Elowyn trails behind him to what she can only assume is his chamber as his hand grips hers. When they reach a large wooden door, he stops, and for a moment, they just stand there.
Eventually, Elowyn speaks. “Is this your—”
“Yes.” His voice comes out high, and he clears his throat before repeating the word at a more normal octave.
“Are we going inside, or are you just showing me the door? I understand humans often haveseparate—”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
He takes a deep breath before reaching for the doorknob with his sticky fingers. “These are...our chambers.” He pushes the door open, and she follows him inside.
The plentiful wood accents remind Elowyn of the human king’s study as she takes in the room. A sofa and some chairs sit near a hearth, and a small table for two occupies one corner. Across the room is a set of glass doors that appear to lead to a balcony, and framing the hearth are two more wooden doors.
“So...here we are. I—” Rominy hurries to pick a discarded article of clothing off the floor before frowning at his sticky hands and rolling his eyes. “Wow, I am a disaster. Sorry, I should have tidied up more.”
“It’s hardly a mess.” Other than the shirt in his hand, the room appears practically spotless. “I like it. It’s cozy.”
He exhales as though relieved and nods. “Good. I didn’t have much time to get it ready for you, though the servants aired out your room and set it all to rights.”
So she will have her own chamber. “It’s lovely. Is one of those doors mine?”
“Yes.” He steps toward the door on the left. “This one is yours.”
He uses the shirt to avoid getting frosting on the doorknob as he pushes the door open to reveal a large bed with four posts. There’s a small desk with a mirror near a window and a few tables and chests scattered around the bed.
“This is all for me? Or do we share?”
His heart is already racing and has been since they left the wedding feast, but it thumps wildly now. “This is all yours. Mine is through the other door.”
She nods. “And is there a water closet?”
“Yes. Sorry. It’s between our chambers. My parents each get their own, but I’m afraid we’ll have to share that. There’s a joint closet as well.” He gestures toward two doors along one wall, and she pokes her head inside the far one. It’s similar to the water closet in her guest chamber last night, but there’s a tub with claw-shaped feet in addition to a large shower enclosure and two sinks.
“This is quite grand,” she says as she takes it all in.
He opens the door on the other side of the room and tosses the soiled shirt into what must be his own bedchamber before turning a copper crank above one of the sinks.
“Let me wash my hands, and then I’ll let you be so you can clean up.”
“What about you?”
His hands still in the stream of water, and she realizes how her words must have sounded to him. As if she was inviting him to wash up while she does.
“I’ll be fine until you’re done. Goodnight.” The words spill from his lips so quickly she can barely understand him, and then he’s gone.
Pretty much as Pera speculated.
A smile spreads across her face at his discomfort, and she catches her reflection in the mirror and bursts into laughter. Frosting cakes her lips and chin, and there’s even some on her nose and in her hair, where Rominy seems to have done an excellent job of smearing it everywhere.
After washing her own hands, she heads to their shared closet to hunt for clean clothes as she grins at the thought of another glorious shower.
CerianwatchesElowyndisappearwith her new binding partner as his stomach twists in knots, and the queen’s words from earlier about Arisanna following his lead run rampant through his head.
Surely Arisanna isn’t expecting him to—whistling wind, this is awkward.
Is he supposed to take her back to his chamber or accompany her to her own set of rooms?
