Leo over the edge. This would be his first contact with the world of his childhood and she imagined it would bring back a wealth of bloody, brutal and fearful memories. And the young king was as skittish as she had ever known him. He was a man now, eager to make his own decisions, very aware of his position even though he so rarely mentioned it, and driven by a deep need for revenge. She'd mentioned this several times to Kilt but his only response had been that what Leo really needed was to lie with a woman for the first time.
Kirin, on the other hand, had been sensitive about her situation, although his wedding night kiss had been far from careful...or contrived. Lily stood and stretched. Granted, he'd had to make it look real. They'd had an audience cheering their every move, after all. But there had been passion in that kiss. Lily pursed her lips, remembering it now; recalling with a flush of discomfort that she'd hardly held back either.
Lily moved to the jug and bowl, grateful to find the water was still fresh and unused. She poured out some water, lathered up some of the soap leaves and washed her face of the sleep...and her embarrassment. Reaching for a small towel, she dried her face, staring into the small mirror. There she was - as traitorous as the man called Freath, pretending to be faithful.
As the thought crossed her mind, Lily stepped back, shocked. That wasn't true! No! She loved Kilt. In order to protect her life, and their secret, she'd had to marry Kirin publicly and then kiss him publicly. Nothing else had happened. They'd talked through the night until they'd both fallen asleep. She was sure she'd closed her eyes and lost track of the conversation first. And Kirin had covered her with blankets and left her undisturbed. That was all. He hadn't laid a hand on her, nor she him.
But the kiss? It felt so real, whispered a small, treacherous voice in her mind.
"The kiss was a ruse!" she hissed quietly at her reflection, flinging the towel at the mirror.
"Lily, my darling?" said a hesitant voice, accompanied by a gentle tap on the door.
"Kirin?"
"It's me," he answered, more normally.
"I...er, I'm just tidying myself."
"I've ordered some breakfast for you. Will you be long?"
"I'll meet you downstairs shortly," she said, her cheeks burning again. She hoped he hadn't heard her talking to herself.
"All right. Be quick or your oats will cool."
She pulled off her clothes and washed herself properly, taking extra time that she knew she really didn't have to dampen and smooth down her hair as best she could. She grabbed at the few sprigs of burned rosemary left for guests and quickly cleaned her teeth, rinsing with the mint vinegar that had also been laid out the night before. After re-dressing in her riding clothes, she felt she looked presentable again. Her wedding attire she folded neatly and carried downstairs where Kirin rose to greet her, moving around to pull out a chair at the small table he'd chosen.
"Good morning," he said, smiling. "Just in time," he added as the serving girl arrived with a steaming bowl of oats. "I've eaten. You go ahead," he urged as the girl set down honey, some nuts, and dried fruits.
"I'm starving," Lily admitted.
"And very beautiful," he replied, glancing at the serving girl, who grinned back.
Lily recognized her from the evening before. "Thanks for all that you did," she said.
The girl giggled. "Hope you had a lovely night."
"We did, thank you," Kirin said, covering Lily's hand with his.
She felt the warmth of his touch and knew she couldn't pull away. But worse, she didn't want to. She wasn't used to all this romantic attention, and it was quite pleasant. And thoroughly innocent, since it was simply for show.
When the girl left them alone Kirin withdrew his hand. "Sleep well?"
She shook her head. "Well? I'm not sure. I certainly slept. Deeply, I think."
"You did, I assure you."
"Did you sleep?"
He shrugged. "I dozed."
"Were you even on the bed?" she whispered.
"I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable."
"So you slept on the floor?"
"Dozed in a chair. Eat up," he said, nodding at her bowl.
She picked up her spoon, ladled in the first delicious mouthful. He let her eat for a while in silence.
"You'd been through enough shock for one day," he finally said, with a soft sigh.
"Thank you, Kirin. You're being very decent about this."
He shook his head and shrugged.
She reached