, and four armed guards stood vigilantly in the hallway.

Still, gifts, wine, and food flowed freely. Nola’s opulent outfit was beyond lavish for a Diu queen, bedecked in jewels and gold, cut lower than it should and off the shoulders. The new crown upon her head looked grander than anything Kai had ever seen. He watched the spectacle from the periphery. Regent Maxwell hung on every word Nola uttered, offering her his arm as they mingled with guests. Unfamiliar people strolled around the room as if they owned the palace—their style of dress and accents were foreign. The best he could discern, they were from Milnos. Most of them hovered close to Regent Maxwell and the Queen. He also noted those not in attendance—either not invited or who chose not to attend. Lord and Lady Henley and the entire Chenowith family were nowhere to be seen. When Kai asked after Amelia, the Regent said that she had been unfit for travel.

Convenient, Kai thought. The man was hiding something; he was sure of it.

The more he looked at the mix of faces, the fewer he recognized. Several Kempery-men, his father’s men, were not in attendance. Watching Nola flit across the dance floor, laughing and fawning over Maxwell, made him wonder if she had ever cared for his father.

“Prince Kai.” Dresnor nudged his shoulder and handed him a wine glass. “This is not the Diu we left nine months ago. Men I knew and trusted are either gone or standoffish with me. I warned you that we should have returned sooner.”

Kai sighed. “Neither of us could imagine Milnos moving in on Diu, especially like this. The Diu lords and ladies must believe the Queen is forging alliances. What am I to do?”

“I hear words like brainwashed, cult, and traitor wrapped around your name. Our once-beloved prince is now considered an outsider. Milnos men walk our halls and guard our queen. Foreigners have replaced most of our captains, and nearly half of our soldiers were discharged.”

“Too much has changed.” Kai kept studying the room. “Diu is becoming an unsafe place. Philip, I want you to consider reassignment away from me, away from Diu. I asked for the release of Kempery-man Redmon and Albey from the dungeons. Dante assures me he set them free upon my return.”

Dresnor gulped down his wine. “No, I belong by your side. I spoke with Redmon after his release; he and Albey were reassigned to Admiral Roark, they left this morning for Port Anahita. I tried to get them to speak with you, but they refused.”

The idea that his men wish to avoid seeming him left an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. Even those most loyal were distancing themselves. “Let’s not talk here.” He nodded, weaving them through the thick crowd. Dresnor followed. To lose the guards, Kai darted across the dance floor and exited through a servant’s corridor. They walked down to the gardens behind the palace, through the gate, and into the garden maze.

In the darkness, Kai spoke. “I don’t want to blindside you, Philip, but in the coming days, your faith in me will be tested. Do not ask me to explain. I tell you this so you may protect yourself and those we care about most. I know you doubt my loyalty, but I swear to you that I do love Diu. Katori has not changed me so much, I would never renounce my home or my father. In fact, I am here to protect my father at all costs.”

Kempery-man Dresnor’s stern eyes locked on Kai. “I do question your loyalty to Diu, but do not question mine. You have changed, and there are secrets you refuse to share. I see a distance between us I hope to repair. We have an unspoken