"Strange. Where's Charlotte?"
With his arm linked through Alusair's, Aaron searched the banquet venue but found no sign of the young lady.
"Charlotte? She went with her mentor to Arabel for Lady Laeral's victory banquet." Alusair felt rather unhappy that Aaron was thinking about another woman even while standing beside her. But Charlotte had been there first, and they were close friends, so she could hardly say much.
Damn it. According to the Queen's Blade's intelligence, that little half-elf cleric of Selûne was actually the first!
Charlotte was her close friend, so Alusair could just about accept her. But what was the deal with that little cleric?
Hmm. Aaron's ties to the Church of the Silver Mother are far too close. Making her get lost really wouldn't be easy.
The Silver Trade Company brought Cormyr a great deal of tax revenue every year.
Looks like I'll have to find an excuse to teach her a lesson-or at least make sure she knows her place.
While the princess made up her mind, Aaron's heart tightened.
Charlotte had been sent away just like that? He had heard nothing about it beforehand. That old mage must have suddenly taken her north to attend Lady Laeral's banquet.
Charlotte's removal had already put Aaron on alert, but the banquet's delicacies drew the princess's attention away.
One of the buffet platters held something resembling a milkshake, topped with bright red strawberries. The milky-white jelly beneath them bore a pattern like fish scales.
"What's this? It looks like a dessert." Alusair pointed at the platter.
Quite a few "successful gentlemen" had gathered nearby, but when the princess arrived, not a single man tried to strike up a conversation. They all bowed politely, then hurried away and kept their distance.
"Oh, this is a famous dish called Moon