"I never considered this," he said. "Not once." He looked at her with a sincerity that had nothing political in it. "I want this done, Roxanne. And I want you to be the one to carry it out." He exhaled slowly. "Fiona is four months along now. The sicknesses come and go and I do not want the weight of this falling on her. Will you take it on?"
"It falls within my duties," Roxanne said simply. "I will not turn it down."
Vangelis rose from his seat.
He crossed the room to where she sat and stopped before her. Then he lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, unhurried and without pretense.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Then he straightened and walked out, leaving the room and the word behind him.
Roxanne sat with it for a moment.
Then she rose and followed.
The dining table was set with the full weight of ceremony behind it. Nobles filled every seat, their conversations hushed beneath the grandeur of the room. Vangelis sat at the head, Fiona to his left, Roxanne to his right, the arrangement as deliberate as everything else in this palace.
The meal had barely begun when Vangelis's mother leaned forward slightly, her eyes warm and unhurried.
"Dear, when do you and Fiona intend to return home? I worry about her overexerting herself here. The palace demands a great deal and she is carrying your child." She paused, a small smile forming. "Though I suppose we are fortunate that we now have a Duchess. And quite a remarkable one at that," Mrs. Valeria finished, her smile carrying something that looked almost like genuine approval.
A murmur of agreement moved around the table.
"We leave the day after tomorrow," Vangelis said, reaching for his glass. "There is an event at court tomorrow that I intend to see through personally." He glanced briefly at Roxanne before returning to the table at large. "The person it concerns is very special to me. I want it done properly."
The table received this with polite interest.
Roxanne reached for her glass and said nothing.
"That sounds promising," Mrs. Valeria said, dabbing the corner of her mouth with her napkin. "Have you had any word from your brother?"
Across the table Fiona straightened almost imperceptibly, her attention sharpening behind her composed expression.
Vangelis shook his head. "Not in a month. The last message I received was that he intends to develop Redlunar rapidly before he takes the throne. He wants everything in order first."
"Do you think he has found a mate?" Mrs. Valeria asked. "Perhaps he is preparing the territory for her."
Vangelis smiled at the thought. "I pray that is exactly what it is."
The table moved on. But Fiona said nothing, and her eyes stayed down at her plate a moment longer than necessary.
Corrine entered and bowed. "Your Grace."
"Please." Roxanne held up a hand without turning from the window. "I have been hearing that title since sunrise. My ears are exhausted."
Corrine smiled and settled into the chair across from her. "Fair enough. So tell me, what is the plan behind giving Mrs. Valeria the title?"
"Because I intend to kill her," Roxanne said simply.
Corrine stared at her. "Then why give her a title at all?"
Roxanne turned from the window, something cold and certain moving behind her eyes.
"Phoenix's spell still lives inside me. Every single day. Cold and relentless, eating at me from within." Her voice was even but the weight behind it was not. "The only thing that undoes it is the Codex of Silence. And the only way to the Codex is through Valeria." She let that settle before continuing. "The title puts her at ease. It makes her feel honoured, seen, unthreatened. It lowers every wall she has." The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "And then I take what I came for."
Corrine was quiet for a moment.
"And the title itself?" she asked. "Is there more to it than getting close to her?"
Roxanne's smile sharpened.
"The title is reserved for something far more interesting than just access," she said. "You will see."
Corrine rose and straightened her dress. "I must go. It is time to oversee the preparation of the Queen's night meal."
She slipped out without another word.
Roxanne turned back to the window.
"Actually, I will follow you," Roxanne said, pushing herself up from the window seat. "I could do with some midnight snacks myself."
Corrine glanced at her and said nothing. They slipped out of the chambers together, their footsteps quiet against the corridor stone.
They had barely rounded the first turn when they stopped.
Fiona stood in the corridor, her nightgown loose around her bump, a single maid hovering behind her.
"Oh." Fiona's eyes moved between them, settling on Corrine with quiet curiosity. "What a coincidence. Corrine, what brings you to the Duchess's chambers at this hour?"
"I summoned her," Roxanne said smoothly, stepping forward just enough to draw Fiona's attention to herself. "As head maid she holds information I required. I intend to keep summoning her. From tonight she serves as my personal attendant."
Fiona considered this for a moment. "That is a considerable responsibility to place on one person. Are you not concerned about the burden?"
"She will attend to me only at night," Roxanne replied. "Her other duties remain untouched."
Fiona nodded slowly, her expression satisfied but her eyes still thoughtful.
"Since you are both awake, come and join me," Fiona said, turning back toward the small dining room off the corridor. "No matter how much I eat at dinner these days my stomach refuses to be satisfied by morning. And I would rather not be bored on top of it."
"I was already heading for a snack myself," Roxanne said. "I have no objection."
They settled around a small table that had been quietly set with warm porridge, chips and an arrangement of sweets. Corrine stood a respectful distance back.
For a moment the three of them simply existed in the comfortable quiet of midnight and warm food.
"Thank you for the company, Roxanne," Fiona said, reaching for a sweet.
"You do not have to thank me for this," Roxanne replied.
Fiona smiled, something genuine and unhurried in it. "I mean it. You have settled into your position remarkably well. The nobles speak well of you. The people are already warming to you." She shook her head slightly. "I will confess I am a little jealous."
"That credit belongs to you, my Queen," Roxanne said. "You created the space for me to step into."