Title: The Artist’s Masquerade
Series: Chronicles of Tournai, Book Two
Author: Antonia Aquilante
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: May 4, 2020
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 109700
Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Fantasy, romance, gay, bi, cat shifters, royalty, court intrigue, arranged marriage, artist, spy
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Synopsis
As the first-born son of a royal duke
and cousin to the prince, Cathal has always put his duty to family and country
first, even when it conflicts with his own wishes. When Cathal’s father
arranges a marriage between him and Velia, cousin to the emperor of Ardunn,
without consulting him, he sees no alternative but to go along with his plans
for the good of Tournai. But it’s Velia’s companion, Flavia, who fascinates
Cathal from the moment he first sets eyes on her. Cathal doesn’t know Flavia is
really Flavian, an artist masquerading as a woman to escape Ardunn, a
restrictive and repressive place where Flavian’s preference for men is
forbidden.
Even when Cathal discovers Flavian’s
identity, even as he struggles with his obligations and duty, he cannot fight
his attraction to the sharp-tongued artist. Flavian is intrigued by him as
well, but Cathal is still betrothed to Velia, and Flavian worries he is more
taken with the feminine illusion Flavian presents than the man beneath it. He came
to Tournai to start a new life—a safe one—as an artist, and an inconvenient
attraction to his friend’s betrothed, a man who happens to be a member of the
royal family, is not a part of his plans. While both men battle their longings
for each other, spies from Ardunn infiltrate the capital, attempting to uncover
Tournai’s weaknesses and secrets. They are also searching for Flavian, who
possesses a magical Talent giving him the ability to see the truth of a person
just by painting their portrait—something that would be invaluable to Ardunn’s
emperor.
Excerpt
The Artist’s Masquerade
Antonia Aquilante © 2020
All Rights Reserved
“It’s time you took a wife.”
Cathal managed to keep his surprise
hidden with some difficulty. That blunt statement was not what he’d expected
when he received the summons to his father’s office. A discussion of family
business, perhaps, or questions about happenings at the palace, even a diatribe
about one of his cousin’s choices—since Father seemed to hate every one of them
since the prince’s marriage to Amory—was what usually precipitated a call to
Father’s presence.
He’d never imagined Father would bring
up marriage. Cathal had seen no indication Father was even thinking in such a
direction. Father had said plenty as he’d pushed the prince to marry, and
plenty more when Philip had married a man of his choosing instead of the woman
Father would have chosen, but he’d never said a word about his own sons’ need
to marry.
Cathal probably shouldn’t have been so
surprised. He was twenty-five years old and his father’s heir, and Father was a
royal duke and dynastically minded. Producing an heir for the dukedom was
Cathal’s duty, despite the existence of his younger brothers. He’d always known
it, and he would never think of shirking that duty.
“Yes, Father.” He wasn’t interested in
anyone in particular, but there were plenty of women who would make him a
suitable wife in Father’s eyes. He was certain he could find someone who
wouldn’t make the duty a chore. “I will begin looking for a wife immediately.”
“No need. It’s all arranged.” Father
returned his attention to the papers on his desk, as if what he’d just said was
of no particular consequence. As if he hadn’t just told Cathal his entire life
was about to change and taken Cathal’s last bit of choice away at the same
time.
Cathal snapped his mouth shut when he
realized it was hanging open. “It is?”
“Of course.”
Of course it was. Cathal should have
expected that as well. Father would never leave such an important choice—a
family alliance, a mother for future dukes—up to Cathal. He should have done
so, or at least he should have asked for Cathal’s opinion. Cathal was of age
and had proven himself trustworthy time and again, or he thought he had. It
left a sour taste in his mouth to think Father respected him so little.
“May I ask whom I will be marrying?” He
immediately regretted his tone as Father arched a single brow.
When Cathal didn’t jump to apologize
quickly enough, Father let out a huff that expressed his disappointment more
eloquently than a hundred words would have, but he answered anyway. “She’s a
cousin of the emperor of Ardunn. Velia is her name. Beautiful, by all accounts,
and accomplished, but the connections are the important part.”
Cathal hardly heard anything after
Ardunn. Cousin to the emperor of Ardunn? What was Father thinking? And how had
he even managed it?
Father looked up again, and this time
his huff held more than a little annoyance. “Why are you staring at me that
way?”
Cathal didn’t know how he was looking at
his father. Usually he had more control, but incredulity seemed to have
obliterated it. “Ardunn, Father? I don’t understand. Why—?”
“Don’t be stupid. If your cousin isn’t
going to do his duty and marry for the good of this country, then it falls to
you to take up where Prince Philip failed.”
And that statement made even less sense.
“But, Father, you negotiated a marriage contract with the emperor of Ardunn.
Does Philip know?”
His cousin couldn’t know. Cathal had
damaged their relationship and weakened the trust Philip had in him—he knew and
regretted it—but Philip wasn’t vindictive enough to keep something so big from
Cathal, especially considering the prince’s hatred of arranged marriages.
Though how a prince came by such a view, Cathal would never know. Nevertheless,
Philip would have said something, which meant Father had been negotiating with
someone in Ardunn without Philip’s knowledge or consent.
Father scoffed. “He’ll know soon
enough.”
“But, Father, negotiating with
Ardunn…what did you—?”
“Are you questioning my ability to
negotiate a marriage for my son?” Father snapped.
“No, sir.” Just the prudence of doing so
with a powerful foreign emperor without the knowledge of their own ruler.
“But—”
“This is the marriage your cousin should
have negotiated for himself, but since he wouldn’t do his duty, we have to do
it for him. For the good of Tournai and this family.”
“But, Father—”
“No more.” Father slapped a hand down on
the wooden surface of the desk. “It’s done, and when she arrives next month,
you will marry this woman. We’re finished discussing it.”
Cathal gritted his teeth against further
protests and gave a sharp nod.
A few moments later, dismissed by his
father, Cathal dragged in a lungful of crisp air. Spring was taking hold, but
the mornings were still cool. At the moment, he was thankful for the gulp of
bracing air.
That had been unexpected.
He shook his head and strode down the
steps into the garden. The home where Cathal had grown up was probably the
largest in the city. Constructed generations ago of pale-gray stone, the house
had three stories surrounding the inner courtyard and the garden it contained.
He’d played in the garden as a child with his brothers and cousin, chasing each
other, hiding among the statuary and bushes. As he grew older, he’d come here
when he needed a moment of peace. These days, he spent most of his time at the
palace, and the garden was the domain of his mother and younger sisters, who
often sat on the benches near the central fountain to do their needlework.
He didn’t linger, couldn’t have if he
wanted to. Cathal couldn’t even go up to the palace and inform Philip of the
betrothal, because he was due at the port to inspect improvements to the harbor
defenses. Taking the most direct route from Father’s office to the front of the
house, he strode through the garden and ducked inside again and then made for
the entrance hall without slowing.
His sister’s melodic laugh and the quiet
murmur of his mother’s voice floated back to him. Smiling, he stepped from the
corridor into the grand room. His mother and sister stood at the polished table
in the center of the large room. At his first step onto the red marble floor,
both women looked up from where they were arranging early spring flowers in a
large vase. Identical smiles of welcome lit their faces. His youngest sister
looked remarkably like Mother, though Meriall was just fourteen. She was the only
one of them to inherit Mother’s golden-brown hair and not Father’s much darker
locks.
Each time he saw Meriall, he was
surprised at how grown up she was becoming. It seemed just yesterday she was
trailing after their brother Etan and getting into scrapes and jumping on her
brothers whenever she saw them. Now she was a young lady. The oldest of his
three younger sisters was married, and his second sister was nearly seventeen.
Cathal might have expected, if he’d thought of the subject at all, Father to be
negotiating a marriage for Ottilie, not for himself.
Meriall and Mother were still smiling at
him, and they left off fussing with the flowers and greenery as he approached.
When she was younger, Meriall would have flung herself at him. She’d learned
more appropriate behavior since then, but a part of him missed her enthusiasm.
Then again, she would probably still throw herself at Etan. They’d always been
closer.
“Cathal.” Mother held out her hands to
him and tilted her head for his kiss to her cheek. “I didn’t know you were
here.”
He brushed a kiss over Meriall’s cheek
as well. “Father wanted to meet with me.”
Because he was watching, he saw the
flash of concern in Mother’s warm-brown eyes. Did she know her husband’s plans
for Cathal? “Is everything all right?”
No, he didn’t think she knew. He doubted
Father would have consulted her anyway. He flicked his glance at his sister,
wondering if he should speak in front of her, but everyone would know soon
enough. “Father wants me to marry.”
Mother blinked, once, twice, the only
sign of surprise in a serene face. “I didn’t realize, but you are getting to be
of an age to. There are many lovely girls you could meet and consider. Perhaps
we can have a party and invite some of them.”
“Actually, Father has it all arranged
already.”
“Oh. Well.” Mother fussed with the
flowers before dropping her hands to smooth her skirt. “I didn’t realize you
and your father had chosen someone. I wish you’d told me.” The statement wasn’t
much of a rebuke, not the way she said it, but from his gentle mother, it was
still censure.
“I wish he’d told me.” He bit back
impatience. His ignorance of Father’s actions wasn’t Mother’s doing. “I only
just found out myself, Mother. She arrives in a month. I assume we’ll all meet
her then.”
“Arrives? From where? Who is she?”
He didn’t blame Mother for her
bewilderment. “Father says her name is Velia. I only know she’s a cousin to the
emperor of Ardunn.”
“The emperor? Does His Highness know?”
Mother had been the wife of a royal duke for nearly thirty years. She could see
the implications as well as he could.
“It doesn’t appear so.” He glanced from
Mother, who was admirably controlling her surprise and concern, to Meriall and
her avid, undisguised curiosity. Well, he shouldn’t be talking about Philip’s
lack of knowledge of Father’s actions anyway. “You’ll have to ask Father for
more information. I don’t know anything else.”
Mother frowned. “Will you tell your
cousin?”
“I can’t now. I’m due at the port, and I
may be tied up there for most of the day.” And he didn’t want to put this
information in a note. Still, someone needed to tell Philip, and Cathal wasn’t
sure when Father would. “I’ll tell him when I return to the palace later.”
She nodded. “I’ll speak with your
father. We’ll see you soon?”
“Of course.” He took his leave of his
mother and sister and strode out through the large front doors into the morning
sunlight again. A servant appeared immediately with his horse. He mounted up
and guided the horse out through the imposing gate, open in anticipation of his
departure. He needed to hurry if he was going to be on time for his
appointment, and he refused to be late. He would sort out the rest afterward,
including informing the prince.
Philip was not going to be pleased.
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Meet the Author
Antonia Aquilante has been making up
stories for as long as she can remember, and at the age of twelve, decided she
would be a writer when she grew up. After many years and a few career detours,
she has returned to that original plan. Her stories have changed over the years,
but one thing has remained consistent—they all end in happily ever after.
She has a fondness for travel (and a
long list of places she wants to visit and revisit), taking photos, family
history, fabulous shoes, baking treats (which she shares with friends and
family), and of course, reading. She usually has at least two books started at
once and never goes anywhere without her Kindle. Though she is a convert to
e-books, she still loves paper books the best, and there are a couple thousand
of them residing in her home with her.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Antonia
is living there again after years in Washington, DC and North Carolina for
school and work. She enjoys being back in the Garden State but admits to being
tempted every so often to run away from home and live in Italy.
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