Chapter 72: The Northern Perspective

"I am telling you, the whole affair defies reason. It is nothing short of an orchestrated siege upon my personal peace!"

A small crowd of young nobles and curious ladies had gathered around him near the marble fountain, listening with sympathetic expressions. Gardner played up his distress, lowering his voice to a hushed, trembling whisper that somehow still carried across the hall.

"So, did you confront him?"

"I tried!" Gardner snapped, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I turned around at once and marched straight back to confront him, but the moment I did, he was gone! Vanished as though the earth had swallowed him whole! I searched the entire street, questioned the shopkeepers, and even sent one of my men to look around, but there was not a trace of him anywhere. And this has happened time and time again! I cannot leave my own residence without finding that wretched fellow somewhere along my path. I cannot visit my tailor, attend to my affairs, or even enjoy a quiet afternoon tart without feeling like some invisible vulture is charting the number of bites I take! Honestly, what sort of life is this? Am I to spend the rest of my days looking over my shoulder, never knowing when that scoundrel might appear again?"

Nearby, Lioren had been doing a rather admirable job of pretending to be a respectable member of high society. Unfortunately, Gardner’s claim that the mysterious fellow had been watching him count his pastry bites was simply too much. A strangled snort escaped Lioren before he could stop it. So much for maintaining his dignity.

It wasn’t a chuckle. It wasn’t even a proper laugh. It was an absolutely disgraceful snort that escaped Lioren’s nose with the force of a dying kettle.

Every head nearby turned at once.

Gardner stopped dead, his mouth still open from whatever he had been about to say. Then his eyes landed on Lioren. Just like that, the outrage disappeared from his face, replaced by a smile so eager and flattering that it was almost embarrassing to witness.

"Ah!" Gardner cried out, sweeping past a cluster of startled guests as if he were parting the Red Sea. "Your Grace! Grand Duke Roscaire! What an absolute, unexpected blessing to cross paths with you tonight!"

"Marquess. You... ah, you seem to be projecting quite a bit of vocal energy this evening. I hope your lungs are holding up under the strain of the... perimeter watch."

Gardner waved a dismissive hand, seemingly unaware that Lioren was having a little fun at his expense. "Oh, pay no mind to my little domestic annoyances, Your Grace! Silly business, really. Just some unsavoury characters with far too much time on their hands. Not worth cluttering your brilliant mind with for even a second."

He could barely contain himself, his eyes darting toward Xavion and Evelia before returning to Lioren in a hurry.

"In fact," Gardner continued, "now that I have the immense good fortune of your company, those little troubles have quite slipped my mind. You know, my dear Celia is here tonight as well. She arrived with her aunt just an hour ago. The poor girl has seemed rather low-spirited laetly, pining a little, if you take my meaning. I was only telling her this morning that what she truly needs is some fresh air and the company of fine, well-bred people."

He leaned in closer. ""She even asks after you whenever your name comes up. Perhaps, later tonight, you might spare a few minutes to walk with her along the terrace? It would do wonders for her spirits, truly."

Lioren could only stare. Honestly, he needed a moment. Perhaps several. Because surely, surely, this could not be happening. Was this the same Marquess Gardner who had been practically on the verge of tears moments ago, loudly recounting how some mysterious fellow had followed him through the streets, haunted his visits, and apparently threatened the peaceful enjoyment of his pastries?

Lioren had half expected him to demand a military escort just to cross the ballroom. And yet here he was, perfectly recovered, cheerfully steering the conversation toward his daughter’s marriage prospects as though the previous spectacle had never happened. Not a single word of transition. And not even discreetly! He had gone from reporting a personal catastrophe to arranging a courtship in the space of a few breaths. It was almost impressive.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lioren caught Evelia pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose. Her shoulders were trembling, and the tight little smile she was desperately trying to suppress suggested that she was only a few seconds away from completely losing it. Therin, meanwhile, stood beside them with the expression of a man who had just been handed an endless list of administrative duties and told to be grateful. Caldrin simply shifted his weight, his hand drifting toward his belt as he regarded Gardner with the quiet contemplation of someone seriously reconsidering his employment.

Lioren turned his head slightly and shot Xavion a quick, thoroughly amused glance. Xavion met his eyes with his usual deadpan expression, but the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth gave him away. Oh, he was enjoying this far more than he let on.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

Lioren’s smile threatened to return as he turned his attention to Gardner.

"Well now, Marquess, that is quite the coincidence. You were just telling us all about how deeply distressing it is to be watched, followed, and constantly monitored against your will, weren’t you?"

Gardner blinked, momentarily derailed. "I... well, yes, but that’s entirely different..."

"Is it?" Lioren interrupted smoothly, his tone sweet enough to rot teeth. "Because it sounds to me like you have very strong opinions on the subject. By the way, how does it feel? To have someone breathing down your neck every time you step out of your carriage? To feel that prickly little sensation at the base of your skull knowing an uninvited pair of eyes is tracking your every movement?"

Gardner’s smile faltered, and a faint sheen of sweat appeared along his forehead. "Ah... well, it is certainly rather troubling, Your Grace. A most unpleasant intrusion into one’s private affairs, if you ask me."

"Fascinating," Lioren murmured, nodding thoughtfully. Then, his expression shifted abruptly, all traces of casual conversation disappearing as he turned toward Gardner. "Oh, Marquess Gardner, you haven’t even greeted Prince Xavion yet. Have you somehow managed to lose your sight along with your peace of mind?"

Gardner finally looked at Xavion. Really looked at him. And, judging by the way his expression faltered, he was only now realizing that the prince was considerably more intimidating up close than he had apparently imagined. His earlier enthusiasm seemed to deflate by the second.

Lioren nearly felt sorry for him. Nearly. After all, the man had just spent several minutes enthusiastically advertising his daughter to someone without bothering to properly acknowledge the person he was advertising her to.

"P-Prince Xavion," Gardner stammered, scrambling into a clumsy, half-bow that nearly sent him tumbling into the fountain’s decorative ferns. "Forgive me! I...the candlelight, you see, and the crowd.... I was entirely overwhelmed by my recent... distress. An honor. A profound, unexpected honor have you among us this evening."

Xavion didn’t so much as shift his stance. He looked at Gardner. "Your distress sounds... exhausting, Marquess. One wonders how a man survives such constant, unwarranted attention."

Gardner swallowed hard, his throat bobbing frantically. "Indeed, Your Highness. Quite... quite taxing."

Lioren stepped forward again, sliding his hands casually into the pockets of his black tailcoat. He tilted his head, adopting a tone of breezy, philosophical inquiry.

"You know, Prince Xavion," Lioren said loudly enough for the surrounding nobles to hear every word, "I was just wondering. If someone were foolish enough to follow you around without your knowledge, trailing you to your door, invading your privacy, making your life a miserable, paranoid little loop, how do you suppose you’d handle it?"

Xavion turned his head slightly toward Lioren. "I would first make an effort to understand their reasons," he answered calmly. "Perhaps they have some explanation for their peculiar behavior. But if they continued following me without a proper cause..."

He paused, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make Gardner’s left eyelid begin to twitch.

"...one might conclude that the individual lacks proper self-preservation instincts," Xavion finished softly. "And act accordingly to remove the nuisance permanently."

"A remarkably balanced approach," Lioren praised, giving a light clap. "Very civilized. Though, personally? I’m afraid I’m rather less forgiving than my betrothed."

Lioren took a few steps closer to the trembling Marquess, invading his personal space until Gardner was forced to lean backward over the rim of the stone fountain.

"If some pathetic, paranoid old windbag went out of his way to pry into my affairs," Lioren whispered, "I wouldn’t bother with magistrates or formal complaints. I think I’d simply invite him down to the northern timber yards. Tie him to a stump for a week or two. Let him experience what it’s like to have a pack of half-starved mountain wolves follow his scent through the snow. By the time he crawled back to the capital, I imagine he’d find he has a wonderful appreciation for personal privacy."

Gardner’s eyes practically bulged out of his head. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. Not a single coherent sound emerged. All he managed was a tiny, strangled squeak, like a leather ball slowly surrendering its last breath.

Lioren let the silence linger for three delicious seconds, thoroughly enjoying the sight, before his face lit up with the most welcoming smile imaginable. He adjusted his cuffs, patted Gardner’s stiff shoulder as though comforting a nervous child, and looked at him with the warmth of a man who had absolutely nothing to apologize for.

"Of course, that’s just my northern perspective!" Lioren laughed lightly, smoothing down his lapel. "I do hope you’ve learned a valuable lesson from your little ordeal, Marquess, because it would be such a shame if all that worry turned out to be for nothing. Now, do carry on telling everyone your fascinating story, we wouldn’t want to deprive your adoring public of the details."

Without waiting for a reply, Lioren motioned for Xavion to follow and strolled toward the dessert tables, leaving Gardner behind to endure the curious glances of the surrounding nobles.