Lady Mutiny

Eighteen

"I swore I heard something," Lilia informed Andro once again, for the third time since they arrived in the room that would be their residence while the Midsummer festival took place. Her hands reached up to undo the pins that held the elaborate hat upon her head. "I think someone was watching us."

"I would be insulted if they weren't," he grinned as he walked back over to her after giving the room a thorough search upon their arrival. Lilia would do her own once she was out of her dress- she wouldn't be able to sleep until she did.

"You're too calm in this situation," she scowled as he stopped in front of her, watching him as he helped her remove the pins that she missed.

"And if you don't calm down, this ruse will be all for nothing."

He removed the hat when he was finished with the pins, tossing it on to the bed, but he gave her a knowing glance, one that lingered on her mouth.

Where her thumbnail had made its way between her teeth.

She didn't even remember putting it there.

"That is going to give you away, too, if anyone knows you well enough," he reminded her, taking her hand in his and moving it away from her lips. "You did it earlier as well, but I wasn't going to draw more attention to it."

She let out an exasperated sigh and stepped away from him, more so that she could avoid the look he was giving her, knowing he was right. She hadn't been back in Lathos in almost a year- the panic struck her the moment they crossed through the city gates, and the bones of her corset were the only things keeping her upright as they entered the city's center.

"This isn't going to work," she sighed, turning back to him.

"It will work," he assured her. "Because it has to work. Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't this where you want to be?"

"I want Cass safe, and Baz dead," she reminded him, her tone darkening.

"And it will happen, but we can't rush into it. We have the upper hand, more than they realize, but we need to be patient."

He matched her blazing stare, and a gentle hand reached up to play with a tendril of hair that escaped from the mound of blonde that was piled on top of her head. "The color is fading already," he observed softly.

"It was a shoddy job done quickly and at the last minute," she admitted, watching his hand as it twirled the curl around his finger. "I'll have to go out tomorrow to buy some decent supplies to make it last until the festival."

"You're in a city that wants you dead," he reminded her. "I don't need to tell you to be careful."

"Just as you know you don't need to come with me."

"You're right- I have my own appointments to attend to tomorrow. My presence was expected; therefore, I must maintain the facade."

She arched a brow as she looked at him. "And how many of these appointments am I going to be expected to attend?"

"Well, as the new Lady of Thuria, your presence is going to be appreciated at most of them."

"Too many of them will know me-"

"No, they will have known Lilia Cortova... they will not yet know Lady Bethala Millian."

"Where did that name come from anyway?" she asked carefully. "You introduced me as such earlier when we arrived."

"It was my mother's name," he admitted. "It suits you."

She raised her other brow at that. "And you don't think it's going to be odd, married to a woman with your mother's name?"