It was gratifying to see the woman freeze, a brief flash of fear across her face, before she stepped back and bowed. "Your grace. My apologies. I had no idea."
Eirian has no reason to doubt her, and she doesn't, there's been no general introduction or celebration of Eirian's arrival. Just the wedding feast for the court. Snake may have heard rumors but unless she'd gone out of her way to get a look at Eirian, she had no way of knowing what she looked like.
"It's fine. You can go, Snake. Get some rest." Yuze was likely trying to be kind, but whether it was because he was too tired, too distracted, or just not paying attention, he missed the flash of disappointment in Snake's eyes.
Or the way her eyes darted to Eirian again and then at the minimal space between them.
"Is there something I can help with, Lord Rong?" There was an eagerness she didn't managed to conceal completely, but it went over Yuze's head completely as he waved her out and bid her goodnight.
The spy quickly schooled her expression into blank mask, bowed again, and swept out without a sound.
Eirian turned to Yuze, who was focused on pouring the tea. He offered her a cup without pause, giving no sign he'd noticed anything amiss with Snake.
Eirian watched him sip the tea, sipped her own and grimaced. She hated the taste of clove, and it drowned out the other spices, but Yuze finished the whole cup in one go.
"What kind of tea is this?" Eirian asked as he poured a second cup.
"Four spice." Yuze answered and held the pot for her to smell.
All she could smell was clove. "Clove?"
"And cinnamon, cardamon, and nutmeg."
"I taste none of those." Eirian poured what was left of her tea in his cup and set it back on the tray.
"The clove keeps me awake." Yuze admitted, studying his cup and then deciding he didn't care that she'd dumped hers in and drinking it anyway.
Which told Eirian it was homemade, and Yuze apparently hadn't put that together.
Or maybe he'd asked for it to be made that way.
Regardless, because she didn't know him that well yet, she did notice that he hadn't noticed Snake's interest.
Or her displeasure at not finding him alone tonight.
She prodded him. "She was quite beautiful."
"To the detriment of her targets," Yuze smirked. "She is one of my best."
And then he went back to his papers much to Eirian's amusement.
He definitely didn't realize she had feelings for him.
"How long has she worked for you?"
Yuze paused, thoughtful. "Five years now. Maybe a bit longer."
Five years and he hadn't noticed. But he was still married for part of that. Not that that stopped some people.
First his ex-husband and now his top spy. Yuze certainly didn't seem to be lacking bedmates for all his inability to notice or apparently take advantage. According to the maids and Marian he spent most nights alone in his office.
And unaffected by the miasma.
And Chenzhou spent his nights with Anna and was consumed.
"Does Anna have magic?"
Yuze's answer was immediate. "No."
"You're so certain."
Yuze leaned back and looked up at her. There was a sadness in his eyes that hurt to see. "When Chenzhou was sixteen the illness got worse. Significantly worse than what it was when he was a child. He'd taken up with Anna the year before. There were many that believed it was her. Healers, investigators, even a couple of wizards had a go at her, but none of them found anything." He paused and it occurred to Eirian that after this long, he must consider Anna a friend himself. "They were not kind, but she did everything they asked. Put up with every test no matter how painful or invasive."
Eirian was familiar with magical methods of drawing information…they were not pleasant.
In fact, they were unpleasant enough that she refused to use her magic that way. To think the bland, quiet woman she'd met at breakfast had gone through that and come out as composed as she was. Eirian had heard stories of people driven insane, whom it was a mercy to kill after even when it turned out they were innocent.
"Chenzhou must have been furious."
Yuze studied her. "He is not a fool, you know."
Eirian raised an eyebrow.
"He loves her. Loved her the moment he saw her, but he's not stupid. You can love someone who does not wish you well. Or love you back." His voice was so bleak Eirian was tempted to stop him. To end the conversation, but he continued. "It broke him a bit, I think. But he allowed every test. He expected her to leave him, every day, while it was happening, but she never did."
"And eventually, he was convinced." Eirian finished. "I assume it didn't convince everyone."
Yuze snorted. "Of course not. Accusations still come, but not often." He hesitated and then admitted. "Every once and a while I have someone check on her. Observe her for a bit. They've never found anything."
"I'm glad to hear one of you stays sharp." She remarked.
"Chenzhou is plenty sharp."
"He's also exhausted. And from what it sounds like, she's the only one who spends a significant amount of time with him regularly."
Yuze frowned. "The maids. His guards. Marian. The Court. Myself."
"Yes, yes, point taken." Eirian straightened and wandered around his office. It was just walls of books and scrolls; a few trophies she realized came from successful missions. Yuze watched her, dark eyes sharp and assessing.
"You don't really think it's her."
Eirian glanced back at him, before turning her attention to an aged book in a leather binding. "One cannot dismiss a possibility simply because everyone else says it isn't so." She grinned when he simply watched her, waiting. "No, I don't think its her. I don't think it was started by anyone alive now."
"Arnheim."
She nodded and replaced the book. "But that doesn't mean there aren't people alive who know what's happening."
~ tbc