Tomas’ carriage was an unassuming thing by the gates of the Seraglio, unmarked and directed by a plain-looking coachman dressed without spectacle. She’d asked it of him, but Mydea found her circumstances changed since she sent him word yesterday. There was no avoiding attention now after being seated with Princess Mirah and her duel with Miryam. All that was left was to turn this to her favor.

Adapt or perish—that was the law of court.

She looked right at the carriage for several moments, and when its curtains rustled, she held Tomas’ gaze long enough that he knew she knew he was there. Then, she returned to her conversation with Lady Abygail on the merits of a stormsilk gown.

Minutes passed before Tomas caught on to her wishes, and he stepped out into the light of day to escort her himself. Hushed whispers and pointed looks broke out at the sight of him, especially among the Marcherwomen. Tomas might have arrived with her, but it was improbable that no one among the candidates knew him by face even without the star and storm livery.

“My lady,” Tomas said loudly when one of the Marcherwomen tried to speak with him, “Prince Jaeson shall see your letters when he arrives. I ask you to be patient.”

Mydea stood and straightened out her dress. “I thank you for the company and conversation, Lady Abygail, but you must excuse me. My ride has arrived at last.”

Abygail’s gaze shifted to Tomas, then back to her with a sparkle. “Of course, Lady Mydea.”

The whispers grew louder as Tomas stopped before her. Every eye in the Seraglio was on them. “Shall we depart?” Tomas asked, offering her his arm.

“Perfectly timed, Tomas. We were just about finished here,” Mydea said.

“We should speak again soon,” Abygail said agreeably, “maybe with your companion too next time?”

“I would be delighted to accept your invitation,” Mydea said.

“Provided there is no pressing business to attend to, my lady,” Tomas said.

“I wouldn’t dream of distracting you from your important work, Mister Tomas,” Abygail said. “Safe travels to you two.”

As they walked to the gates, arms interlocked, Tomas whispered, “You’ve another scheme in mind for the day, don’t you?”

“I am in the Imperial Court now,” Mydea said, playfully narrowing her eyes. “Scheming is all we do.”

Besting Miryam in a duel yesterday was good, but while she retracted her words, that did not make them unsaid. What stronger refutation was there that the Deeplanders were unworthy of an imperial marriage for now than being the first to be seen with the prince’s valet before the whole Seraglio? He was the closest thing to the prince’s person until Prince Jaeson arrived, and could exert considerable influence by virtue of his proximity to the prince.

“Lady Mydea, a moment of your time please!” Vivyan said, walking briskly towards her as they reached the carriage.

“Go ahead. This shan’t take long,” Mydea said to Tomas. She shut the door behind him and turned to face Vivyan. “It’s lovely to see you as always.”

“You know Prince Jaeson’s valet?”

“Evidently,” Mydea said.

“How do you know Prince Jaeson’s valet?” Vivyan asked.

Mydea smiled. “That hardly seems your concern. Was that all you wanted to ask me? I do have things to attend to today.”

Vivyan bit her cheek, before saying, “I should like you to introduce me to him.”

That Mydea expected. Any candidate serious about pursuing Prince Jaeson would find his valet an invaluable source of information on his preferences, and having him as an ally could only be a boon. At the very least, it was important not to make an enemy out of him.

"Whatever for?" Mydea asked.

"That hardly seems your concern," Vivyan shot back.

Know the strength of your hand. "Good day, Lady Vivyan."

"Wait, fine, fine!" Vivyan said. "You know of my wager with Lady Miryam. I wish to practice, and I would think playing Mister Tomas shall let me gauge the prince's skill beforehand. So could you kindly introduce us?"

"I could," Mydea said, "but we aren't friends to do each other favors freely." Nor was she inclined to help her given it was Vivyan's doing in part that doomed her plan.

"It would be to your benefit too if I should win," Vivyan tried. "Lady Miryam's insult was to all of us. She is the greatest of our contenders too."

"I've answered her insult. I need not do more," Mydea said. "And I do not have high hopes for my own prospects of an imperial marriage. Angering her further by helping you does me little good."

"What do you want then?"

That was the crux of it. While Vivyan was a thorn on her side, she cared little if she married the prince in the end. She'd be too busy with the courtly games to continue being a problem for Mydea in that case. There was no benefit to monopolizing Tomas' attention too, which was a fool’s errand. But offering to introduce others to him, for now at least, had potential … People would inevitably have opinions of her now that she was in the limelight, so let them think there was no better friend, no worse an enemy.

"A favor for a favor," Mydea said.

"It’s hardly an equal exchange if I do not know what you might ask of me in the future!" Vivyan said with some heat.

That much was true. "I shall deal with you fairly then," Mydea said. "One use of your shadow is what I ask for."

"You call that fair?" Vivyan asked, appalled. "There are risks to using my family's magic."

"Worry not. There's little chance of entrapment for what I have in mind."

"Will you swear to that?"

"I will if you will," Mydea said.

Vivyan's face scrunched as she weighed her options, before nodding. "The Street of Sacrifice tonight, after the offering to Ygeia."

"Tonight," Mydea agreed.

The expression etched on Tomas’ face when she entered the carriage could only be described as one of curiosity. “I thought you wished to go unnoticed,” Tomas said as the carriage lurched forward.

“Things change quickly,” Mydea said. “How do you rate yourself in eminent domain compared to Prince Jaeson?”

“About equal,” Tomas said. “We play often.”

“Would you like to test yourself? Vivyan Black was the champion of the Thalassian Athenaeum, and she wishes to play you.”

"Is there some reason for that?"

Mydea's brow rose. "You haven't heard of her wager with Lady Miryam Bludbolt?" Word spread quickly in Aelisium, so she found that hard to believe.

"I don't concern myself with the comings and goings of court," Tomas said.

"Vivyan thought she could beat Prince Jaeson in a game. Miryam disagreed," Mydea said. "Each wagered a week, and the loser would abstain from speaking with Prince Jaeson. Vivyan thinks to try herself against you first and give herself better odds that way."

Tomas seemed amused. "Let her. I don't mind."

“I shall arrange it then,” Mydea said.

“I did hear of your duel with Lady Miryam though,” Tomas said. “Word of it was inescapable this morning. Did she really insult Lord Pleonexia too?”

Mydea nodded.

Tomas whistled. “Bold, even for her.”

“I do not hold it against her. She spoke in anger, and Vivyan did not help things any,” Mydea said. “Though Lord Pleonexia might not feel the same way.”

“I doubt he will when he hears of this from Prince-Consort Pythos,” Tomas said. The carriage began climbing the plateau at an incline. “Why did it fall to you to defend his honor if Vivyan was there? I’d thought that the relationship between Kolchis and Pleonexia was not the best of late.”

“Vivyan is a graduate of the athenaeum, but has no affinity for the sword,” Mydea said. “If I’d let her flounder before so many people, it would reflect badly on me as well.”

“A stoneborn who does not deal in steel?” Tomas asked. “Who ever heard of such a thing?”

“Just as you are a strawborn who does not toil in soil,” Mydea said.

Tomas smiled. “What a pair we’d make.”