“This is Elina,” Kye introduced the woman to me as I peeked from around the screen. “She used to be a maid at the palace long ago. And this is Maren, my guest.”
Elina’s dark-purple hair was braided on the sides and tied on the top of her head with white and silver ribbons that created an intricate weave. Her snow-white dress with a flowing gossamer skirt complemented her pale lavender skin. She looked beautiful and ageless, just like the siren she was.
“Good morning, my lady,” Elina greeted in a melodious voice, sweeping a path in the glass shards to get to me.
“My name is Maren,” I reminded. “No ‘lady’ is necessary. Would you mind passing me a dress please?”
Elina glanced at Kye. For permission? Confirmation? I wasn’t sure. He didn’t seem particularly pleased by my request for clothes, but if he thought I’d be joining him in running around naked, he was sorely mistaken.
“Go ahead if you must,” he conceded with a heavy sigh of disappointment before walking out of the room.
I watched him go back to the grand hall, then out toward the main entrance, probably to bring in more servants to clean the glass remains of the tentacle monster in the hall.
“Which dress would you like, my la...um, Maren?” Elina inquired, standing by the open trunk.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Something easy enough to put on, I guess.”
“A lady is not supposed to put on her own clothes,” Elina pointed out.
“It’s a good thing I’m not a lady then, isn’t it?”
“But all these dresses are made for a lady, one with chambermaids to help her get dressed.” She took a pale pink dress from the trunk and turned it to show me the intricate lacing on the back that I would never be able to straighten and tie on my own.
“It’s a good thing that I have you here this morning,” I agreed, coming out from behind the screen and letting her dress me.
Kye sauntered in when Elina was almost done tightening the lacing on my back. At the sight of him, she hastily yanked at the laces, then promptly stepped back to the wall and as far from him as possible.
“Elina, would you like to work in the palace again?” he asked her.
The woman’s lavender skin paled, taking on a grayish hue. She blinked rapidly, not meeting her king’s eyes.
Kye shifted his weight to another foot, looking severely uncomfortable at her silent rejection. I noticed he stood to the side of the entryway, taking care not to block her escape if she ran. Neither did he make any attempts to come closer to her.
A king shouldn’t be begging a maid to work for him. He should be able to just order her to do it. And maybe he could, but he seemed to prefer not to pressure her, waiting patiently for her to accept his offer on her own.
When she didn’t say anything, he spoke again.
“You don’t have to live at the palace. Just come over in the morning to help Maren dress and do whatever else she may need your help with.”
Elina glanced at me uncertainly.
“I’d love that very much,” I said, suddenly wishing to spare Kye another rejection.
He clearly didn’t want to order Elina into submission, trying to talk her into it instead.
“I really don’t need much,” I assured her. “Just some help with tying all these ribbons, scarves, and laces and even that won’t be unnecessary if you find me something less complicated to wear.”
“You’ll need someone to do your hair too.” Elina cast an unimpressed glance at my disheveled tresses.
“Well, I fear it’s beyond help now.” I ran a hand over my hair that was both frizzy with humidity and mussed from sleep.
“It seems to have life of its own,” Kye muttered under his breath. “Like a sea urchin.”
Elina stared sympathetically at my chaotic do.
“Alright,” she exhaled determinedly, as if about to jump off a clif into a raging surf. “I’ll do it. I’ll come by every morning before breakfast to help you get dressed and to do your hair. And I’ll leave before His Majesty gets up.”
“What time do you normally get up?” I asked Kye.
