Chapter 33 Shifting Currents : +20 Free Coins Soren's brows knitted for the briefest beat , then smoothed as though the crease had never existed . " Your birthday gift has already been delivered to your chambers ," he said to her , handing a box of sugared plums . " Be sure to share these sweets with the other ladies . " A chorus of feminine voices rose at once- " Thank you , Lord Soren ! "- cach syllable shimmering with hope that he might linger on their face a heartbeat longer . The way his left sleeve sat ever so stiffly ... The injury must be on his shoulder . Fiona mused , tracing the subtle tension in his posture . Ulrich said Xavier rode out with Soren days ago ... Where is he now ? Is he hurt as well ? I can't very well march up to Soren and inquire - he would see through me at once . Roxanne , though , is discreet . I will ask her to find out for me . Besides , Naomi is unlikely to welcome my presence tonight , and letting Roxanne glimpse where my affections lie might prevent future misunderstandings between us . Roxanne is no gossip , and inquiring after a gentleman's injury scarcely tarnishes a lady's reputation . Roxanne studied Fiona for a brief moment . Though she knew it was Soren who had declined the match , the mention of Xavier eased an inexplicable knot in her chest . Perhaps it was because Fiona's beauty was disarming - few men could remain indifferent to such charm . True , Fiona might never become the Zonfrillo Estate's matriarch , but a favored concubine was far from impossible , especially once the Niven family's fortunes began to fade . " Don't fret , Fiona . I'll ask him for you , " Roxanne promised . Soren's wound , though far from mortal , required quiet rest , and he had no intention of lingering longer than courtesy demanded . In truth , he had taken that blade deliberately . Convalescence was the perfect excuse to step away from the vicious currents swirling through the Imperial Palace . As he turned to depart , Roxanne stepped gracefully into his path , silk skirts whispering across the marble floor . " Blessings upon you , Lord Soren ," she said , her voice as soft as falling snow . " What can I do for you , Ms. Thankerton ? " Soren asked , patience stretching but intact . " Lady Fiona bids me ask - has Mr. Xavier suffered any hurt ? " Roxanne said . The request told Soren all he needed to know . Fiona had noticed his own wound and , by 1/3 14:43 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 33 Shifting Currents : extension , feared for the man who had accompanied him . Still , he had little desire to become a messenger in their budding affection . " Xavier is unharmed , " Soren replied coolly , then strode away without another word . 58 +20 Free Coins Roxanne caught a fleeting change across Soren's face . For a heartbeat , she wondered whether the flicker of displeasure was real or nothing more than her own nervous imagination . Only when Fiona heard that Xavier had escaped the fray without so much as a bruise did the tight band around her chest finally loosen . " You've gone to such trouble , Roxanne . I'm truly grateful , " she said , warmth flooding her voice . Roxanne shifted the folds of her gown , already glancing toward the far pavilion where Naomi waited . " I still have to stand with Naomi to welcome Her Grace ," Roxanne murmured . " If you grow bored , Fiona , roam as you please . Once the banquet is finished , you may depart . " But the air inside the reception hall pressed thick with perfume and overlapping chatter . Fiona slipped sideways through a gap between cloaked shoulders , choosing a shaded colonnade where she could breathe again . Guests flooded the Zonfrillo Estate , and overworked servants darted like swallows around their feet . One such girl - no more than fifteen - tripped on a trailing carpet and crashed at Fiona's toes , her face draining of color . " Please , my lady , spare me , " the child stammered , voice shaking as badly as her scraped hands . Fiona sank to a knee , steadied the girl with gentle hands , and asked in the softest tone whether anything hurt . " Are you one of Mr. Callum's chamber maids ? " Fiona asked , a flicker of recognition surfacing . " Yes , the girl whispered . " They call me Hope ." Unbeknownst to either of them , Callum stood only a few steps away behind a lattice screen , every word reaching him with perfect clarity . How in the world does she know Hope ? Has she been asking after me on purpose ? Heat crept onto Callum's ears . She isn't chasing Soren's shadow at all . She's interested in me . Does that mean she finds me more compelling than Soren ? Ordinarily , he despised women who pried into his life . Yet Fiona's gentle familiarity with his servant felt anything but intrusive . It spoke of kindness , not calculation . When Soren refused the proposed match with Fiona a short while ago , Callum felt an illicit sigh of relief fill his chest . 2/3 14:43 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 33 Shifting Currents 58 +20 Free Coins And when news spread that she took first place in archery , his admiration blazed bright . A woman like that - now , that was true allure . Meanwhile , Fiona continued to console Hope , smoothing dust from the girl's sleeve , yet Hope still dissolved into muffled sobs , wiping her tears with a damp cuff . " I spilled Mr. Callum's ink . He will surely punish me ," Hope whimpered . The ink in question was no ordinary pigment . Callum had scoured half the realm to obtain that treasure , a stick of Golden Sheen Ink coveted by scholars and collectors alike . Mere minutes earlier , he had instructed Hope to deliver it safely to his study ; moments later , it lay in a dark pool across the flagstones . Callum , they said , was nothing like the eldest son of the Zonfrillo family's gentleness or his easy tolerance . On campaign , his punishments were swift and merciless . Fiona would surely have objected to that last comparison . Soren , in her experience , was the very picture of touchy suspicion . Now she faced a dilemma that tightened her jaw . Fiona had sworn to keep a courteous distance from the Zonfrillo family , yet Hope was only a young lady she had met once or twice - a kind- hearted girl who would surely suffer if Callum's ire fell on her . Compassion , at that moment , outweighed caution . 3/3 A 58 14:43 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 34 Spilled Ink