Safiya sat up at that. ‘Hopefully smart things.’
Aisha was realising that it didn’t matter how much she pushed her feelings down to protect herself and their arrangement, they just kept rising to the surface every time she caught sight of him or he said something or did something.
‘We kissed,’ Aisha blurted. ‘We slept together, and we kissed.’
Lilah’s expression fell. ‘Aren’t you supposed to wait until after the wedding?’
‘Isn’t kissing just part of sleeping with a man?’ Safiya asked. ‘Wouldn’t it be strange if you did it without kissing?’
Aisha pressed her eyes shut. ‘We didn’t sleep together, we slept together.’
Lilah blinked. ‘I’m quite lost.’
‘We shared a bed,’ Aisha said on an exhale. ‘We slept next to each other.’
A look of disgust settled on Safiya’s face. ‘Why?’
‘It’s a long story.’
‘Did you kiss in your sleep?’ Lilah asked.
‘Obviously not,’ Safiya said. ‘Did he snore like an old dog?’
Aisha frowned. ‘No.’
‘Remember that hound Yasmin had a few years back with the cataracts?’ Safiya continued.
Aisha rolled her eyes.
‘If he took advantage of you,’ Safiya said, ‘it would be grounds enough to call off the wedding and return home with us.’
‘He didn’t take advantage,’ Aisha said calmly.
Lilah clicked her fingers. ‘Rufun.’
Aisha and Safiya looked at her with confused expressions.
‘The dog with cataracts,’ Lilah explained.
‘Oh, that’s right,’ Safiya said. ‘She kept that thing alive way past its expiry.’
Groaning, Aisha covered her face with her hands. ‘I regret saying anything.’
Lilah pulled her hands away, forcing Aisha to look at her. ‘I’m relieved there’s something between you. You deserve some happiness for the sacrifice you made.’
Aisha felt herself relax.
‘It’s your turn next,’ Safiya said, shuffling over to play with Mira. ‘There will be royalty coming from all over the empire for this wedding. Zara will be hunting husbands left and right.’
Lilah crinkled her nose. ‘You make it sound so predatory.’
‘It’s about time men had a turn at being the prey.’ Safiya winced when Mira bit her mid-play. ‘Even Mira agrees. Her mother also died at the hands of a man.’
Aisha sighed. ‘A man who was saving me.’
Lilah climbed off the bed and walked over to the table, plucking a fig off the tray of food Maryam had brought them. ‘Have you prepared for the Promise Exchange? Chosen a dress for the Binding Feast?’
She was referring to the Gruisean traditions that took place ahead of the official ceremony. Lilah had learned all about them before Tariq’s visit, because she was supposed to be leaving with him. Thankfully, Maryam had explained them all in detail to Aisha.
