“Loaning her clothing from a former lover? You think that’s a good way to start a new relationship?”
“You’re the one who burnt her dress.”
Nin covered her face with her hands. “Oh, stars. The first woman you’ve brought home for more than a night inyears, and I’ve ruined everything. You’ll never marry now. You’ll die miserable after a long, lonely life, and it’s all my fault.”
I cleared my throat. “I’m not lonely—”
“Of course you are. You don’t even have a partner to play chess with.”
“Playing against myself is an intellectual challenge. It—”
“It’s sad.” She paused. “And why didn’t you bring her wardrobe? This isn’t all my fault, you know.”
“We left in a hurry. She didn’t have time to pack.”
Nin looked at me sharply, drawing the conclusion I wanted her to. “Her family doesn’t approve of the match? Oh,Sir Valen.”
I didn’t squirm at her scolding tone. No, definitely not. I was her employer and a terrifying knight. She didn’t intimidate me in the slightest.
“What’s she going to do if things don’t work out between you?” Nin demanded. “Her family might not take her back. My cousin took a human bride, you know. Some of the things she’s told me about how they treat women on Earth…” She shook her head sadly.
“I’ll see that she’s taken care of,” I said, more defensively than I’d intended.
Nin pierced me with a look. Gone was the happy servant; she resembled a mother bear debating whether to maul me.
“See that you do,” she said simply.
We returned to the bathroom, and I handed Emmeline the chemise, stepping outside while she dressed. She emerged a moment later, hair still wet.
“Again, I’m so sorry about your dress,” Nin said.
Emmeline yawned. “It’s fine. Just warn me before you set something on fire next time.”
Nin hastily agreed. Then, after checking that we needed nothing else, she bid us goodnight and departed.
Without her bustling around and babbling, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Tension filled me, an awkwardness I hadn’t felt since my first time offering flowers to a pretty maiden. Being alone with Emmeline in my home carried a different air than chasing her through the forest or plotting on a plateau, the privacy more intimate in a domestic setting. Faking a courtship had seemed like such a simple plan when I’d conceived it, but perhaps I hadn’t fully considered the implications.
“Did you need anything else before bed?” I asked curtly.
“No, just leave me alone and let me sleep.”
I led her to my bedchamber, and she stopped on the threshold to stare.
It was a nice enough room, dominated by shades of blue. The bed stood opposite wide glass doors that opened onto a balcony overlooking the garden. A sleek chandelier hung from a ceiling painted—like half the ceilings in the Moonlit Court—to resemble the night sky. I walked across a carpet with matching celestial designs and made use of the crystal washbasin and pitcher. When I finished, she still hadn’t moved.
“This is your bed?” she asked. “It’s big enough for five people!”
“The most I’ve ever managed was three at once, and that involved an unreasonable amount of wine.”
I pulled off my boots and unclasped my surcoat. Emmeline tensed, looking ready to bolt. I stripped down to my breeches but didn’t approach her.
“You’re in no danger from me,” I said. “You said you wanted to sleep, so sleep.”
Her gaze darted from the bed to my bare chest and then to the window. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No. One of the servants might notice. You agreed to pose as my lover. That means sleeping in the same bed.”
I walked to her side of the bed and pulled down the blankets for her, gesturing pointedly.
