Betrayal by Blood: A Prequel (Stones of Terrene Book 0) Read online

  That’s what it was called. Right. Brandon nodded sagely. “I knew that.”

  Sapphire’s ladylike giggle turned into the snort that he remembered fondly from their early years in class together. “Of course you did.”

  He turned his attention back to his daughter in his arms and gestured grandly at the tree. “Yes, your mother is right. This is an excellent specimen of a crepe myrtle. Please pay special attention to lovely flowers.” He reached up and tugged a bunch off the tree, holding it out for Adeline to see. She waved a fist at the vibrant petals, but Brandon shifted her so she couldn’t reach them. “Beautiful flowers for my beautiful daughter.”

  Brandon pretended to glare at the tree. “I somehow can never remember that plant’s name.”

  “And yet you can name just about any flower that grows on the grounds. Not only that, you can list what the meaning of the flower is.” Sapphire bumped into him with her hip and plucked the flowers from his hand. He made a grab to pull her in for a hug, but she laughed aloud and dodged, throwing one of the flowers at him. “Maybe you should have been a florist instead of a prince.”

  He chuckled at the idea even as it appealed to him. A life without princely responsibilities sounded amazing right about now. “Thanks, but I think I’d go crazy in a flower shop. Besides, how would we have met?”

  “Fair point.” Sapphire moved past him, walking below the crepe myrtle branches, tapping her finger to her lips as she thought. He had to tear his gaze away and focus on her words. “Maybe I’d visit your shop and run into you there.” She snapped her fingers and her eyes lit up, sparkling in the morning light. “Mother would have sent me to retrieve some specialty flower that only your shop carried—something unique for a client, maybe.” Sapphire waved the flowers in her hand as she paced and talked, clearly enjoying their fabricated history. She winked at him and electricity ran through his nerves. “We’d meet at the shop, and you’d impress me with your vast knowledge of flowers. Maybe you’d gift me with a blossom or something to remember you by.”

  “A blossom?” Brandon scoffed. He tugged her close with his free arm, nuzzling his nose against hers as his voice deepened, becoming husky. “I am no mere florist, my lady. A blossom is too small for a lady of your tastes.”

  Her eyes laughed even as her voice dipped into the sultry tones that she reserved just for him. “Oh? And what do you know of my tastes, audacious sir?”

  “I know much, fair lady.” He tugged Sapphire’s hand to his lips and winked up at her. “I suppose I’ll have to show you later.”

  Sapphire flushed and she raised her eyebrows with an impervious tilt. “I suppose you must.”

  Adeline stretched in Brandon’s arm with a disgruntled noise, and Brandon cast Sapphire a quick dimpled grin before he focused on their daughter. Her slate-gray eyes were open, though squinting in the light. He shaded her face with his free hand as he looked over at Sapphire. “Where to next, my lady?”

  He followed his wife through the garden, naming flowers as she pointed to them. “Amaryllis. Worth beyond beauty. Zinnia. Lasting affection. Peony. Honor through success.”

  Sapphire twirled a yellow flower in her fingers and shook her head in mirth. “It never ceases to amaze me how much your mother insisted you and Richard learn about flowers.” She shrugged. “I know some, just not nearly as much.”

  Brandon pointed with a wry grin to the flower in her hand. “Narcissus. Unrequited love, hope, new life.” She stuck her tongue out and he laughed. He moved to a bush and squatted, careful to not rock back on his coattails as he held Adeline out to a bush of honeysuckle. Her little toes kicked it and a shower of tiny white petals floated to the ground. “Mother said that we’d be able to read political situations better if we understood what was being said by the décor. Because that happens so frequently.”

  Sapphire chuckled. “Sounds about right.”

  “I think it’s only my mother and those from Perennia who really communicate through flowers anymore,” Brandon remarked as he stood. “But in practical application, all the better for flirting with my beautiful wife.” He offered the arm not holding Adeline to Sapphire, and grinned as she took it, resting her cheek against his shoulder. He nuzzled against her curls and inhaled deeply, relishing in the vanilla and jasmine that scented her hair.

  “Thinking of training beyond what’s considered necessary, I haven’t seen much of Zane recently.” Sapphire commented. “Is he doing well?”

  Brandon offered a half smile. “He’s been fine.” He tilted his head back to the blue sky, then sneezed, his eyes watering from the bright sun. “I’m the one who’s been too busy.”

  “Too busy for your best friend? For shame, Brandon.” Sapphire clucked her tongue and nudged him. “Let’s have Zane over for dinner tomorrow night, before life gets any busier. Then he can enjoy some time holding this little one while she’s still small, and we can tease him for showing the sappy side that he insists he doesn’t have.”

  Brandon dropped a kiss on her forehead, contentment warming his chest. “Marvelous idea.”

  They walked through the garden together, meandering toward the roses, laughing and chatting, pointing out plants to Adeline. It didn’t matter if she was too young to understand anything. Aides and duties had been dismissed for the morning—somewhat grudgingly on Clara’s behalf—leaving them free to relish the family time alone.

  We need to do this more often, have family time that doesn’t involve politics or—They turned the corner and Brandon’s thoughts ground to a halt. A man faced the red rose bushes, his blond hair peeking out around the black top hat. Richard.

  Sapphire paused mid-step before tugging Brandon on his arm and letting their momentum carry them forward. She tilted her head at Richard’s back and gave Brandon a meaningful look, then mouthed, “Talk to him.”

  Brandon swallowed, then cleared his throat. “Good morning, brother.”

  A slight shudder up the ebony jacket was the only indication that Richard heard him. Brandon hesitated, allowing Richard a chance to say something, unsure if he should greet him again or wait for a response. After several heartbeats, Richard’s shoulders rose and fell, and then he turned, his gray eyes red-rimmed. He offered a small nod before walking over, his steps slow and uncertain.

  “Good morning, Brandon. Sapphire.” Richard smiled softly, lips trembling when he looked down at Adeline. “Good morning, little princess.” He lightly brushed his knuckles across her forehead. She blinked and yawned. Richard took a deep breath and stepped back, clasping his hands behind him. “So. Morning family walk?”

  Brandon didn’t even need to look at Sapphire to know what her thoughts were. He could hear her voice in his head as clear as if she were pacing in their room, going on and on about how they needed to be there for Richard without pushing him further down the slope of depression. For now, keep it simple. Keep it light.

  Brandon lifted a hand to the sky. “Yes. It’s a beautiful morning to bring her out to the gardens.”

  Richard’s smile and nod looked forced. “Yes, yes it is.” His gaze dropped to the rose bushes behind him and his voice hushed. “It’s a beautiful day for a family.”

  Brandon sifted through conversational topics in his head, throwing out anything that had to do with Selvage, remarriage, or family in general. Which left him with precious little to discuss with his brother. Maybe the weather would be a safe enough subject?

  “So … the sky is really blue today. Great color, blue.” Even as the words left his mouth, Brandon started wincing.

  Sapphire made the tiniest of noises behind him, sounding like a little puff of air got strangled out of her, her expression a cross between vexation, amusement, and exasperation in a combination that Brandon didn’t even know was possible.

  Richard was staring at him too. His jaw hung open, eyes disbelieving. Brandon flinched. He’d royally messed up, hadn’t he? And then Richard was leaning back, hands on his hips, laughing into the sky. He looked at Brandon and started laughing ev
en harder, bending over at the waist and gasping for air.

  Brandon looked at Sapphire helplessly. She gave a minute shrug, a hesitant smile playing at her lips. He shifted Adeline in his arms, her large baby eyes searching for the sound of the outburst.

  “Did … did you … did you really just try using the weather as a topic of conversation with me?” Richard gasped out between fits of laughter, tears leaking from his eyes. He looked at Brandon and started laughing anew. “Really?”

  Brandon couldn’t tell if the tears were more from the outburst of mirth or left over from before they found him, and he felt off balance from seeing his brother laugh so hard when he had seemed so down a moment prior. What could he say? “Ummm … yes?” he answered hesitantly.

  Sobering from his laughter, Richard clapped a hand on Brandon’s shoulder, a hint of a smile lingering on Richard’s face. “I’m not crazy, you know,” Richard said, the smile fading. “I know everyone has been walking on eggshells around me lately. Everyone’s either too distant and polite, too scared to talk to me, or …” he sighed and dropped his hand, slapping it once against his leg, then sliding it up to cross his arms defensively in front of him. “Or they’re like Mother and Father, and don’t think I have any feelings at all. So I’ll say this: Yes, I am still in mourning. I’m not ready for Princess Violet to come visit, and I’m certainly not ready for all the theatrics that will come with her and this farce.”

  Brandon sighed internally. If only their father—if only the Doldran traditions for ruling—allowed more time before pushing Richard to marry and have an heir. Brandon didn’t want to be crown prince, certainly, nor did he want to see his brother pushed into a corner that he wasn’t ready to face down.

  Richard’s gaze flicked to Sapphire, then Adeline, a soft smile growing as he continued, “But I am sincerely happy for you and what your family has. Please, don’t worry about mincing your words or diluting your joy around me. It may hurt me right now, but I’ll grow past it. Eventually.”

  Brandon nodded, clapping a hand on Richard’s shoulder and squeezing it in silent reply. What could he say to that? Besides, sometimes words were unnecessary between siblings. This was one of those moments.

  Sapphire moved closer to Brandon, her focus solely on Richard, the blue of the sky reflecting in her worried gaze. “In the meantime, please, let us know if we’re ever hurting you. We love you, and we want to see you happy again.” She gently leaned into Brandon, giving him time to adjust his stance to balance her weight. “Maybe he can help in the meantime, take on some of your work and let you take more of a break?”

  Brandon hid his wince. He desperately wanted to support his brother as much as possible, but the idea of taking on more responsibilities—especially crown princely duties that hadn’t yet transferred to him—wasn’t exactly appealing. Nonetheless, he nodded. “If Father isn’t going to ease up, then let us share the load.”

  Richard’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and dipped his head forward. “Of course. But cherish your family and your time together.” He looked back at the roses. “I thought I’d been doing that with Rose,” he admitted. “But looking back, I realize all the things I could have done better.” Richard’s eyes looked haunted, forlorn. “Don’t make the same mistakes I did, Brother. I lost my Rose. You still have Sapphire. Don’t ever lose your Gem.”

  Something about Richard’s words niggled at Brandon, as if Richard knew something was coming for them all. But Richard’s face was an open book, nothing but naked, honest grief in the lines and the scruff of his unshaved face.

  A melancholy, peaceful quiet settled about them like a thick blanket on a winter day, and Brandon wasn’t sure how to escape it. He didn’t want to be the first to leave, but he could stand in one place for only so long, not to mention the need to switch Adeline to his other arm.

  The clock tower in the center of the gardens tolled eleven strokes, marking the midmorning with the sound of gentle bamboo chimes.

  “Oh!” Richard reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his watch to confirm the time. “I need to go, or I’ll be late.”

  “Late?” Echoed Brandon, alarm spiking through him. “Late for what? Did I forget a meeting today?”

  “No, no. I’ve been meeting with Doctor Jaxton. He’s been helping me sort through everything. It’s been helpful talking to him.” Richard gazed at Adeline, a genuine soft light in his eyes. “I’m glad to have run into you three here. Truly. But, if you’ll please excuse me.”

  Brandon nodded as Sapphire murmured, “of course” as Richard stepped around them and onto the path that led back to the palace. Turmoil roiled in Brandon’s gut, coating his throat with acidic bile. It didn’t sit well, watching his brother walk alone.

  “I can’t decide if I’m thrilled to hear how good he sounded just now, compared to the last few months, or if I’m upset over how broken and in need of a hug he still is.” Sapphire swiped at a tear on her cheek. “In one regard, he’s doing so well after everything. Yet he’s also been forced to deal with too much, too soon. I’m worried for him, despite what he says.”

  “Agreed. He’s still fairly transparent, which is … good.” Brandon shifted Adeline and gingerly straightened his arm, hissing as the sensation of pins and needles stabbed his nerves. “He’s always been fairly open. I’m just hoping that whatever he’s doing with Jaxton helps. If not, it’s only a matter of time before something sends him over the edge. Again.”

  He left unsaid what Sapphire was likely thinking as well: with Violet coming from Perennia soon, much could go wrong if Richard were to snap.

  Sapphire chewed on her lip, then cocked her head. “Has he said anything to you about Cole’s concerns?”

  “He thinks the captain”—Brandon emphasized Cole’s new title, knowing her delight in it, even under the unpleasantness of the topic at hand—“is paranoid and insists there’s no traitor on our side.” He shrugged helplessly. “I wish I could do more to help your friend get to the bottom of it, but Richard’s been more uncooperative than normal in that regard.”

  Sapphire hummed a wordless response. They stood there silently, and Brandon sorrowed over the change from the earlier playful atmosphere to the somber air.

  “How to recover the mood from earlier?” he wondered aloud, letting his eyes soak up the beauty that was his wife surrounded by flowers.

  Sapphire eyed him, and she looked around the garden for a long moment before her lips stretched with a sly grin. “Well. I think we lost sight of our conversation. We were discussing how you knew so much of floriography, as I recall?”

  Brandon quirked an eyebrow at her. “Yes, we were. Why, are you going to start teasing me about trees again?”

  Sapphire splayed a hand across her chest dramatically. “Who? Me? Tease you? The mighty Prince Brandon? Never!” She giggled at the flat look he gave her. “I was merely wondering as to how far your extent of knowledge went.” She walked past him and he followed, curious as to where she was going and happy to be getting his mind off worrisome subjects. Time enough for those. A few turns later, she stopped and plucked a flower from beyond his sight. She gave him a coy smile, popping her hip out before turning and holding out a little yellow jonquil. “Do you by chance know what this one means?”

  Brandon stared at it for a few moments while thinking aloud. “Jonquil. Friendship, requited love, affection returned, domestic bliss.”

  His wife grinned at him, clearly waiting for him to say something specific. “And?” She prompted.

  What more was there for jonquil? He stared at the buttery petals and then up at Sapphire, a teasing smile curving her lips as she batted her eyelashes and tilted her shoulders just enough to expose more skin than she usually did. Oh. Oh. Devious wife. He smirked and sauntered close to her, pressing one side of his body against hers as he kissed her cheek, then her jaw. He trailed his lips down her neck and her giggles quieted to a shaky inhale as he nipped at her collarbone. He tilted his head up to whisper against her flushed chee
k. “Shall we have Clara and Andre take Adeline for a few hours?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Slate

  The taste of blood washed over Slate’s tongue, and he stopped biting his lip, resigned to listen to the painful argument between King Rupert and Prince Richard. He loved Brandon as a brother-in-law, but the rest of the prince’s family … not as much.

  “I’m not ready,” Richard ground out each word, punctuating them with a stab of his finger.

  “She’ll be here in a few hours, whether you think you’re ready or not,” King Rupert exclaimed. “Son, I know you’re still hurting. We all are.” Rupert straightened his gold sash and continued over Richard’s indignant huff. “But royal tradition dictates you need an heir if you’re to take the throne, which means you need a wife, and Aerugo already wants Violet’s hand in marriage. Are you so blind in your grief that you’ve forgotten our tenuous balancing act between Aerugo and Perennia? We’re lucky Perennia wants to maintain such close ties with us, more than strengthening their relations with Aerugo!”

  Richard stalked across the black-and-white tiled floor in front of the dais, muttering under his breath while Rupert talked. He turned, grief and anger distorting his face into a mask of red. “They should have kept things as they’d planned and married off Violet to Lord Everett! I want my wife, not some younger replacement of her!”

  Slate flinched as Richard’s retort ended in a yell. How this day was going to play out would be beyond interesting. More like, extraordinarily painful.

  “You will meet the girl. You will be civil to the girl. You will marry the girl. And then you will produce this kingdom the heir it needs!” King Rupert thundered as he pulled himself to his feet, towering over them from his dais. “By the Void, Richard. I’ve done what I could to be sympathetic while you grieved, but you knew this day was coming, and you’ve known the responsibilities you bear. You should be on the throne, not your brother. You need to regain the title of crown prince, and you’re going to do it soon. So do what you must to prepare yourself, but I expect you back in this room before she arrives!”