"Siblings . . ." Vyarin muttered. He picked up on Annalise's unsettled air. When he could see she wasn't looking at him, his eyes began to wander about the room as well, settling on faces. Something was off. The king was pacing back and forth in a corner of the hall, urgency in every step. It seemed the two were playing some sort of game, Vyarin and Annalise, pretending to look at each other while glancing as much as possible at the king and his retinue. ". . . No siblings. I am the only son of my father. I have many cousins. The clan Kremazov is among the largest east of the Zpina and north of the Rezevy." He didn't even catch her reaction.

A hand clapping his shoulder caused Vyarin to whirl about, his nerves shot to the core. A sharp whisper in his ear stopped him dead.

"Just us, don't appear too alarmed," whispered Tellos. "Finish your conversation. Our safety here can no longer be a guarantee." Vyarin looked sheepishly at his cousin, and then back at Annalise.

"Erm . . . I introduce Tellos of the clan Kremazov, my most trusted advisor second to my father," said Vyarin to the princess, gesturing awkwardly. He noticed Brudzkon standing not too far away, smiling and chatting with other guests as usual, but his hand would occasionally wander to the hilt of his shashka.

"A pleasure to be of acquainted," Tellos said, bowing and speaking in the Apura tongue. His accent shone through quite clearly. "You and . . . cousin . . . are met? Beginning of good friendship, yes?"