The lovers were alone to face each other, but Esme waited until Althalos opened the Frostways before she spoke to him. She barely registered the bamboo path they were on, she was more intent on their conversation."You have a lot you need to speak to me about, Althalos."

"I know." For a moment it was only his fingers roaming the back of her dress, instead of an explanation-nothing new. "But what I most need to say is thank you for not making the meeting about things I neglected to tell you before coming in here."

She gave a rather indelicate snort at his formality. "I know better than to expose weaknesses to my people. Tell me, do you really think he is my father?"

"Yes. As much as the girl is your sister. Do you wish to meet with her?"

"Again? One day, when I'm no longer stuck in this city. You promised her a job-a living, that is-away from the risks of the clan. Get her out before someone decides that she's better dead than under your protection. Praulx...my father, wouldn't mention she's at risk with the ones who most threaten her still sitting in the room with us all. She doesn't have my status to cause them to hesitate."

His hand dipped lower, past her waist, but continued to talk instead of act out further. "She really does look like you."

"Even when she's naked under you?" Esme asked this as calmly as anything else she had stated during the meeting, but she thoroughly shocked her betrothed.

"Esme!"The poor man couldn't seem to close his mouth to form words for a second-but his hand did drop away from her butt rather quickly. "I didn't need that thought, my dear. Besides, she wouldn't be you, as she's thoroughly human. Even raised by the same father, you are nothing alike."

The former thief shrugged, wondering how long it would be before his hand creeped back up to cup her, perhaps startling her out of her stride in the process."I did grow up with her, so I know we don't act much alike-I find she's very rash. She's one who would have offered by now. I also know she's a great deal darker than me, would better fit in with the Aelfine-so that has to come across as a bit more naturally attractive since people tend to want what they already know."

ThePrince shrugged-not that she could see it. "I wouldn't know about that, for certain. I saw she looked like you so I've mostly avoided her, letting Rileus interrogate her. I didn't want to add to my daily confusion. He's come out of that sputtering rather indignantly, a few times. So, it is possible that she's countered his questions with lewdness. Given how strict he is, it probably left him increasingly angry."

"Is she still going with Tamar?"

"I caught her under the name Justice. She hasn't given me her true name."

The Princess laughed. "You managed to catch her? I'm surprised you didn't drop her in shock."

"At that first moment, I thought it was you trying to disguise yourself. I was too enraged to let my grip weaken in such a manner-not again." And there went his hand-apparently talking about this woman and how it disturbed him did nothing to slow his interest. "Damn near shook the woman until her teeth rattled. Was still pretty mad by the time I handed her over to Rileus, thinking things that took me quite a while to dismiss. That was the day I didn't come home until supper, a few weeks ago." Althalos pulled her onto the side path, but continued on in his distraction of his betrothed. "Is Tamar her real name?"

"That isn't her true name either. Alisen was what she was brought in calling herself-her mother should be a last name of Greenlief. Praulx keeps his last name to himself-and likely as not, it's not his real first name either, so we share no common name. My sister lost her right to her name her first year of training."

"You know, we've never been able to get her to break. She's high strung enough to likely tell us everything she knows with that information."

"I'm well aware of that. She tells you something that I have not in all this time and she will be blamed. But you said she'd be out of the city, so she'd also not be punished or killed for a confession. Think of it as giving Rileus what he wants most." Esme belatedly looked around and shook her head, seeing the gazeebo as they approached it. "I'm sorry, All, I'm past the stage where anything other than a bed is tiresome."

"I had one installed."

She laughed at him. It wasn't something she easily did, so he cherished the moments where he could get her to open up like this, as it was a glimpse of a possible future-one that he dare not put his trust in. But she did laugh-a good omen. "Oh, you naughty man!"