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<span class="mu-i">“Now.”</span> Finally, Roselyn breaks the silence. <span class="mu-i">“All we need next is to get your brother locked down with a wife.”</span>
<span class="mu-i">“Oh I don’t know…”</span> The smile on Damien’s face widens. <span class="mu-i">“I think Emile is doing well enough on his own on that front…”</span>
<span class="mu-i">“Damien, you know why. I’m not going to walk you through all the details of Emile’s political career but his debut was crippling the Duke Fallavon’s son and his latest achievement ended in leaving Port Bounty a political charnel house.”</span> Roselyn shakes her head, pitying some Pascae schemer somewhere. <span class="mu-i">“ And now he’s somehow managed to earn the Crown Prince’s ire. And we don’t even know exactly why.”</span>
<span class="mu-i">“He must be involved.”</span> Damien pauses, glancing sideways to make sure they were alone. The House Vidra sailors had given little cause for distrust, but this kind of talk… it was the kind of talk that got people killed. <span class="mu-i">“The Prince. Involved in exactly -what- I don’t know. But it’s the only explanation I can think of for making Emile his enemy.”</span>
<span class="mu-i">“I doubt the Prince thinks of Emile as an enemy. For one thing, our bother is still alive. An annoyance is more likely. Funny that our lack of import serves us well for once, the only saving grace is that our House is so far removed from these events in Fallavon and Pascae. The thought of Emile loose in the Duchess Romaine’s Court…”</span> The very thought causes the eldest Andrei sister to shiver. <span class="mu-i">“Until things calm down… and until <span class="mu-s">Mother</span> calms down… Honestly, him staying abroad might be the best thing for us all right now.”</span>
<span class="mu-i">“You forget yourself, sister.”</span> Damien had been letting Roselyn rattle on for a while, but when he spoke something had changed. A subtle thing, a hardening of the voice and serious look that reminded Roselyn just how much Damien was like Father. <span class="mu-i">“He has served us well, above and beyond the call of duty. House Andrei could not hope for a worthier champion… or a finer son. Odds are I’d be long dead and rotting in the woods if not for him.”</span>
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