His Highness's Second Wife
His Highness’s Second Wife Chapter 31

“I don’t think the fur deal with the Gossa region is going to affect the market that much. If anything, it would only increase the prices of winter clothing and fill the pockets of the tailors that were sensible enough to stock up. And with the recent trouble in Caen, those Gossa bastards will no doubt reach out for the opportunity to take over the open slot”

Kassian watched the group of men around the table talk, trying his best to keep a straight face while all he wanted to do was yawn. He had been stuck in a discussion with a few of the senior members of the Trade Union, and while he was lucky to be invited to such an important meeting, he wanted nothing more than to get it over with. He had no idea what half of those deals were, and most of the names they mentioned were unfamiliar to him.

The Prime Minister’s son, Ramor, who was also part of the Union as a representative of his father’s trading company, occasionally explained things to him, but in the past half an hour he had been so engrossed in the conversation, he seemed to have forgotten Kassian was even there.

“I still don’t think we should sign it,” Ramor insisted, leaning back in his chair and throwing his hands in the air. “If we get our fur from Gossa, this would unbalance the scale. They supply forty percent of our grain, twenty percent of our corn and wheat, and over sixty percent of our iron. By making ourselves dependent on them for so many things, we are giving them the power to dictate rules.”

“He has a point.” The vice president of the union nodded, taking a sip out of his tea. “But still, if we don’t do anything, that would cause just as many problems. How soon do you think things will go back to normal in Caen, Your Highness?” Kassian froze, surprised by the sudden attention. So far, they had barely turned to him apart from the initial greeting and pleasantries, so to have them all looking at him in expectation made him a bit nervous.

“A month or two,” he replied after a brief hesitation. “There wasn’t a full-blown rebellion this time, so things should quiet down soon. The officials are doing everything they can to appease the commoners, but it’s not something that could be forgotten overnight, especially among the younger generation. Still, no less than a month.

“That’s still too long” another man murmured, receiving a few nods of agreement. He continued to say something else, but Kassian switched his attention to the light creak of a door behind him.

His body tensed on instinct, but since nobody else reacted, he waited patiently as the person who entered moved closer.

“Your Highness,” a familiar voice whispered and Kassian looked up to find Blaine staring at him.

The others threw them a quick glance, but didn’t say anything about the interruption, so Kassian motioned for him to continue. “There is a message from your brother. The second prince seems to be up to something. He’d be visiting some new restaurant opening later today.”

“What new restaurant?” Kassian frowned, glancing up at him.

“It’s a new establishment on Ruby Street. It’s called Her Highness’s Secret Palace’ ” Blaine explained quickly and with every next word, Kassian’s eyebrows rose higher.

“Her Highness ‘s Secret Palace ?” he repeated.

“How did they..?”

“Apparently, they got written permission from high up to use the name,” Blaine replied before he could even finish, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“The Emperor?” Kassian guessed, but Blaine shook his head.

“The Empress,” he corrected him. “That’s all I found for now. The crown prince asks you to visit the place as well and keep an eye on your brother. It’s too open and too crowded for.. other eyes to go there.”

Kassian bit his l*p, tapping on the armrest as he considered what he should do. He couldn’t just go alone and sit in the corner watching his brother. He needed an excuse, he needed… His eyes stopped on the men around the table that seemed to have quieted down and were now openly staring at him and Blaine. A smile formed Kassian’s lips, and he straightened in his seat.

“Gentlemen, I think we have wrecked our brains enough for today and we are just going over the same thing again and again. Let me treat you to a tasty meal and we can resume the discussion tomorrow with clear heads. What do you say?”

“If His Highness suggests it, how can we refuse?” One of the younger men grinned readily, his fatigue from the conversation disappearing in a flash. “Where should we go? The Golden Deer would probably be fully reserved at this time.

“There is a new place I wanted to try, if you don’t mind,” Kassian said before anyone else could speak. “Blaine, go first and make sure they reserve a table for us.” His aide nodded quickly, disappearing through the door. “Well then, shall we go?”

Raena leaned closer to the full-body mirror, running her finger under her eye to clear any motes of makeup that might have fallen there. She turned her head left and right and when she was happy with the way she looked, she stepped back to look at the rest of herself. Her dress was pale blue this time, hugging her ch3st and wa!st tightly, then falling freely down her legs. The color of her skirts overflowed from one shade of blue to another every time she moved, almost creating the illusion of running water. The dressmaker across the street was especially proud of that effect and beamed happily as she said she loved it.

“Are you sure you want to wear that?” Zen’s voice made her look at him through the reflection in the mirror. He was sitting on one of the sofas in the restaurant’s office where he had been polishing his sword for the last half an hour. He wasn’t looking at her as he spoke, but when he sensed her eyes on him, he raised his head. “isn’t this way too revealing for a restaurant?”

“Nope, it’s perfect for Madam Lydia’s image.” Raena smiled, eyes locking back on her reflection. Running from her shoulders almost to her wa!st was a narrow V-shaped streak of transparent fabric that exposed a big part of her br*easts and stomach, but without crossing the vulgar line. Her arms and most of her shoulders were bare and so was her neck, apart from a thin necklace with blue gemstones. “I need to keep my face forgettable so I think this dress will do a good job.”

“I don’t like it,” Zen murmured. Raena twirled around, putting her hands on her h!ps.

“You don’t2” she asked innocently, fighting a smile. Zen glanced at her, his gaze stopping on the exposed portion of her chest before he looked back at his sword. She smiled as she noticed his hands tightening around the weapon

“No, I don’t,” he said in a strained voice. “I ask, you shouldn’t tell a lady you confessed to that you don’t like seeing her body!” Raena teased him, turning around and pulling the pin that was holding her hair up. Shaking her head to let her curls settle down her back, she reached for the veil that was hanging from the edge of the mirror. Just as she was picking it up, she sensed a hand wrap around her wa!st while another one slid over her shoulder just to settle between her collarbones.

“I never said that,” Zen whispered in her ear and Raena froze as his little finger hitched the edge of her dress, sliding down to rest between her br*easts.

She could feel him press her closer to him, his hands tightening as if to stop her from escaping.

What’s the matter, Miss Raena? You suddenly went really quiet.” He chuckled, his lips brushing against her neck. “You know, you really shouldn’t tease a man if you’re not ready to follow through.”

He k!ssed her lightly just below the ear, then let her go, pulling the veil from her stiff fingers and raising it to her face. He tied it behind her head, adjusting her hair to cover the knot, then looked at her through the mirror, a smirk still dancing on his lips.

“What? No comeback this time?”

“Nope, not this time,” Raena said. “I never knew that you can be such a smooth talker, Zen.” She laughed, adjusting the veil in a more comfortable position. “I wonder what other secrets you’re hiding from me.”

“No secrets here.” He shrugged, raising his hands in surrender. “l say what I mean and I do what I want, simple as that.” Raena scoffed, looking at him over her shoulder.

“We all have secrets we don’t want to share. Only those who have secrets that are really big say they don’t have secrets.” He just smiled, shaking his head. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you from now on. I’m sure I’ll find your secrets sooner or later.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.” Zen offered and Raena stared at him thoughtfully for a second, wondering what kind of secret he might be talking about. Judging by his confident expression and the previous topic, there was a good chance it was bait for something sh!t. And she really didn’t want to go there right now.

A knock came from the door and she held back a sigh of relief, glad for the interruption. She looked back at Zender, who was still wearing that expectant expression.

“Well, where would be the fun in that?” she chuckled as she opened the door. Jaswyn stared at her with excited eyes, rocking herself on the balls of her feet. When she saw Raena, she grinned. “Is it time?”

“Yes, Madam Lydia!” the hostess nodded. “Are you ready?”

“l be right there. Tell everyone to gather in the hall,” Raena instructed, turning to look back at Zen just as Jaswyn’s receding steps echoed down the corridor. Zen had assumed his position on the sofa, his sword back in his lap. “You can step out a bit later when there are more people, so you don’t stand out so much. Don’t bring the sword with you and if you see anyone who knows you, stay away from them. We can’t have you being recognized.”

“Got it.” He nodded with a serious expression, but she could tell he wasn’t happy. Gone was the smirk and the gleam in his eyes, gone was the relaxed posture and confidently raised chin. He looked like a puppy that had been put in a cage while she had quests over. “I won’t cause problems, don’t worry. Just be careful, Miss Raena.”

“I thought you might have misspoken before, but now l am pretty sure you’re doing this on purpose. Why do you keep calling me ‘miss’ when I’m married?” she asked from the door.

“I’m just looking forward to the future, Miss Raena,” he replied with a smile.

“You ought to be careful in front of who you’re saying that or we both might get in trouble,” Raena murmured, staring at him while he continued to polish his weapon. “I’ll see you later, then.” She added, stepping out of the office and closing the door. She stood there for a moment, wondering if it was alright to let him raise his expectations so much when she heard laughter and shouts coming from inside the restaurant.

Raena shook off those thoughts, straightening her back. This wasn’t the time to think about such things. She had a more important task tonight.

She took a step away from the door, then another, until she found herself in the spotless, empty kitchen. She circled the table in the middle and stepped into the dining area, her eyes stopping on the cooks, the waiters, and the two hostesses that were waiting for her. Everybody quickly formed a line when she stopped in front of them, looking them over.

“This is it, people.” She smiled, her eyes pausing on each of them. “Let’s do our best. To your stations!”

“Yes, Madam Lydia!” They choired, moving as one to execute her command. Raena motioned for the two hostesses dressed in shimmering black dresses, and they followed her toward the front door. The men she had hired to keep an eye on the place straightened at their posts along the hall, their eyes following the three women. As they neared the two big double doors, the voices from outside became even louder, their excitement almost palpable in the air.

“Ready?” Raena asked, glancing at each girl as they held the handles of each door. The hostesses nodded as they pulled them open while Raena straightened her back, taking a step forward with her eyes locked on the street outside.