Alex turned, annoyed at being interrupted. A young man with a roguish smile and short dark hair was approaching him from the opposite side of the corridor. Judging by his lavish clothes, he must have been the scion of some noble house.
The prince did not recall ever dealing with him before; he must have arrived recently.
"And you are…?"
The nobleman seemed surprised. "Ah, well, I am Lord Caleb, the eldest son of the Count of Hassex. I beg your pardon for not introducing myself sooner, but I couldn't find the right opportunity, and you are quite elusive."
The advisor's son—one of the people Alex had wanted to speak with that day. If he could secure his support, William would be safe.
He offered a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Caleb. I hope life at court is to your liking."
"Oh yes, it's truly lively here, and there are many places of interest in the city." He chuckled. "And I don't have my father's eyes following me wherever I go, so I am very satisfied."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"May I ask for a bit of your time?"
Alex could not suppress a flicker of surprise. "For what purpose?"
Caleb smiled and showed him a bottle of wine. "To offer you this gift, Your Highness. It comes from my father's county; I would be truly delighted if you were to taste it."
"A gift? For me?"
"My father insisted. I know the palace kitchens source their wine from other counties, but ours is truly excellent, I assure you. I only ask that you give it a chance."
A business proposal, then. He wanted Alex to taste the wine and convince the king to make some sort of agreement with the count to supply the kitchens.
Alex extended a hand. "Can I take a look?"
"Of course!"
Caleb handed him the bottle, and the prince examined it carefully. It was sealed and did not appear to have been tampered with; drinking a glass would pose no risk.
Perhaps William's concerns were exaggerated.
He returned it with a smile.
"I happen to have a little free time at the moment. Come with me."
He led Caleb to his own study and, once inside, gestured for him to sit on the sofa.
Caleb sat down, pulled a corkscrew from his jacket pocket, and asked if there were any glasses. Alex fetched them and set them on the low table, then took a seat opposite the nobleman.
He watched him in silence as he opened the bottle, eyes fixed on his hands to make sure he did nothing suspicious. But Caleb merely poured the wine into the two glasses and handed one to him.
Alex smiled. "It looks full-bodied."
"It is. This bottle is from one of the best vintages of the past decade. Our grapes give the wine fruity notes and very bright ruby reflections."
"I can see that."
The wine was a deep burgundy with sanguine hues that brought to mind the corpse from the previous evening. The pool of blood beneath the body had been that color, too.
Alex lifted the glass to his nose: the scent was nothing unusual. That story about the aphrodisiac was making him far too paranoid.
Caleb took a long sip, and Alex relaxed and drank as well.
"It's good."
"I'm very pleased, Your Highness."
"I could put in a good word with my father, but I can't guarantee anything."
"I would be grateful if you did."
Alex emptied his glass, and Caleb filled it again.
"I've heard that an important vote will be held in Council next week."
The prince pressed his lips together. "It concerns my Court Mage. Some advisors have raised doubts about his competence."
"But I imagine they are unfounded, if you were the one who chose him."
"Exactly."
"And I imagine my father's vote could be useful to you."
Alex watched him for a moment. William had said Caleb was a shallow young man devoted to vice, but he seemed sharp to Alex. Had he approached him to propose a deal?
"It might be useful, yes," Alex replied cautiously. "A real shame he isn't here at court."
"I could put in a good word for him, if you wish."
"Would you really do that?"
Caleb nodded. "If I had an incentive, I would be much more persuasive."
As expected. No one in that palace ever did anything without asking for some favor in return.
Alex sighed. "What do you want?"
"That you purchase our wine. A favor for a favor."
"I can't guarantee it. My father handles these matters, but I can try to convince him."
Caleb seemed to think for a moment, then nodded. "That is sufficient for me. Do you have paper and ink? That way, you can dictate what you want me to report to my father."
Alex stood and went to the desk. He gathered the writing material and returned to the low table.
"This should be enough."
Caleb smiled, set down his glass, and dipped the pen into the ink. The prince emptied his wineglass, leaned toward him, and dictated.
Once he had finished, the nobleman signed the letter. "I will send it before sunset, Your Highness."
"Thank you."
Caleb leaned back against the small sofa and smiled. "I am here to serve you."
Alex gathered the unused materials and stood to put them back in their place, but a wave of dizziness forced him to brace himself against the desk. Had he drunk too much? It didn't seem so.
Perhaps it was only fatigue.
A hand rested on his elbow. "Are you well, Your Highness?"
"Yes, don't worry."
Caleb guided him to the sofa. "Perhaps you should sit for a moment. Our wine is stronger than most."
Alex doubted it. It was still wine, and he had only had two glasses. Not even William would have felt dizzy.
He sat down, but the dizziness did not leave him. A faint nausea gripped his stomach, and his skin began to burn so intensely that it felt as if someone had lit a bonfire in the middle of his chest.
And the arousal grew, grew, and devoured him whole.
"Your Highness, you do not seem well."
Alex squeezed his eyes to focus on the nobleman's face, but for some reason, that smile clashed with the worried words he had spoken. As if…
"Shit…"
In the end, he had found the one responsible.
---------------------------
William went over the antidote's recipe again and checked that he had added the correct quantities. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally poison the prince.
He removed the small pot from the flame and set it on the table to cool. The decoction was a dense, foul-smelling black that resembled pitch. Its effect would nullify that of the Azaron flower and restore the prince's health.
Once the culprit was identified, the situation would return to normal.
He filled a couple of vials with the decoction and sealed them. A sharp pain shot through his abdomen and made him bend over the table.
What the hell had happened? Was the prince all right?
A wave of heat rose to his cheeks, and his heart began to race.
"Damn it," he hissed.
He clutched the table and pushed himself back to his feet. His legs trembled, a faint arousal stirring within him.
"I have to find His Highness."
He slipped the vials into his pocket and staggered toward the door. His steps were unsteady, and the dizziness made it feel as though the entire room were spinning around him. Somehow, however, he managed to reach the corridor.
Leaning against the wall, he reached the stairs. He was becoming aroused, and that was not a good sign. It meant they had managed to drug the prince again, and this time for real.
And he was thirsty—so thirsty that not even an entire lake could have quenched it.
"William?" A pair of hands grabbed his hips as William collapsed.
"Where is His Highness?"
Sven studied his face. "Are you well?"
"No, but he is worse. I think he is in danger."
"All right. I'll look for him. You wait here."
"No!" William clutched his arm. "I have to come. I have the antidote."
Sven frowned but asked no questions. He put an arm around his shoulders and helped him to his feet.
"Do you know where he is?"
"The last time I saw him, he was in the study, but I don't think he's there."
"The palace is enormous, and it seems to me we don't have much time."
"No, he—"
William stifled a groan and bent over, one hand pressed between his legs. This was not the best moment to have an erection.
"Are you well?" Sven asked him.
"Someone made him ingest an aphrodisiac. And it is… very powerful."
"Do they want to hurt him?"
"I'm afraid so. We don't have much time."
William straightened his back, but the erection made it difficult even to take the next steps. Sven stayed beside him patiently and asked whether anyone had seen the prince.
"I saw him," said a passing maid. "He was heading toward his chambers."
"Was he alone?" William asked her.
"Well, no, he was with a man. I believe it was Lord Caleb of Hassex. His Highness did not seem to feel well." She looked at him, puzzled. "Are you well, Advisor? Do you need anything?"
"No, thank you."
Sven dismissed her and helped William resume walking. "You can wait here. I'll take care of it."
"No, I have the antidote. And I can assess his condition."
Besides, he had promised the prince he would not abandon him.
They hurried as much as possible and reached the prince's chambers. William flung the doors open.
"Your Highness!"