Elías spun me to reluctantly tighten my shift as Josie spoke brightly for us all.
“Mr. Evergreen,” she said. “Howunusualto find you here at my lady’s quarters. May I help you with something?”
“As unusual for a knight to be inside it as she dresses?” he asked.
Through the weak fabric of the screen, I saw him leer past her.
Josie stepped to shield me, but I was positive he was smirking—and worse, that he had, beyond a doubt,seenme in my disarray and underskirt.
“Or toaidher in the act of fastening said clothes?” he added.
Elías finished the lacing. His knot felt deliberately tight.
“Ow.”
“Do you have a message for Her Highness?” Josie asked. “I’m afraid we’re occupied, sir.”
He said, “Yes, I have a message. Her Highness and I had an appointment this morning; she’s late.”
Josie glanced back at me, and I shook my head furtively. “No, we did not,” I said.
She returned my response. “Miss Svana is unaware of your appointment,” she said.
“Right,” Cyrus said. “If you would remind Her Highness of it, I would be in your debt.”
“She—”
“Sheexplicitlyexpressed a desire to carry on our business in the morning hours and I did travel quite the distance to accommodate her request, so the sooner she can ready herself, the better for both of our sakes.”
Elías frowned at me as he helped me into the day’s garment and hurried to close the dress’s back. I stepped into the closest pair of shoes and with a swing of the length, manifested behind Josie in a somewhat collected sense.
“Mr. Evergreen,” I said unbothered. I drew my lips into a thin line, brushing the loose waves behind my ears, then promptly realized my hair was loose. I panicked. “W-We, um, we never came to an agreement on whether or not–”
“With respect,” he started, in spite of the word. “Breaking a horse is a concentrated task. It requires consistency. It requires commitment. With your sudden arrival and Sam’s shift in my availability, I have already lost three days in her training. If youdream of ever successfully riding your horse, you’ll need to take our appointments seriously. Now. I’ll give you time to decide on your shoes, and then I’ll see you outside.”
I looked at my heels; one was brown and the other blue.
“Gah!”
Chapter 21
Ser Elías kept at my side as we trekked down the sunny hallway, still locked in an excited debate. He was, as to be expected, less than thrilled about the visitor.
“The audacity to find himself outside your chambers so!” he seethed. “And had you been alone?”
“Aye, but I wasnotalone, Ser,” I said. My chest was fluttering. I barely focused. “I had you there. And Josie. No chance at harm, I’m afraid.”
“Your humor does not amuse me, Svana. Is there a chance he might harm you? If you feel endangered, you must trust your instincts.”
“No.” I swatted him. “Mr Evergreen is always very-”
“If you say cordial again, I will set myself on fire.”
“Well, I would find some other word to use, but there isn’t another that fits for what he is. He holds doors and helps me onto my horse, and he calls me by my title. Mostly. He’scordial.”
Elías scoffed.
“Am I missing something about the man?” I asked. I stopped us short of the front door, searching him. “In all our years, I have never seen you so after someone you did not know.”
