“As wonderful as it would be to speak with you, mother,” Rieka said, her voice firm and her back straight. “I believe we need some time to refresh ourselves and I would like to confirm my guardian is unharmed after this unplanned sparring match.”

  Gemma’s frown was back and now directed at Rieka, but it only landed on my princess for a bare moment before that scowl was redirected to her sister, the cause of the sparring match.

  I could see the wheels turning in Gemma’s head. She wanted the chance to talk to us, it was the whole reason we were here after all, but Rieka’s request was entirely reasonable too given the situation.

  The implications that Rieka believes she needs her guardian inside the castle walls—and thus wants to ensure I’m at full strength—also has implications, I thought silently, glancing to study Rieka.

  My princess was stiff as a board, her tail falling straight down behind her and nearly touching the ground. The fact that the gentle wagging dance that it was almost always doing had stopped told me just how annoyed Rieka was, and as a side effect how serious she was.

  “Very well,” Gemma said, her glare still directed at a now-blushing Margaret. “I would be a poor host if I did not allow you to care for your summoned companion.”

  I saw Rieka’s father wince but the big man did not speak. His other daughters were giving their sister Margaret a mixture of annoyed looks and stony silence, but none of them commented either.

  “Your party will have quarters in the royal wing, in the rooms adjoining yours.” Gemma said, tucking her frown away behind a regal mask and turning back to Rieka. “After forging your friendships in the fires of battle, I imagine they are as close as your own sisters.”

  Rieka didn’t move other than to twitch a single ear. But there was something in my princess’ posture that told me she saw her companions as even closer than her blood sisters.

  Can’t fault that, I thought, keeping a smile off my own face. I know these girls are as close as any family could be for me, and that came before any of them decided to join me in bed.

  “I understand, Mother,” Rieka said with another stiff nod.

  “Your brother’s lessons will be finished in two hours,” Gemma said, the last of the frost dropping from her tone. “I know he has been looking forward to seeing you as well.”

  Rieka’s mask of self-control cracked at that and I saw a small smile dart across my princess’ face.

  “Shall we meet for tea then, mother? I can answer your questions and his at the same time.”

  Rieka’s offering brought a smile to Gemma’s face and she nodded, accepting that explanation.

  “Lorelai will be overjoyed to have you back in her care again,” Gemma told her daughter and Rieka’s tail gave a brief wiggle before it stilled once more.

  “I look forward to seeing her again, mother,” Rieka said. “Thank you again for understanding my duty to my summoned.”

  “Indeed,” Gemma replied before turning away and gesturing for her family to follow her. Only her husband met my eyes, and Jonas gave me a quick wink and a nod of respect for my performance during the sparring match.

  No one moved until the queen was out of sight, entering the castle through the back gate. It was Kassandra who broke the silence first with an explosive sigh of relief.

  That was the sound that heralded everyone else relaxing and the girls descended to check on me.

  Jane scampered around me, checking from all sides to ensure I hadn’t taken an injury while Kassandra coiled around my legs and proceeded to climb me like a tree. Shayla bent to press a kiss to my cheek, her antennae bopping me on the nose and forehead as if they also were inspecting me for injuries. Valda gave me a once over and nodded back to me when I met her eyes and bobbed my head to tell her I was fine.

  My princess scowled after her mother and sisters for several seconds longer before turning back to me with regret in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry again, Liam,” Rieka said quietly, and she stepped in to tuck herself under my arm when I beckoned her in.

  I didn’t speak, just gave Rieka a reassuring hug while Kassandra wriggled into place under my other arm.

  Apparently, this silent reassurance that I didn’t hold her sister’s actions and attitude against her was enough to reassure and restore Rieka’s spirits. Within a minute of tucking her against me, her black-tipped tail was sweeping side-to-side like a happy metronome once more. The fuzzy appendage smacked into the back of my legs, right beneath the bottom edge of Kassandra’s coils on my thighs.

  “Come on,” Rieka said after another minute of quietly snuggling with me. “I want to make sure you are really okay. The royal baths are quite comfortable and I can have Lorelai ensure no one bothers us.”

  “She’s always had our backs,” Kassandra said with a small giggle, waiting for Rieka to pull back before she uncoiled from around me, dropping to the ground with a small thump and releasing me to move again. “I’m surprised she didn’t come with you to Juneau, Rieka.”

  “She tried,” Rieka replied, looping her arm into mine and giving it a tug to get me moving. “Lorelai is my personal maid, or well… she was my personal maid growing up. She looked after me since I was very small, and I’d hoped she would finally find happiness for herself when I insisted on going to Juneau by myself.”

  “There are quite a few of the noble-born who brought servants with them,” Valda said, falling in on Rieka’s other side as we wound across the practice yard toward the back of the castle. “I’m surprised that you refused to allow one who was devoted enough to follow to accompany you, Rieka.”

  “Lorelai already sacrificed so much for me,” Rieka said, looking down at the ground in front of her. “And I knew she would be bored at Juneau. She’d been making eyes at one of the guards for a while and I didn’t want to take that away from her. Last I’d heard, they were seeing each other off duty.”

  “You are more understanding than most nobles,” Valda replied with a small, contented smile. “It doesn’t surprise me after knowing you for so long, but it is still gratifying to hear and be reminded.”

  Rieka didn’t say anything, she just blushed and glanced my way. I smiled down at her and gave her arm a squeeze, making her blush deepen further.

  The girls were quiet as we proceeded into the castle, and Rieka guided us unerringly through the maze of corridors within the castle.

  I was already familiar with most of them, having seen bits and pieces in passing when Rieka visited her mother in the past and summoned me to chat or Gemma herself summoned me to handle physical reports between her and Rieka. I made sure to glance back and check on Jane and Shayla, but my Nugget was always right beside the two, chatting away and ensuring neither felt awkward in their elaborate surroundings.

  After spending time in Valda’s homeland and visiting the longhouse that served as their seat of power, the Coldeye castle felt even more overdone to me. I knew that nobility had to maintain a certain level of status, but the amount of casual wealth on display still felt like it was too much.

  Gilded paintings, elaborate statues, and fine vases decorated each side of the hall as we passed by, as did a handful of guards in well-polished armor.

  None of the guards moved beyond saluting Rieka as she passed, though I was sure each of them eyed our group suspiciously, clearly wondering who these people were with their princess and if we’d be causing trouble.

  Well, who some of us are, I thought, recognizing one guard who blanched at the sight of me as one who had been present for one of my intimidation displays to help Gemma keep her nobles in line.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  We’d made it back to hallways that looked familiar to me when an older female kin, a wolf like Rieka and her family, emerged from a room down the hallway in the starched uniform of a castle maid.

  I felt Rieka’s arm in mine tighten and I squeezed her back reassuringly, guessing this must be Lorelai.

  My suspicions were confirmed a moment later when the maid turned our way, brushing her midnight black hair over her shoulder with a huff of relief, and a smile lit her face when she saw us.

  “My lady!” Lorelai exclaimed, immediately dropping into a deep curtsy. “I was just checking your guests’ rooms to ensure they were all ready!”

  “Knowing you, Lorelai, they were perfect the first time you checked them, let alone the third,” Rieka teased, happiness filling her voice at seeing the woman in front of her.

  I’m surprised I’ve never managed to meet Lorelai when I was here before visiting, I thought, though I kept it off my face. I wouldn’t at all have been surprised if Lorelai had gotten reassigned while Rieka was away or had been off tending to an errand during my brief visits.

  “Lady Silverscale, it is a pleasure to see you again as well,” Lorelai said, dipping another curtsy toward Kassandra when my dwarf lamia slid around on my left with a smile and a wave, towing Jane and Shayla behind her.

  “Glad to see you are still ignoring Rieka when she fusses, Lorelai,” Kassandra said with a cheeky smile, and the older wolf kin woman returned that smile with a knowing wink.

  I took the time to study the maid as she went through curtsying to the other girls and getting introduced to them as well.

  Lorelai was clearly older than my princess by at least a decade, but it was hard to say. The easy affection I saw on her face when she spoke to Rieka told me of a loving older sister rather than a nanny or caretaker. Lorelai’s dark brown eyes gleamed with intelligence while she asked for any special instructions that the girls had for her or the other housekeeping staff while they were staying at the castle while her hands remained folded neatly over her stomach.

  I could tell that Jane and Shayla were uncomfortable with the idea of someone waiting on them, and thankfully Kassandra handled that diplomatically in between her normal bouts of mischief and teasing. She advised that all of the girls were still relatively fresh from the war-front, so the staff should always knock and wait to be acknowledged before entering any of the rooms, and not to enter the bedrooms at all if the doors were closed.

  I noticed that Kassandra’s eyes darted my way with a saucy grin when she said that and it was only the long exposure to her teasing nature and quick wit that kept me from sprouting a blush myself. It was clear what she was implying: that if any of the girls were sleeping in with their doors closed, it was likely my fault and she didn’t want anyone finding evidence of it.

  That’s my Nugget, I thought and winked at her, making Kassandra’s grin widen until it threatened to split her face. Already planning how to cause as much mischief as possible while preserving decorum just enough.

  “I will just need to prepare another room for your companion,” Lorelai was apologizing when I turned my attention back to her. “I was only told that there would be the five ladies, but it won’t take more than an hour to prepare.”

  “That’s not necessary, Lorelai,” Rieka said quickly.

  Lorelai shot her mistresses a confused look before glancing up at me and then down at where Rieka’s arm was linked with mine.

  “My lady… it would be improper—” Lorelai began, only for Rieka to interrupt her quickly.

  “Liam is a Traveler. Ah, you wouldn’t know the context. Um…” Rieka frowned cutely while trying to figure out how to explain.

  Before she could spend more than a second thinking, Lorelai’s eyes widened in surprise and immediately darted back to me.

  “This is the Traveler? The human? Oh, my… I apologize for talking about you like that, my lord,” Lorelai said, dropping into a deep curtsy to me as well—almost as deeply as she’d done to Rieka, surprisingly.

  “No, that’s not necessary,” I said quickly, holding out a hand to stop her. “I’m just Rieka and the girls’ guardian, not a lord or anything.”

  “Suck it up, Liam,” Kassandra laughed. “You’ve told us what you’ve done to help the Queen maintain control, and if there is one thing that travels quickly in a noble’s household, it’s the gossip. Guards talk, servants talk, and word flies faster than the wind. I guarantee every servant in the castle knows you by name and at least one of the scary descriptions you’ve worn when you visited. Once word gets around about this new look, they’ll all recognize you on sight by dinnertime, I expect.”

  “Sooner,” Lorelai said shyly, standing upright and darting glances up at me through her lashes. “Anyone who can show up at the queen’s side without warning is someone we all keep each other apprised of. Your servants keep watch for anyone who doesn’t belong as much as the guards do, but no one wants to get on the bad side of the human in service to the royal family.”

  I grinned at that, earning me a small, reserved smile in return from the maid.

  “Precisely why I’ve done my scary-appearance acts,” I explained, keeping my tone polite and gentle. “If my intimidating reputation keeps Queen Gemma and her family out of trouble even once, then it’s worth the odd looks and whispers.”

  Rieka squeezed my arm and I glanced down to find her looking up at me, the softness in her eyes betraying the affection she was obviously feeling at the moment. Affection that her maid did not miss, if the shocked look I caught out of the corner of my eye was anything to go by.

  That shocked expression turned into an excited grin before it too was tucked away behind a mask of professionalism.

  “Very well then,” Lorelai said with a polite nod. “I shall not worry about making up a room for your guardian, and I will ensure that all of the attendants knock first and do not intrude in the private bedrooms if the doors are closed so as not to startle you. Lady Rieka’s eldest sister has similar standing orders from her time with the army, so we are not unfamiliar with those requirements.”

  “Thank you, Lorelai,” Rieka said, turning her affectionate smile on the maid. “I was hoping that you might check the royal baths and clear them for us? My mother wishes to speak with us over tea in a few hours time and we would like to be presentable.”

  Lorelai’s eyes darted to me for a bare moment before skating over to the others in the group. I saw the question in the maid’s eyes about whether I would be accompanying the women into the bath, and the moment that she also realized that there was nothing she could do to stop me if I did accompany them. So instead she just gave a minute nod.

  “Of course, my lady. Please, follow me.”

  The maid turned, her long skirts swishing in a perfect circle before she led the way down the hall with her tail flicking back and forth in time with her steps.

  Rieka remained on my arm as we followed after the maid. While we walked, I made it a point to memorize the decor in this hallway. I was already familiar enough to pick out which door led to Rieka’s suite of rooms, but I’d been focusing on improving my mental capacity since the last time I was here and memorizing the layout of the castle seemed like a good idea.

  The trip to the royal bathing rooms was quick, with Lorelai pointing out what hallways led where if she thought we would be interested, like one that would lead to an interior courtyard or the libraries, both of which made Shayla and Jane light up respectively.

  Lorelai ducked into the room to check for anyone using it before emerging with another curtsy.

  “You have the baths to yourself, my lady. I shall leave you to refresh yourselves and await your summons to guide you to the Queen later.”

  “Thank you, Lorelai,” Rieka said, holding out her free hand to the other woman, who grasped it without hesitation.

  Rieka released me to pull the maid into a hug, whispering into the other woman’s ear. I reacted reflexively, honing my hearing with Shape-Shifting without thinking.

  “Thank you for understanding, Lorelai. I look forward to hearing all about how you have been these last few months later tonight,” Rieka whispered, squeezing the other woman gently.

  Lorelai tensed at first before returning the hug with a small sigh.

  “Of course, my lady. I want to hear all about your last semester at Juneau as well and anything you can tell me about your adventures,” Lorelai replied warmly.

  The two separated and Lorelai dropped another curtsy to the rest of the group before skirting us and heading back up the hallway.

  “Shall we get washed up?” Rieka asked once her maid was a good dozen yards away. “Liam, you first.”

  “You want me to strip out here?” I asked with a grin, intentionally misunderstanding my princess’ request.

  Rieka smacked my arm, blushing faintly while Kassandra cackled with laughter. Jane and Shayla both bit their bottom lips to suppress laughter while Valda just quirked an eyebrow, but I saw the faint crinkles at the corners of her eyes telling me that she was suppressing a smile too.

  “No, you cad! You are supposed to be our protector, so you go in first!”

  “Oh, I’ll protect you,” I teased with a grin, stepping past Rieka. “I’ll protect you all night lo—”

  The slap on my ass cut me off, and I spun about in surprise to see Rieka grinning up at me in pride, her tail whipping back and forth even faster now. All five of the girls were grinning as well, even Valda.

  Speaking of, I thought, catching Valda’s eyes with my own.

  “Valda, are you okay with me being there while we bathe? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

  Rieka’s smile faltered, it was obvious she hadn’t even thought about the fact my presence might make the other woman uncomfortable. She turned to apologize to Valda, but the lizard-folk woman was already shaking her head in the negative.

  “I do not mind, Liam,” Valda said without any reservation. “I am a warrior first and foremost. And you are an honorable man. As long as you do not stare at me, then I promise not to stare at you in turn.”

  “I make no promises!” Kassandra piped up, all her teeth on display with a broad smile while she bounced in place and made shooing motions. “Get moving! I missed these baths and I can’t wait!”

  Honestly, I was glad for Kassandra’s interjection, because it kept me from saying something stupid to Valda. The lizard-folk woman was gorgeous and there was something unbelievably attractive about someone as capable as she was. But my gorgeous dwarf lamia distracted everyone with her comments and gave me the moment I needed to get my brain in gear.

  “Fine,” I replied with mock affront, and turned to lead the way into the royal baths.

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