august
—« “Then he is a monster!" the Prince crowed, "and I must slay him at once. The Formula works!" »
S
he surprises him again (it’s becoming something of a trend, tonight) with her gratitude. He’d expected more flint, especially after the vehemence with which she’d mentioned Al’Zahra - oh, but he knew the sound of someone wounded by someone they cared about. The bonfire light catches in her eyes and her expression is almost…soft. Well, he absolutely wouldn’t be mentioning that (or, more particularly, how) he knew her former mate. August had spent a lifetime keeping secrets, but he still wonders how this one is going to sit.
Her uncharacteristic mildness continues when she says goodbye, but this time he doesn’t so much as raise a brow. Maybe there was a side to More he hasn’t experienced yet. Al’Zahra must have seen it, anyway, to get close enough to be anything but burned.
“You too, Regent,” he says, and watches the firelight flicker along her as she goes to her daughter, and the two fade into the crowd like a couple of sparks in a fire.
