Marie-Fey could almost feel Zaydan vibrating with excitement beside her and she had to resist from rolling her eyes as everyone around them looked on, gaping.
"Y... your..." Lashby stammered.
At that moment, Antoinette happened to glide past with three of her closest friends – who also happened to be ladies of the Queen's inner circle.
Lashby launched over without any obvious thought, grabbing her arm and Antoinette looked at her hand the way an empress might look at a peasant who dared touch her.
"Lady Lashby," she said, sharply knocking her fan against Lashby's knuckles.
Lashby released her instantly before gesturing toward Zaydan.
"Your guest!" she gasped, staring at her.
Antoinette raised an eyebrow, glancing at Marie-Fey and Zaydan, taking in their hands before giving Lashby an annoyed stare at having stopped.
"Lord Zaydan," she said curtly, "My brother-in-law. Is there a problem? Surely you would have my sister introduce you if you were in such need of an introduction."
"Brother-i..."
Lashby's voice failed her as she stared and Antoinette's face slowly darkened as a cold, nasty smile spread across her striking face as she snapped her fan open, holding it to her lips as she leant forwards, icy-cold eyes locked on Lashby.
"Whatever is the matter, Lady Lashby?" she asked, "You seem quite speechless. Scared that you find yourself without a wound to poke now?"
Lashby's eyes widened as Antoinette leant forwards.
"You'll be mindful of what rumours you spread next time," she said, her voice like a breath, "Less you be the one who cannot set foot in polite society."
Lashby's breath audibly hitched and Antoinette flashed her a lovely smile that was reminiscent of Beldon and Constantine.
"Wouldn't that be tragic?" she said, and snapped her fan closed, smiling at Marie-Fey and Zaydan before turning back to her own company, the women laughing softly behind her fans as they looked Lashby and her ladies up and down as they passed.
Lashby rounded on Marie-Fey.
"There's something suspicious happening here," she growled, shoving her folded fan in Marie-Fey's face and Marie-Fey slapped the fan down with her own.
"Don't be so rude, hard as that might be," Marie-Fey shot back.
"After what happened the other day and suddenly he appears?"
"He did not suddenly appear," Maanah said, folding her arms, "Lord Rias arrived with us on the ship."
"You know what I mean," Lashby spat.
"I fear I don't."
"Well study our language better."
Marie-Fey's smile vanished in an instant, eyes flashing as she made to move forwards but Zaydan's hold tightened, holding her back.
"Whatever is all this fuss about, my dear?" he asked, looking so believably confused.
"Oh, silly things," Marie-Fey said, before proceeding to summarise the whole issue ending with Zaafira's statement at the last ball.
Zaydan looked respectably shocked, before staring at Zaafira.
"My Lady Zaafira," he said, appalled.
Zaafira gave him a neat shrug. "Just a little tiff between ladies, My Lord. I had no idea these... people would take my words so seriously."
"Aren't we fortunate you were attending this evening to clear things up?" Gharam said softly.
YOU ARE READING
Kingdom in The Sand
FantasyMarie-Fey is married to a ghost. At least she might as well be for all she's seen of the man she married two years before. Far from home in a foreign land of endless sand and rich oasis, in a palace filled with women she won't connect with, all she...
