312 A crowded tea party

As if my words were challenging fate, I can't have my deserved rest.

The day after the meal with the Emperor, one of my uncle's spies delivers a missive from him.

I let the servant pass and pretended to be hosting him in secret. Then, I took the message and sent a generic reply.

Alexander will know about this, and it's fine. But there's no need to advertise the level of trust among us two. It's better to pretend I'm hiding from him. My uncle doesn't need to know just everything.

On the message, a few words only. Someone tried to kill Lorene.

Well, it was not me. Even if I don't like my cousin, I would never try killing her because of it.

Alexander doesn't know that I don't like my cousin. He hardly knows she exists, regardless of their pleasant chat during the hunt.

The one behind the attempt, if there was one, isn't from this wing of the Palace. It's not the Emperor either: he's too interested in the girl.