tightly around me, hiding all my girl bits despite the wispy fabric, and move to the door. I crack it open a hair and I'm not entirely surprised to see Solat and Kerren out there. I peer out and clear my throat to get their attention.
Both turn. Kerren gives a bow but Solat only grins knowingly.
"No bowing," I whisper. "I'm the concubine, remember?"
Kerren blushes. "Of course." He straightens, looking like an overgrown schoolboy in leather armor. "What can we get for you?"
"Where's Aron?"
"Lord Secuban was waiting for him. They are touring the keep."
"Showing off," Solat adds lazily. "Probably still trying to convince Lord Aron that he should be his army."
"Ugh. Aron doesn't want an army." I don't point out that he barely wants them around. "Did he send up breakfast?"
"It will be here shortly," Kerren says, and almost bows again but stops himself. "Can we get you anything else?"
"Yulenna," I say. "And some servants that are good with hair and makeup. Aron doesn't want me going out so I'm going to have a spa day."
"A what day?"
"Never mind. Basically I'm going to do my hair and take hot baths and other girly shit. Are you guys on guard duty all day?"
"We are proud to serve," Kerren says stiffly, even as Solat stifles a yawn. They both look tired.
"Where's Markos?"
"With my Lord Aron."
"And Vitar?"
"He is guarding Yulenna's apartments—"
"Cool, let's condense things then. You guys look tired. Bring her here and you three trade off watching the door. One of you can come in and nap in between shifts. There's an extra cot in here," I tell them, pointing off to the side. I'm guessing that's for bed guests of all kinds. Yeesh, Novoro, turn it down a notch.
They hesitate, glancing at each other.
"You'll all three still be guarding, right? We'll be safer than ever if we're together. And if Aron gives you any shit, you were following my orders."
That convinces them. Kerren heads down the hall to go retrieve Vitar and Yulenna, and Solat gives me a flirty grin. "You're good to us, lady."
"Faith. And I have a soft heart, what can I say?"
"Invitingly soft," he says, his smile growing wider.
I put a hand up. "I'm going to stop you there, Solat, because we both know Aron would neuter you in a heartbeat if he heard you were flirting with me. I'm sure you want to keep your balls."
Even though it's difficult to tell in the shadowy corridor, I'm pretty sure he pales. "An excellent reminder, thank you."
I give him a little nod and smile. "Save it for Yulenna if you want to flirt with anyone." Even if I was interested, his mouth was on as many women as he could possibly manhandle last night, and that's just gross.
Plus…he's not Aron.
The lord of storms might be ruining me for all men in the future.
It's the laziest day I've spent since I arrived in this world. I don't leave the rooms, and staff bring up delicate sweet treats and fine wines for us to feast on. I eat my weight in candied fruits as servants massage my limbs and rub scented oils into my skin. My hair is washed, trimmed, braided, and perfumed. It sounds amazing, but there have been so many awful days since I arrived in this land that I can't even relax for this. I keep one eye on the door and watch every new person that comes in suspiciously. I keep a small dagger (meant to cut food) under my thigh at every moment, just in case someone decides to murder me. Yulenna relaxes and enjoys every last moment as if it's her due, though. She bosses around the servants and picks through the clothing brought for her as if she's lived this sort of life for all her years.
And she flirts. Lord, how she flirts. She flirts with Solat. She flirts with the male servants that empty out the bathwater. She flirts with anything that enters the room and has a penis. I just watch her with amusement, wondering if she's trying to secure her future or she just genuinely likes men that much. It's clear she's in her element, though.
Not me. I feel like a fish out of water as I always do, constantly out of place and not sure what to do with myself. Oddly enough, I wish Aron was here to talk to. He'd say some snippy, arrogant shit that would remind me that even when he’s a dick, he’s still kind of fun