"I talked tae her last night."
"Ye interrogated her last night." Leo moved toward the door. "And fer the record? If she is spyin' fer her braither, she's the worst spy I've ever seen. She spent half an hour this mornin' helpin' the cook reorganize the herb stores. Nae exactly gatherin' military intelligence, is it?"
He left before Harald could argue, leaving him alone with his suspicions and the view of Enya walking through his training grounds like she belonged there.
Which, in ten days, she would.
The thought should have settled something in his chest. Instead, it only made the uncertainty worse.
Harald was still wrestling with indecision when he finally gave in and went down to the training yard. He told himself it wasto check on his men's progress. To ensure the new recruits were learning properly.
Enya was standing with Amelia near the weapons rack when he approached, both watching the sparring with identical expressions of concentration. Neither noticed him until he spoke.
"See anythin' ye like?"
Enya jumped, spinning to face him with wide eyes. "I—we were just?—"
"Watchin'." Harald gestured to the practice ring. "It's fine. Ye are welcome tae observe."
"Oh." Some of the tension left her shoulders. "Thank ye. It's... interestin'. The way they move. How they—" She stopped, seeming to catch herself.
"Dinnae stop." Harald studied her face, noting the bruise had faded to yellow-green. "Ye have an eye fer tactics?"
"I have an eye fer patterns." Enya's voice was careful. "And they're repeatin' the same sequence. The taller one always feints left before strikin' right."
She was right. Harald had noticed the same tell in young Fergus's form just the day before.
"Aye, he daes. I've been tryin' tae break him of it." Harald watched her watching the fighters. "Ye'd make a good commander, with observation skills like that."
"I'd make a terrible commander. I cannae even manage me own maid properly." But there was a hint of a smile in her voice.
As if summoned by the mention, Amelia let out a sharp shriek.
Harald's hand went to his sword instinctively, scanning for threats. "What?"
"Spider!" Amelia was pressed against the weapons rack, pointing at something on the ground with a shaking finger. "It's huge! Kill it, please, someone kill it!"
Harald looked down. The spider in question was maybe the size of his thumbnail. Hardly huge.
But before he could say anything, Enya had knelt down and simply scooped the creature into her cupped hands.
"It's just a wee thing, Amelia. Look." She held her hands out, letting the spider crawl across her palm. "See? Harmless."
"It's horrible," Amelia said with feeling. "And ye're mad fer touchin' it." She moved away with a disgusted face.
"It's more afraid of us than we are of it." Enya walked the spider over to the stone wall and gently deposited it in a crack between the stones. "There. Safe and sound."
She straightened, brushing her hands off, and caught Harald staring.
"What?" Self-consciousness crept into her expression. "Dae I have spider on me face."
"Ye're kind tae yer maid," Harald said before he could think better of it.
"She's nae just me maid. She's me friend." Enya glanced at Amelia, who was still eyeing the wall suspiciously. "Has been since we were children. I'd nae be here without her."
"Most ladies wouldnae care if their maids were frightened."
"Most ladies havenae spent their lives bein' the one everyone else is frightened of." Enya's voice was quiet. "I ken what it's like tae have people dismiss yer fears. I'll nae dae that tae her."
