Alex swallowed his panic and offered the two women a smile.
"Ladies, I'm truly sorry, but I need to look for someone."
"Wait!" they said together. "At least let us introduce ourselves."
"Maybe later. There's someone I have to find and—"
"Your Highness!" another voice called out, male this time.
Alex stiffened. What the hell did they want from him? Couldn't they just leave him alone?
A portly middle-aged man slapped a large hand on his shoulder and laughed. "By the spirits, the last time I saw you, you were a tall, skinny boy."
"Lucky me…" Alex, on the other hand, had no idea who that man was. "I'd gladly stay and talk, but—"
"How are things going at court?" the man asked.
"Is it true you're getting married?" one of the two women asked.
"Is it true you have numerous male lovers?" asked the other.
Alex's gaze darted across the hall, but there was no sign of William, and panic froze the blood in his veins.
He tried to get rid of those annoying people by being polite, but only earned more insistent questions that made his anger rise.
He hated not being able to do what he wanted. He hated that any misstep on his part could undermine his father's power.
He hated not being able to take care of the person who mattered most to him in that hall.
"Your Highness!"
Sven and Ian approached him, wearing noble doublets, and Alex felt nothing but relief.
The portly man brightened. "Lords von Deinir and von Luthos! It's an enormous pleasure to see you again. How are the princesses? I hope they're in excellent health."
Alex took advantage of his two friends' intervention to hurry away from those pests and look for William.
He threaded his way through nobles, merchants, and servants. He dodged a couple of elbows, avoided another woman in search of a good marriage, and reached the door. There was no sign of William.
"Your Highness."
Alex stopped short and for a moment felt only terror.
The governor gave him a cordial smile and held out a goblet. "How are you finding the evening? Pleasant enough?"
"Yes, pleasant enough."
"Do you wish to drink?"
"No."
Luka set the goblet down on a tray and took him by the arm. "Surely you have no intention of attempting to leave, Your Highness?"
"I was looking for someone."
"Your mage, am I right? I believe I saw him out on the balcony."
Alex frowned. Was it the truth or a lie? But did it matter?
The governor led him back toward the center of the room.
"May I ask you for a dance, Your Highness?"
"Do you really have to?"
"Consider it a whim."
Or a way to keep him occupied.
Alex cast a brief glance toward the glass doors that opened onto the balcony. Outside, it was dark, and he couldn't see whether anyone was there.
The strings struck up a slow piece and the governor offered a bow. All eyes in the room were on them, as if everyone were waiting only to see the prince dance.
He couldn't refuse, but he wanted to.
Alex gave a faint smile and rested his fingers on Luka's hand. The governor straightened his back, placed a hand around Alex's waist, and led him with impeccable steps.
Another display of power. It should have been the prince leading, showing everyone that he bowed to no one.
Fuck, his father would have gone into a rage. He knew it—without William, he was nothing but an incompetent fool.
"Are you tense, Your Highness?"
"Not at all."
"Then are you worried about your mage?"
Alex studied the governor's face. "And if I were?"
"Perhaps accepting my proposal might ease your worries." The governor drew him closer. "May I invite you to my chambers for a drink?"
"No." The prince stepped back. "I'm not a man who can be manipulated, and I have no intention of bending. I ask you to insist no further."
Luka smiled. "As you wish, Your Highness." He spun him around. "I hope my persistence hasn't displeased you."
"Of course not."
But he would have preferred him to keep his hands off.
Alex glanced toward the balcony, but once again he couldn't tell whether anyone was there. By the spirits, where were Sven and Ian when he needed them?
"Your Highness, how do you find Narea?"
The prince looked back at him. "Pleasant, but I haven't visited the city yet."
"Perhaps you could visit tomorrow. I can have my guards escort you."
"No need, I have my own soldiers."
"And are they… competent?"
Alex frowned. "Obviously."
"But if something were to happen to you while you're my guest, I could never forgive myself. I wouldn't even have the courage to look the king in the eye."
"Don't worry. I'm much better with a blade than with dancing."
Luka smiled. "Then you must be a true prodigy."
He spun him again, and when he caught him, his hand slipped a little too low.
Alex stiffened. The man's behavior confused him. He couldn't tell what he wanted—whether he was trying to seduce him to keep him under his thumb or simply testing his patience.
He also had the distinct impression that Luka wanted to keep him away from William.
The governor pulled him against his body, fingers tightening around Alex's hip. His expression turned serious.
"Your Highness, allow me to give you a piece of advice: some treasures aren't worth protecting. You have a crown on your head; you should think only about how to hold on to it, not about some frivolous fantasy of an ordinary man. You are not one, after all."
"And what would this ordinary man's fantasy be?"
"The mage. I've seen the way you look at him—like a husband who worships his beautiful wife. You display him like a little trophy, just like any merchant who collects precious objects. But you are the future sovereign. You have no need for such things."
Alex stopped and stepped away from him. "How dare you speak about him like that?"
"Have I said something unpleasant?"
"Of course you have! William is not an object. He's a person."
"And you're infatuated with him, am I right?" A small smile appeared on the governor's lips. Amused and dangerous, like a predator's grin. "I wonder what you'd be willing to do for him."
Alex clenched his fists. "You forget who you're speaking to, Luka. I am your prince, not your lover."
"Of course, my apologies."
"Prove it by kneeling, Lord Governor."
The man hesitated. For a moment his gaze wavered, as if he hadn't expected it, and the prince's heart filled with pride.
"As you wish, Your Highness." The governor knelt. "I beg forgiveness for my lack of respect."
Alex offered him his gloved hand. Luka took it and barely brushed the ruby ring on the prince's index finger.
A subdued murmur spread through the hall; even the music had stopped. Everyone's eyes were fixed on them, and the prince wasn't sure that was a good thing. Luka was far more skilled than he was—he would find a way to turn the situation to his advantage.
Alex turned to the guests and put on his best smile. "Please, go back to celebrating. The evening is far too pleasant to ruin with a little discord, wouldn't you say?"
The small orchestra exchanged a glance and resumed playing. Little by little, the guests returned to their conversations.
Alex looked back at the governor. "My feelings are my own business. Keep your nose out of them."
He turned his back on Luka and headed for the glass doors. He stepped outside and looked around, but the balcony was deserted. William wasn't there.
Anger flared in his chest. Had Luka lied to him just to keep him there?
He went back into the hall, pushed his way through the guests, and left.
He took the corridor leading to the staircase, but stopped in front of a half-open door. How strange—he thought he'd heard a voice…
He hesitated, but the thud of something falling held him there a moment longer. What if it was William in the midst of another crisis?
"You'll like it," a male voice murmured from inside the room. "It won't be a fucking prince's cock, but it'll make you come all the same."
Alex shuddered and stepped back. He knew that honeyed voice—it was the merchant's.
He was clearly with someone, and the prince had no desire to see him while he was fucking.
"You're incredibly beautiful for someone of mixed-blood."
Alex froze, barely breathing. He wasn't talking about William, right? It was just… a servant, right?
"Look at you—you're like a bitch in heat. Is that why Prince Alexander is so fond of you?"
No, it wasn't a servant. It was his mage.
Alex threw the door open.
The merchant had bent William over a desk and was pinning him down against its surface with his body, while his fingers caressed his abdomen. The mage's face was turned toward the door; his eyes were empty, almost resigned. As if he hadn't expected anything else.
As if he had detached from his body once again.
Rage flared in Alex's chest.
"Cox!" he thundered. "Get your hands off him!"
The merchant startled, then turned to look at him. "You! What are you doing here?"
"Let him go!" Alex grabbed him and yanked him away from William. "Get out!" He shoved him against the wall. "Out of this room, or I swear I'll kill you!"
Cox straightened his jacket and adopted an arrogant air. "And for what reason, Your Highness?"
"For assaulting him!"
The merchant laughed. "That's a good one! Assault, you say? And yet it doesn't seem that Master Traver protested. He was quite silent."
"That means nothing! You dragged him here!"
"No. He followed me of his own free will." The merchant gave him a honeyed smile. "Perhaps you're not as skilled as you think, Your Highness. Your mage might be craving something more."
Alex tightened his jaw and let the anger burn through him. To hell with everything!
He grabbed Cox by the lapel and snarled an inch from his face. "Dare to look at him one more time and I'll see your damned head roll."
The merchant placed his jewel-laden hand on his wrist and flashed a greasy smile. "If I may say so, Your Highness, I wouldn't be too arrogant here in Narea."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Absolutely not. I'm merely advising you not to… act impulsively. Certain treasures, however exotic and pleasing, are not worth defending so fiercely. Especially when your reputation isn't as solid as it should be."
The merchant straightened his back and left the room.
As soon as they were alone again, Alex let out a breath, regained his composure, and turned to William.
"Are you all right?"
But the mage shot him a look so full of rage that the prince wondered if he'd been wrong to intervene.