“What did you have in mind?” Ezra asked, smiling conspiratorially.
Meena followedthe captain’s wife into the fort’s kitchen. “Can I have a flagon or two for the princess and myself?”
Two people instantly dropped their current tasks in the busy kitchen to answer their lady’s imperious demand.
“Or three!” Meena added.
Ezra smirked, nodding that she approved Meena’s request.
Moments later, one of the kitchen boys handed them two bottles of wine to Ezra and one to Meena.
“Our thanks,” Ezra said, leading Meena through the kitchen. “We are not to be disturbed!” she called over her shoulder as they descended another flight of stairs.
Meena pushed open the heavy wooden door at the bottom, since she had the extra hand.
It opened into a long, low-ceilinged cellar. A few more kitchen hands dashed through the space, carrying cold cuts of meat, dried herbs, and more wine bottles.
Ezra ignored them as she confidently walked through the empty aisle at the center of the room.
Meena matched Ezra’s pace and tilted her nose up just a little more than usual to match the taller woman’s stately grace.
The kitchen hands melted out of their path without a word.
Meena smiled, letting her hips sway as she walked. She felt like a powerful combination of her older brother Ian with his purposeful stride and her new best friend Ezra, who seemed confident in herself.
At the end of the cellar, hidden behind a long stack of barrels, four soldiers sat around a small table. They were engrossed in a game which involved small carved figures on a checkered board.
They looked up instantly as the women walked toward them, but they did not appear intimidated.
Rather, their interest seemed to be piqued by the two women approaching them with arms full of bottles.
“Dalir,” Ezra said, nodding to one of the men. “Faithful guards.” She nodded to the other three men.
“Lady Levek,” Dalir responded.
“It’s a pity the four of you are stuck down here while everyone else gets to enjoy the festivities,” Meena said.
“Someone has to stay on duty,” Dalir said. His eyes were still entirely focused on them. They flicked from her face to the bottle in her hands.
“The princess and I would like a few moments to ourselves,” Ezra said. “Go grab yourselves something to drink from the feast upstairs.”
Four pairs of eyes opened wider. The four soldiers glanced between each other. It looked like each one wanted to take Ezra up on her offer, but no one wanted to be the first to say it.
“Please?” Meena said, her voice soft and sweet.
“She is the captain’s wife,” one of them whispered. “Her word is basically his, right?”
“Precisely,” Ezra said, smiling conspiratorially. “Give us an hour—”
“Or two,” Meena cut in.
“And no one ever needs to find out,” Ezra finished.
“If you insist, Lady Levek.” Dalir stood up and his companions hurried after him.
Meena met Ezra’s eyes with a wide open stare of her own. She wanted to burst out laughing. “That was easier than expected,” she whispered instead.
Ezra smiled back at her, a real, genuine smile.
