Alex sprang to his feet and rushed to the door. He flung it open and found himself face to face with Sven.
"Where's William?"
"He went down for breakfast. I insisted that Ian follow him. He didn't want to hear of it, but when I told him they were your orders, he didn't argue."
Alex let out a breath of relief and rubbed his forehead. "How was he?"
"I couldn't say. At first glance he didn't seem shaken at all, but… I don't know. It was as if he wasn't himself."
"What do you mean?"
"His movements were stiff, detached, as if… he were acting."
Was that his way of holding himself together? Or perhaps it was his way of refusing to accept what had happened.
"Order Ian to stay close to him and intervene if there's any danger. He must not take his eyes off him for even a moment, and he does not have permission to leave him. Not even if William himself orders him to."
Sven nodded. "And what will you do, Your Highness?"
"I'm going down to the city, and you're coming with me. Falko will handle the rest."
After changing, Alex went downstairs. The governor was waiting for him for breakfast, wearing the usual pleasant smile the prince was beginning to find irritating.
"Your Highness! You disappeared early yesterday evening."
"I had a headache."
"Your soldier told me. I hope you're feeling better today."
"Well enough."
The governor smiled and gestured toward the laden table. "Please, have a seat."
Breakfast was quick and steeped in silence. From time to time, Alex studied Luka, looking for any hint of betrayal, but the governor's face remained cheerful and affable.
Just before taking his leave, Luka raised a hand to stop him.
"There's something I'd like to speak to you about, Your Highness. It concerns a small incident from last evening."
"Did Cox complain?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"You can tell him I don't care."
"Your Highness, I don't think you understand—"
"You're the one who doesn't understand." Alex shot him a furious look. "William is mine. I am the only man who can touch him, am I clear? So tell that bastard to keep his hands off my lover, before I decide to cut him down with my sword."
"L-lover?"
"Don't play dumb. Isn't that what you've been hinting at from the start? You wanted to know what kind of relationship we had, didn't you? Well, now you know. And if anything happens to him, I'll demand your head as well as Cox's."
Luka stepped back and swallowed. "Your Highness, I have nothing to do with that man."
"I have my doubts, Governor. But even if that were true, you are the lord of this palace, so see to it that you obey your prince."
"Of course."
"And one more thing. The next time you dare threaten me, I'll challenge you to a duel. I'm curious to see whether you're as good with weapons as you are with pretty words."
He gave him one last piercing look and left the room.
Maybe it had been a stupid move to tell Luka that William was his lover, but in that moment it was the only thing Alex could think of to protect the mage. In that way, they would never dare to challenge him openly, and with a bit of luck the rumors would never reach court.
He reached Sven and they climbed into the carriage.
Silence fell between them, light as a veil of silk. The soldier stood still with his arms crossed, eyes closed, as if he could sense danger better that way.
"Your Highness, what are we supposed to do in the city?"
"Ask around. Especially you. I draw too much attention."
Sven opened his eyes, suddenly alert. "Should I ask about anything in particular?"
"The situation on the roads. But not from merchants—ask craftsmen and farmers. If there's a problem with banditry, they would have suffered economic losses as well."
"Anything else?"
"Check how many people in the city look like mercenaries. It's possible the merchants have armed themselves at their own expense."
"I understand. Will you be all right on your own?"
Alex flashed a broad smile and patted the sword hanging at his side. "I don't wear this just for decoration."
"In the middle of a crowd, a dagger and one slash are enough."
"You don't need to worry. I was trained by the best knight in the kingdom."
Sven smiled, then turned serious again. "Be careful anyway. The governor wouldn't allow anything to happen to you, but I don't trust the merchant."
"Neither do I. He seems like the type who's used to always getting what he wants."
"What if he's the mastermind behind the disappearance of public funds?"
Alex frowned. "You think it was his idea and the governor just carried it out?"
"Are you not convinced?"
"Luka doesn't seem like the type to let a merchant walk all over him."
"But the two of them do business together."
"True, but stealing from the crown is a serious crime. If Luka decided to hold back some money, I doubt he did it just because the merchant asked him to."
"Maybe he's being blackmailed?"
"And over what? From what we know, the governor is an impeccable man. No scandals, no vices. I doubt the merchant knows anything the people don't."
Sven frowned. "So do you believe the mastermind is the governor? And for what reason?"
"To enrich himself? Still, it's strange. He should have known we'd eventually notice the missing money."
There had to be something else beneath it all.
Alex rubbed his forehead. "One step at a time, Sven. For now, let's try to understand the situation in the city."
After some time, the carriage came to a stop, and the two of them stepped down.
The moment Alex set foot on the tiled pavement of the main square, he felt as though he had been thrown into a foreign city.
The square was packed with people from every corner of the world: merchants wrapped in the wide garments of Xia, men in Vellarian doublets, and dark-skinned women from the kingdoms south of the sea.
For a moment, Alex felt overwhelmed by that multitude of colors, voices, and sounds.
Sven approached him, looking tense. "There are a lot of people, Your Highness."
"It'll be fine. I'll keep my eyes open." He gave him a reassuring smile. "We'll meet here at dusk, all right?"
"All right."
He didn't look very convinced, but Alex dismissed him anyway and slipped into the crowd.
Alex wore simple clothes and arrived in an unremarkable carriage, so no one recognized him as the Crown Prince. That was exactly what he wanted, so he could ask questions without drawing too much attention.
He reached the market square and wandered among the stalls, stopping to talk to the merchants and examine the goods on display.
He found nothing of interest. The situation seemed calm both along the sea routes and inland, and nothing justified the money the governor had withheld.
Suddenly, a stall displaying goods from Xia caught Alex's eyes. The merchant was a refined-looking Xianese woman, with long black hair gathered atop her head and held in place by several gold pins.
"Welcome!" she greeted him with a smile. "Are you looking for something in particular?"
On the table were jade and silver jewelry, pins, strange colorful tassels, and large bronze coins engraved across their entire surface. Alex had already seen similar objects, brought as gifts by visiting Xianese ambassadors, but he had never owned any himself.
He pointed to a large engraved coin with a red tassel. "What is this?"
"A good-luck charm. The intertwined threads symbolize a long life. It's a nice gift."
"Does it come from Xia?"
"Yes. My family has been producing jewelry and pins for generations." The merchant smiled. "If you tell me what you're looking for, or who it's for, I can help you find the right item."
Alex hesitated. Could a gift make William feel appreciated?
"I'd like to give a present to someone special. He's… Xianese."
"Special, as in… a lover?"
"Yes. I'd like something that can convey my feelings to him."
Maybe that way it would be easier to confess his feelings to him.
The woman tapped her fingers against her lips. "You could choose a pin. In Xia, they're a way of expressing one's feelings. Or perhaps a jade bracelet or pendant."
"A pin might be a bit too feminine."
"That's true. Unfortunately, I don't have men's hair accessories, otherwise I would have suggested them."
"I think a pendant would be fine."
William could hide it beneath his clothes and avoid attracting too many questions.
The woman showed him what she had, and Alex chose a circular pendant of a vivid green that reminded him of William's irises.
"It's a beautiful piece," the merchant remarked. "It works well as a token of love."
"May I ask you another question?"
"Of course, go ahead."
"Are there traditions in Xia for declaring one's love?"
"We give a gift and recite poetry, usually. In Vellara you're much more… passionate." The woman smiled. "But I'm sure your beloved will appreciate your confession even if you don't follow his traditions."
"I hope so. I want to see him happy."
Alex paid for the pendant and slipped it into an inner pocket, then headed back toward the center of the square.
"Your Highness." Sven fell into step beside him. "I found out something."
The prince nodded and slipped into a side alley with his friend. He looked around for a moment to make sure no one was following them, then turned toward the soldier.
"Well?"
"There are no problems with banditry."
"Are you sure?"
"The armorers I spoke to claim they have no issues with raw materials. The mines are located only in the northern provinces; the iron has to come from there."
Alex crossed his arms over his chest. "That confirms what I noticed as well. There was wool at the market, which also comes from the north. And the prices seemed fair."
"If there were security issues on the roads, prices would have been higher to cover the expenses of hiring mercenaries." Sven frowned. "Do you think the governor lied?"
Alex shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. It's possible, but at the moment we don't have solid evidence to accuse him."
"He lied. Isn't that enough?"
"He can always claim the emergency has passed."
"We can disprove him."
"It's his word against that of merchants and artisans. It's not enough."
They needed the records, but they didn't even know where to look for them. They could sneak into the governor's chambers, but they had no guarantee of finding them there.
Sven sighed. "I found out something else. There are few mercenaries in the city, and they're not here to protect goods."
Alex raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yes. It seems they're in Cox's pay, but I haven't found out why."
"Maybe to protect the merchant's ships?"
"They've never boarded any ships."
That was suspicious. Why would a merchant hire mercenaries if not to protect his goods?
"Can you try to find out why they're in the city?"
Sven hesitated. "I can try, but it'll be difficult to get anything out of them. They didn't seem very eager to talk."
"Maybe they'd loosen up over a beer."
His friend nodded, but he didn't look convinced at all.
Alex sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Forget it. I don't like that merchant, and I don't want you taking unnecessary risks."
"I'm trained, Your Highness."
The prince knew that very well, but he would never put him in danger needlessly. He wasn't just the captain of his private guard. He was his friend and confidant, and the beloved husband of one of his older sisters.
"Let's go back to the governor's palace."
He couldn't risk Sven's safety, but he could try to get his hands on the governor's records.
If he managed to retrieve them, he could put an end to the whole affair and return home with William.