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"Your Majesty," he whispers, breathless A note of amusement creeps into his voice "You’ll ruin me" Then he pulls ether I lean against hi in the luxury of the ater I don’t want to ask his out, nore it as Magiano drowns hts, the voice coain

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty!"

Water ripples against our bodies

"Your Majesty," the voice continues, drawing nearer Now I recognize it as one of the stewards who deliver ent letter for you"

"She’s not here," another voice cohs "She’s probably off slitting some poor fool’s throat"

The words break ht as his eyes open again He glances toward the collapsed entrance too, then shoots ive hi to show him that the servant’s re down the flush in iano whispers, his words echoing in the space He nods toward the collapsed archway "Far be it froiano, I," I start to say But the rest of the words don’t want to co to force the under the ater and swih the space that leads back out into the h the surface with a loud splash A yelp of surprise comes from somewhere in the chaers standing at the edge of the bath, their eyes wide, their fear hovering over the my brow at them

This snaps the men out of their terrified stupor They jump backward in unison and bend down in los "Your Majesty, I--" one of the This is the one who had spoken about ust "I--I--I--hope you had a lovely bath I--"

His words fade into an incoherent ju water froeabout hted at the fear e from the man But I shake theent letter," I finally say, interrupting the ht "What is it?"

The second hter, approaches the water He presents a rolled parchment to me I wade toward him and lift one hand out of the water to take it

The letter’s crimson wax seal bears the royal crest of Tamoura I crack it open, unfurl the parch No one else can write in such an elegant script, with such careful flourish Behind iano approaches and looks over ht on my mind "It’s a trap," he says

But I cannot speak I only read thewhat it reallyYou must come to Tao, when the clock strikes twelve?

What will you do, when you face yourself?

Hoill you live, knohat you’ve done?

Hoill you die, if your soul’s already gone?

--Excerpt of ue from Compasia & Eratosthenes, as performed by Willem Denbury

Adelina Amouteru

Toht, the entire palace is alight with festivities in celebration of our upcoh with food sit in every hall of the palace, while the courtyards are bright with lanterns and dancing I sit with Sergio in one of the gardens In my hands is the strip of parchment from Raffaele, which I’ve played with so much now, I can hardly read the letters anymore My stomach feels hollow and sick I couldn’t even finishto keep the incessantly in the back of ers after all Your enemies What a traitor

Why do you still care for her? Have you forgotten how she abandoned you?

Yes, she tried to wrench us away froiano’s chair is e in the arched entranceway to the garden, playing a song he’s coathered Everyone is already drunk--they sway in their dances, stues ofon the floor, blood spilling in a pool all around, while the other partygoers step over her body I force iano is a sight to behold tonight His silks are gold and white, and trinkets gli braids, all of them pulled over one shoulder He leans forward and flashes a brilliant s to histo call for challenges People shout the nas at him, then cheer and clap when he takes the on his braids, his bare skin against low of faeryabout it too