st enough to bathe her in the overly bright morning light whilst she altered one of

at," I observe

a smile. "You've just been around the

vern, don'

was amused. "More

old her. "He likes to eas

?" She teased. "A

him drink alone, can I? Ther

ur dresses," she replied. "But the pri

doesn't see me tha

wing to the side. "Sh

ple

missing more meals than I ate. If we were not hunting, or fighting, we were riding... Perhaps if I spent more time in courtly pursuits, I thought,

I preferred to be on the move, rather than sitting stil

occupation, whereas I found it more a frustration. Court fashions came and went like the seasons. It was a never-endi

ight was featherlight and sheer fabrics in tiered pale colours, floating from fragile shoulder clasps, or woven into bodices, whereas my personal choices were more dark jewel tones, in order to

and that meant finding a middle ground between perso

," Fiena said hopefully.

ment I had seen the fabric, I had wanted that dress. I wondered what

na replied. "You should wear the dark blue to

throat. It was the feminine version of how Akyran dressed and from his tailor, one of the random gifts he gave to me when the mood struck him, or some

quickly winding the hair back from my face and bindin

r satisfaction, I

he head table, and oversaw a room empty but for a handful of minor Lords currying his favour, and the servan

d, serving me a cut of the pastry tha

my maids tell me a

t me under his eyelashe

ime I had worn the dress around him, however, and I wondered

re wearing tonight,

e pastry. "I have an eve

e chewed hi

dden interest. "I guess," I agreed. "

ws. "You sound like

" I reminded

touching his cheeks. "But y

s sound like?

t need jewels. Lik

we discussing dresses and j

ation. "I guess because... if you look

ering the delicate hope that had blossomed at his words. "I'll

questions. "Can you ride in that dress?" he added. "I h

, reaching across him to spear some baked fish onto my plate.

s," he c

ight be on the losing team, but my per

h enjoyment. "Only bec

magic," I retorted and tugged some

and coming to his head, sc

s a very useful spell

he grumbled, follow

l from your bedchamber," I remind

o way you can hear thro

e rising hitching, breathy. "Do

ed on his cheeks. "Shit," h

ws," I suggested. "Lady

oice held a warn

breath. "Akyran, l

I giggled. For a moment we walked in companionable silence a

wing that I still clut

protested, "

up staircases. I managed to keep just beyond his grasp as we began the sprint along the long hallway to our bedchambers, but he caught me along the wall between our c

oked down at me, and for a moment, I thought there was a flash of heat... and then he pulled back, and it w

said to me ove

ong enough to find som

flowing with clothing and the bed strewn with undergarments and accesso

shoes," I nudged a pair with my toes. "They were agony to wear. One of you can hav

d throw a couple of changes of trousers and shirts into a bag and be done, but two or so n

hirts, tunics and trousers folded already in a chest, formal wear laid out across the bed, and no sh

complained. "You would think I were leaving them forever from wh

s exchanged a lon

pack some jewels,

obsession with my ado

for me to do the same. If I can distract them with you covered in baubles, Eca

d under m

as Ithyles held his jacket

what a stallion did that made Lady Beria shriek in such a way, than hang a king'

ck at the door, and Ithyles opened it to

prised to find me lounging on Akyran's bed

yran said drol

had been a wedding gift from King Treyvin to Queen Leamoira, a symbolic linking of the two courts as their marriage had done in reality for the firs

placed my hand upon it before