"I..." Enya had no good answer for that. "Maybe?"
"Brilliant plan. Very well thought out." Harald shook his head, then bent to pick up her fallen hairpins. "Here. Ye'll need these back. Though I have tae tell ye, yer technique is terrible."
"Excuse me?"
"Ye're usin' the wrong angle. The lock mechanism on that door requires ye tae lift the pins while turnin', nae just twist them." Harald demonstrated with his hands. "Like this. See?"
Enya stared at him. "Are ye... teachin' me tae pick yer own lock?"
"I'm teachin' ye the right technique so ye dinnae damage the mechanism with yer clumsy attempts." Harald's eyes glintedwith something that might have been humor. "If ye're goin' tae break intae places, at least dae it properly."
"I wasnae breakin' in."
"Nay? What would ye call it?"
"Investigatin'," Enya said before she could stop herself.
"Investigatin' what, exactly?"
The question hung between them, weighted with all the unspoken tension of the past few days. Enya knew she should deflect, should laugh it off or invent another weak excuse.
Instead, she found herself saying, "Ye. I was investigatin' ye."
Harald's expression shifted—surprise, maybe, or something deeper. "Why?"
"Because I dinnae understand ye." The words tumbled out, honest despite every instinct screaming at her to stop. "Because ye're kind tae children and maids who cannae reach high shelves, but ye're also the Hawk of Lewis who can cut down six men without breakin' a sweat. Because ye defended me tae the king's envoy but ye dinnae trust me. Because ye called me beautiful and then walked away like ye regretted it."
She stopped, horrified at everything she'd just admitted. Behind Harald, Amelia's eyes were huge.
"I see," Harald said quietly. "And ye thought breakin' intae me study would help ye understand?"
"I thought maybe yer private things would tell me what ye willnae." Enya's voice dropped. "What ye hide behind all that control."
Harald was silent for a long moment. Then he reached past her and unlocked the door.
"Come on, then," he said. "If ye want tae ken who I am, ye can just ask instead of resortin' tae criminal activity."
Enya blinked. "What?"
"Ye heard me. Come in. Look around. Ask yer questions." Harald pushed the door open and gestured inside. "Though I warn ye, it's mostly just borin’ correspondence and maps."
"Ye're... lettin' me in?"
"Seems simpler than havin' ye damage me locks every time yer curiosity gets the better of ye." Harald glanced at Amelia. "Ye can wait here, if ye like. Or go back tae yer chamber. This might take a while."
Amelia looked at Enya, who nodded slightly. Her maid bobbed a curtsy and fled down the corridor with visible relief.
Which left Enya alone with Harald and an open door to his private sanctuary.
"Well?" Harald asked. "Are ye comin', or have ye changed yer mind?"
Enya stepped through the door before she could lose her nerve.
The study was exactly what Harald had promised, mostly boring. Shelves lined with books and scrolls, a large desk covered in maps and correspondence, a chess board set up near the window.
It was neat but lived-in, the space of someone who actually used it for work rather than show.
"Nae exactly excitin', is it?" Harald moved to the sideboard and poured two cups of wine. "Nay secret battle plans or hidden treasure."
