The low murmur of male voices comes through the open door on the other side of the room. I sit up, rubbing sleep from my eyes in the early dawn, only to find the general staring at me from across a long, polished table. Riesh and Kishek lean over a pile of papers and figurines, their faces contorted in deep contemplation. They must be discussing the La’tari vessel.
I grab the dressing robe that’s been laid out on the bed beside me and shrug it over my shoulders before heading for the hall.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The general’s voice booms behind me.
“To dress and get ready for the day,” I say, sighing in annoyance.
“In case I didn’t make myself clear last night. You are staying where I can keep an eye on you.” He wraps a hand around my bicep and pulls me into his washroom, pointing at a large drawer. “You should find everything you need in there. If there is anything else you require, you will let me know.”
I glare at his back as he stalks toward the main room. The drawerglides open with the barest tug and clinks with all manner of oil and perfume. Trays with powders in varying shades of pink and pencils of kohl are stacked neatly toward the back. I pluck the toothbrush and accompanying paste from the drawer, narrowing my eyes on the vanity. Six drawers.
“Do you have a drawer like this for each of your lovers?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at the male, “Or do you make them shareeverything?”
He clenches his jaw. “I had these things brought here when I returned from the forest. At the time, I hoped you would have use of them.”
“I see,” I drawl, “Which drawer do you keep for the female with the green eyes? Or does that not narrow it down enough for you?”
The general opens his mouth then snaps it shut, turning on his heel with a growl when Riesh yells from the other room, “It isn’t here Xey!”
His washroom is easily twice the size of mine. A deep pool flowing with hot water is carved into the floor, a long narrow slit cut into the marble above it, creating a steamy waterfall that fills the churning basin. I squint at a spigot inset in the ceiling and debate pulling the lever beneath it. The thought vanishes from my mind when the voices from the other room grow loud.
I round the corner in time to hear the general lie to his friends. “Other than your sister and the people in this room, no one has been granted access to my chambers for more than a week. If it’s missing, someone has stolen it.”
“Well, that isn’t entirely true, is it?” I say with a wry smile as I lean against the wall.
My mind screams traitor as he attempts to deceive his friends right before my eyes. It’s no wonder that Awri doesn’t know about the female when it’s obvious he hasn’t told Riesh or Kishek about her either. I can’t help but think that I would like to show them allexactlywhat kind of male he is.
“Would you care to explain that sentiment?” he says, looking down at me, his head cocked to the side.
I wonder just how far he’s willing to take the deception and offer, “Perhaps you’ve changed your mind, and you’d like me to leave? So that you can have an honest conversation with your friends about who you allow into your chambers?”
“What I would like,” he says, closing his eyes to steady his temper, “is for you to tell me what in haliel you are talking about.”
“I’m talking about the redhead with the sheer lace gown that joined you in your chambers the morning you returned from the forest,” I say, careful to keep my voice level and disinterested.
I decide the male is a better actor than I expect when he frowns and seems truly puzzled by my declaration.
“Siserie?” Kishek asks, wide eyed.
I shrug. “She failed to introduce herself when she left the general to hisnap.”
His glower deepens. “Please check Siserie’s room for the missive and tell her I’d like to have a word.”
His friends file out into the hall. The moment the door clicks shut behind them, his voice drops low and contemplative as he says, “Tell me why you came to my room that morning.”
And just like that, I realize the mistake I’ve made. All I had to do was say nothing, and he never would have known I’d come.
“I wasn’t aware I needed a reason,” I say, deflecting.
He takes a tentative step toward me, asking bluntly, “Did you come to accept my offer?”
“That’s a little presumptuous of you,” I snark, willing the heat to remain from my cheeks.
“But you did, didn’t you?” he asks.
He eyes me thoughtfully, piecing together every moment we’ve shared since that day, every conversation, every glance. The contents of my life that I wish I kept under heavy guard now coming together to tell him exactly what it was that made his offer so distasteful to me.
“You spent the entire day avoiding me before you turned me down, so why would you seek me out that morning? Unless you came to accept me, and something changed your mind?”
