They waited until their aunt had stormed off; then they began giggling.
“She is never going to forgive you, brother,” Aggie said around her laughter.
“I know. But some things simply can’t be helped.”
“Is your barbarian worth it?”
“More than you realize.”
Happy for her brother, Aggie hugged him just as they heard Aunt L?titia yelling at Kachka Shestakova’s comrades somewhere in the palace, which probably meant they were using her bath.
“I’ll deal with it,” Gaius said, pulling away from his sister. He got a few steps before he stopped and said, “Oh. I wanted to give you this.”
Aggie scrunched up her nose when her brother held out a sword to her.
“What do you want me to do with that?”
“I got it from . . . someone. It’s not really for me, though. But Kachka suggested that I should probably teach you a few things. It never hurts to be able to defend yourself during a war.”
“But I’ve got the lugheads,” she reminded him, gesturing to the Mì-runach who stood on the other side of the throne room door.
“Aggie.”
“Oh, all right! Give it to me.” She snatched the weapon from her brother and watched the color drain from his face as he stumbled back a few feet.
“What?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
Gaius suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged her into a small dressing room just off the throne room. There he pulled her in front of a large standing mirror.
“Oh . . . my.”
The elaborate silver armor covered Aggie from head to foot. Even the sword was no longer plain.
Aggie shoved the weapon back into her brother’s hands and, as soon as she no longer held it, the armor was gone and she was back in the dress of a Sovereigns ruler.
“Put that somewhere . . . away,” she told him.
“But—”
“Away.”
Gaius took his sister’s hand. “I’ll get it a sheath. Put it by your bed. If you ever need it, especially while human, it’ll be there.” He squeezed her hand. “All right?”
“All right.” She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Where the hells did you get that thing anyway?”
“From a god. A very helpful god. Who knew exactly what I needed. To keep you safe whether I’m with you or not.”
Aggie shook her head. “You do understand that we didn’t have these problems until we allied with the Southlanders?”
“Aggie, we can’t blame them for everything. Just most things.”
Arms around each other’s waists, the twins returned to the throne room, where Kachka Shestakova now stood, a dead and extremely large boar with one arrow through its head hanging around her neck.
“It was right outside,” she explained. “Where are kitchens? Or should I butcher it here in this giant room?”
Aggie cleared her throat and pointed. “Down that hall and to the left.”
Kachka Shestakova walked away, a hearty trail of boar’s blood following her.
“Well, brother, I have only one thing to say about that barbarian woman.”
“Which is?”
“She is magnificent.”
Gaius’s wide grin returned. “Isn’t she? And the best part—”
“—she will irritate poor Aunt L?titia to within an inch of her life.”
“She will,” Gaius promised. “And Kachka will enjoy every minute of it.”