He stroked his fingertips down her neck and brushed her hair to the side before kissing her nape. “My pleasure.”
“Will I see you in the throne room later?” she asked, watching her fingers fidget with a sparkling necklace tossed onto the gleaming surface of the vanity in front of her. She lifted it and dropped it as if it was a simple bauble. I suspected it would fetch more money than I’d made in one year working at the fortress.
“Come by in the afternoon,” he drawled, his gaze sweeping to Delaine before he glanced at me, his attention remaining on my frame. “I have some matters to take care of before lunch. I’d rather you joined me when I handle less complex matters. Then my focus can be on you.”
She clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Will you allow me to make some decisions today? You said I could soon.”
“I’ll select a few,” he said in an indulgent tone, his fingertips tracing back and forth across her nape. “I’m curious to see how you deal with them.”
“My father allowed me to settle disputes when I joined him in his throne room,” she said. Her swallow took a very long time to go down. “I do hope I’ll impress you today, my king.”
“I’m sure you will.” Pivoting, he strode across the room.
I didn’t watch—didn’t dare watch or do anything else that might give me away—but I felt the heft of his gaze on my spine before he left, taking my heightened tension along with him.
“So wonderful to see the king,” Delaine said, coming over to stand behind Brenna once more. She fussed with the otherwoman’s curls that he’d sent into disarray. “He’s rumpled you in a delightful way.” She straightened a few pins and artfully tucked a curl up into the ongoing arrangement. At this point, Brenna’s hair resembled a bird’s nest more than something gorgeous to me. But what did I know? I was anything but courtly.
Finished fussing, Delaine hung sparkly dangling earrings that brushed across Brenna’s shoulders, plus coiled a matching choker snuggly around Brenna’s throat. A jeweled collar before the wedding; a thorny vine one the moment she said I do. How sweet.
Since I didn’t know what might be expected of me, I simpered and muttered a few phrases about her beauty. That should please Brenna.
“Ah, there’s my other new lady-in-waiting now,” Brenna said, her gaze locked on the mirror.
I turned and bit back my cry of dismay as Reyla floated across the room.
16
TEMPEST
“This is Reyla Jarrn,” Brenna said, rising from her chair and turning to face us all. “Zayde, the king’s son, claimed her. Reyla? Allow me to introduce you to Delaine Adwarin, our high advisor’s daughter, and Tempest, our controller’s claimed Nullen.” Brenna frowned. “I don’t believe I caught your last name, Tempest.”
“Lucerna,” I said as demurely as I could. I held my hand out to Reyla. “It’s nice to meet you.”
She stared at my hand or maybe nothing, her arms remaining limp at her sides.
“I was told she takes commands well,” Brenna said with a sigh. “Truly, you’d think the king would assign me better staff.” She tittered. “I’m not complaining about you, Delaine, or you, Tempest, though you’ve just arrived, and I’ve yet to fully assess your abilities. But I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with Reyla.” Her lips thinned as she flicked her slender, bejeweledfingers toward my friend. “Some collared Nullens are capable of performing whatever task I might ask, yet a few . . .” She shook her head. “I swear, some of them are rather dull and unresponsive. I can’t imagine why.”
I felt bad for her; she had no idea what was coming.
“But she belongs to Zayde, and I’m very happy to help him in this situation,” Brenna hastily added.
Because he was the king’s son? Perhaps.
“Would you like me to show Reyla her duties?” Delaine asked, slanting a sly look my way.
What was she planning?
Brenna tutted. “Yes, would you? I have so much to do to get ready for lunch with the king and then take my place on the throne he promised to place beside his own.” She sauntered out of the room and dropped down onto a sofa, lying flat on the surface. “I’m tired. Take care of things here, ladies. I’m going to doze for a bit.”
But we’d just fixed her hair—or Delaine had. Wasn’t she worried about messing it up?
Brenna wasn’t impressing me any more today than she had the only other time I met her. Since she hadn’t even looked my way when I stood among the other riders during my capitol visit, and we hadn’t been formally introduced, I doubted she remembered my face. I was just one Nullen among many others, one not worth even a speck of her time.
While Brenna rumpled her dress and undid Delaine’s work on her hair, I started collecting jewelry from the top of the vanity, taking it over to the bank of drawers mounted into the wall, laying each item in the velvet lined compartments.
Delaine took Reyla’s arm and urged her toward the closet. “I want you to clean this room,” she said slowly, as if she spoke to a two-year-old. “Do you know how to do that?”
Reyla, my beautiful, outspoken friend, stared at Delaine’s shoulder, saying nothing.
