The black lacquered case sat inside the opened cabinet with the grace of an object that had not caused him to cross half the palace, argue with a prime minister, ignore medical orders, and reopen rooms sealed since Felix’s poison had taken Goliath from his own life.
Arik placed his bandaged hand over the lid.
The case recognized him with a soft pulse of old gold moving beneath his palm.
"No," he muttered.
Severin, standing behind him with the expression of a man watching a disaster choose its preferred doorway, tilted his head. "You have not opened it yet."
"I know what is inside."
"Yes, but the box has not been properly judged until you glare at the contents directly."
"I can destroy it closed."
"That seems emotionally imprecise."
Arik turned his head just enough to look at him.
Severin looked back with perfect calm.
Then a voice came from the bedroom doorway.
"Is that the thing you did not want me to see?"
Arik’s entire body went still.
For one irrational second, his hand tightened over the box as though he could hide the entire case beneath his palm.
He could not.
Liam stood in the doorway, dressed in white palace clothes and soft house shoes, his long brown hair loose over one shoulder and his expression arranged into a very mild curiosity that fooled absolutely no one who had known him longer than five minutes.
Rubis stood behind him in the corridor, looking like a man who had discovered too late that obedience could be fatal from multiple directions.
Arik stared at Liam.
Liam stared at the box.
Severin looked delighted in the quiet, predatory way of someone who would later deny enjoying himself.
"How," Arik said slowly, "did you get here?"
Liam blinked, very innocent.
Arik did not trust it.
"I walked."
"You were supposed to be resting."
"Walking around is recommended to a recovering patient."
Arik looked over Liam’s shoulder. "Rubis."
Rubis bowed so quickly it was a miracle his spine remained intact. "Your Highness."
"You brought him."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Why?"
Rubis opened his mouth.
Liam answered first. "Because I asked."
Arik looked at him.
Liam added, "Firmly."
Rubis’s expression suggested that firmly had involved at least three forms of psychological violence and possibly one technical diagram.
"He threatened the room," Rubis said, very quietly.
Arik blinked confusedly. "The room?"
"The guest room," Liam clarified. "It had panels."
"It had decorative walls."
"It had panels disguised as decorative walls."
"You were not supposed to dismantle the guest room."
"I had not dismantled it yet."
"Yet," Severin repeated softly.
Liam glanced at him as though only now remembering they had an audience. "You are Severin."
"I am."
"You threw Arik into a wall."
Severin’s mouth curved. "A fair description."
Arik stepped away from the box, deliberately placing himself between Liam and the cabinet. "You should return to bed."
Liam’s gaze moved from Arik’s face to the visible corner of the case behind him.
"What is in the box?"
"An old object."
"That is vague."
"It is also accurate."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No."
Severin made a thoughtful sound.
Arik looked at him with the promise of later retribution.
Severin looked at the ceiling, the corners of his mouth barely containing the grin threatening to break through.
Liam’s eyes sharpened. "So it is dangerous."
Arik moved slightly to the left as Liam tried to look around him.
Liam moved right.
Arik matched him.
Liam paused.
"Are you physically blocking me from seeing a box?"
"No."
"You are."
"I am standing."
"In front of the box."
Arik exhaled through his nose. "Liam."
Liam looked back at him, bright-eyed, mild, and entirely too pleased with himself.
"What?"
"You are recovering from poison."
"And you are recovering from being a fractured reincarnated sovereign with no proper channels. We all have hobbies."
"That is not a hobby."
"Neither is hiding boxes from your mate."
Rubis, still near the corridor, made a very faint sound and immediately pretended he had not.
Arik pointed toward the doorway. "You may leave."
Rubis looked torn between fleeing and obeying formal protocol.
Liam said, "He stays."
Arik turned slowly. "Why?"
"He is my witness."
"To what?"
"To the fact that I asked politely before investigating."
"You have not asked politely."
Liam straightened slightly, folded his hands before him, and looked at the case behind Arik with the serene expression of a man about to commit an act of engineering curiosity.
"May I see the mysterious forbidden box you are guarding with the emotional stability of a cornered animal?"
Severin lowered his head.
His shoulders moved once.
Arik stared at him, betrayed beyond measure. "Are you laughing?"
"No."
"You are."
Liam leaned to the side again.
Arik stepped with him again, planning to deal with Severin later.
For a moment, they simply stood there, shifting around each other in front of Goliath’s ancient warded cabinet like two grown men engaged in the least dignified imperial ritual ever performed in those rooms.
Then Liam stopped, his eyes narrowed as he remembered something.
"Oh."
Arik’s stomach dropped.
"No."
"You told me."
"No, I did not."
"You said there was a mate collar in Goliath’s rooms."
"That mind is offensive."
Liam looked past him toward the black lacquered case, and curiosity bloomed across his face so quickly that Arik felt genuine alarm.
"That is the collar?"
"No."
"It is."
"It is the box containing the collar, which is legally distinct."
"Does it have internal suspension?"
"Liam."
"Preservation wards?"
"Liam."
"Did Goliath design it himself or commission it from a specialist?"
Arik closed his eyes. "You are not examining the collar."
"I am only asking questions."
"You are preparing to examine it."
"I am forming a respectful academic interest."
"You are glowing."
"I am not glowing."
"You are doing the thing where your eyes become concerning."
Liam touched the corner of one eye as though that might help. "They are always crimson."
"That is not what I meant."
Severin stepped closer, his voice carrying far too much amusement. "For what it is worth, Your Highness, he does look more interested than wounded."
"That is not worth much."
"It is worth some."
Liam looked up at Arik. "You thought I would be upset."
Arik’s mouth tightened.
The amusement softened but did not vanish.
"Arik," Liam said, gentler now, "I am not going to collapse because Goliath almost gave Felix an expensive collar before realizing Felix was a disaster wearing skin."
Rubis made another strangled sound.
Severin looked genuinely impressed.
Arik did not.
"It was made as a mate chain."
"Then I want to see it more."
"No."
"Does it respond to sovereign ether?"
"No."
Liam smiled slightly.
Arik realized the mistake.
"It does," Liam said.
"I meant no, you cannot see it."
"That was not what I asked."
"I am aware now."
Liam stepped closer and placed one hand over Arik’s wrist, the one still hovering protectively near the box. His touch was warm and steady, and the rooms, treacherous old things that they were, softened around him.
"I am not asking because of Felix," Liam said. "I am asking because if Goliath made a mate chain that responded to his ether, then it may tell us what a safe version of sovereign-to-mate reinforcement looked like before Felix corrupted everything."
Arik hated how quickly the sentence became reasonable.
Severin’s amusement faded a little.
Liam noticed, of course, and his curiosity sharpened. "What?"
"Nothing," Arik said.
"That was a very large nothing."
"It is still nothing."
"Severin?"
Severin glanced at Arik.
Arik glared.
Severin smiled faintly. "The collar was never completed."
Liam’s eyes lit up.
"No."
"I did not say anything yet."
"You were about to."
"I was about to ask what part was missing."
"No."
"Core interface?"
Arik said nothing.
Liam’s smile grew.
"Oh, it was."
Rubis whispered, "How did he know that?"
"He guesses things," Arik said darkly.
"I infer," Liam corrected.
"You invade problems until they surrender."
"That is also valid engineering."
Arik looked down at him, torn between kissing him and carrying him back to bed against his will. Both seemed likely to create additional problems.