Huh? “Why would you not wake here? This is where you fell asleep, and we wouldn’t move you until we were certain you were better.”
Her eyes jerk to the side, and she wrings her hands. “I expected to find myself imprisoned.”
I still don’t understand what she means. “You were attacked by those horrible panthers, and then you healed our wounded. Why would we imprison you for either of these things?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know.”
Rage boils beneath my plastered smile as I struggle with the realization that someone has hurt this woman, hurt and betrayed her to the point where she assumes the worst possible outcome in this situation. My instinct is to find out who hurt her and eliminate them, but I don’t want her thinking I'm some uncivilized brute. I'll discover the culprit in time, and when I do, they'll pay. For now, I'll have to rein in my anger and put on a pleasant face so as not to scare the poor girl.
“Well, I hate to disappoint, but there will be no prison cell for you.” I sit back and make a show of inspecting my nails, the corners of my mouth tipping up in a grin. “Sadly, we only have room at the palace.”
Sable’s jaw drops. “The palace?”
“But of course! Only the finest will do for my guest.”
“I'm a guest?”
“Yep. So long as I'm in charge, you'll stay with me. It’s no prison, but there will be three squares a day, clean clothes, and a nice, comfy bed to sleep in.”
My rage resurfaces at her slack-jawed awe. Why does she act like food, clothing, and a comfortable place to sleep are such luxuries? And more importantly, why does she act like she’s not worthy of them?
I shake my head to clear it of such thoughts and offer Sable my hand. “I am such a terrible host! I was so eager to have you heal our wounded that I neglected to offer you food last night. You must be starving. Come. Let’s find you something to eat.” Truth be told, I’m a little hungry myself, having spent the better part of a day watching over her. Besides, what better way to break my fast than in the company of a pretty lady?
Sable blushes as she places her hand in mine, and I help her up. She shakes slightly as she takes a tentative step, so I put an arm around her shoulder to steady her. When those amber eyes gaze up at me in thanks, I almost melt.
She’s a short little thing standing next to me, and my arm fits comfortably around her. She doesn’t shy away from me, but I sense a stiffness to her stance. I can’t tell if it’s because she’s still wary of me or if it’s from the unspoken trauma she displays. Either way, my heart hurts for her to be living in such constant fear. I make a mental note to coax her upbringing out of her once she’s more comfortable, because her bullies shouldn’t get away with leaving her in such a state. If there’s anything I can do about it as the heir to Solari, I’m honor-bound to see to it that her tormenters are punished, no matter how much time has passed since they hurt her.
We leave the temple, and I start heading for the local tavern. Small children run by us, playing, and Sable inches closer to me. She jerks at every sound, hyper-alert, and wrings her hands absently. The nervous habit should annoy me, but instead I find it rather cute. Something about it brings out my nurturing side.
As we get closer to the establishment, Sable halts and tries to pull me back. “Um … I’m actually not that hungry.”
My brow furrows as I try to discern why she’s apprehensive about going in. “You should eat.”
She rubs her arm, and her face turns bright red. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
I turn to face her, tipping her chin up so she can’t avoid my gaze. “What’s wrong?”
Sable shrugs. “I’m just not hungry.”
Bullshit. “Sable, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on. If someone at that tavern has hurt you or done something to frighten you, just tell me. I’ll take care of it.”
Her eyes go wide, and she takes a step back. “Oh, no! No one’s hurt me here. I’ve never even been to this town before, I don’t think. I just—I don’t have any money. I … I lost my coin purse when the panthers attacked. They chased me so far that I fear it’s lost forever.”
That’sall she’s worried about? I guess I’m spoiled, having been raised without the need for coin. My every need has always been tended to, so I forget sometimes that finances are a thing.
I give her shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze. “Is that all? Don’t worry about it! You’re my guest, remember? I’ll cover it.” I smile and tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “No more of that nonsense, okay? So long as you’re under my care, you won’t have to spend a single copper. Anything you want or need, just say it. I’ll handle the cost.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
If she wasn’t so adorable, I’d be annoyed. “You’re not asking. I’m insisting. And after we eat, we’re going to the tailor’s for some fresh, clean clothes for you. The temple priests had a spare tunic & pants, but they don’t fit you well. You need something that you’re not swimming in.” Of course, I have an ulterior motive for wanting her in something more form-fitting, but now’s not the time to say so. I still haven’t been able to determine if her—tastes—run the same as mine, and it’s far too soon to ask her outright. “Then, once you’re well clothed and fed, we’ll head to the palace.”
She hesitates but eventually allows me to lead her into the tavern. The noise assaults my ears when we walk through the door, but it quickly dies down, replaced by hushed, reverent whispers of “Suntouched.”
Great. My reputation precedes me.
I turn on the charm, leading with my brightest smile, and head to the counter. A portly bearded wolf in a stained linen tunic and apron stands behind it, drying some tankards. He lines them up on the countertop in front of him as he goes, and before I even reach him, he snatches up two and starts to fill them from the tap.
“Happy day to you, Suntouched, and your friend as well. Two of our finest, I presume?”
