Page 9 of A Filling of Fables and Firelight

“No,” she answered tartly. “It’s a comfort-seeking nuisance with ears. You should know Zade’s just as concerned about my comfort as he is his own, so unless you want me to use this needle to stitch you up, you should keep your distance.”

He held up his hands as he slowly backed away, returning to his position beside the door. The fox followed his movements with unwavering intensity until satisfied that he was no longer a threat, then lowered its head back down to the pillows.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

She gave him a flat look. “A word of advice, then: don’t shut yourself into a room alone with a woman and then accuse her of entrapment.”

A shallow laugh escaped him, and he scrubbed a hand down the side of his face. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I think we started this whole thing off on the wrong foot.”

“I accept your apology, Your Majesty, and I agree.” She nodded sharply.

“I should have introduced mys—” Kamaran froze midsentence as her words finally registered. His jaw dropped. “You know who I am?”

“Of course.”

The infuriating woman was back to her embroidery, as cool and unruffled as if she were speaking with a friend in the marketplace.

“You…you threatened me with a needle!”

“You deserved it.” She glanced up just long enough to catch his eye and give him a pointed look. “Don’t make me take back my acceptance of your apology.”

Who is this woman?

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said on an exhale. “Since you already know who I am, are you going to finish the introductions?”

“I don’t know. If I tell you my name, will you leave?”

Kamaran smirked, shifting back into the comfort of shallow flirtations. “Are you hoping the mystery will keep me here? I will admit, I’m intrigued.”

“Quite the opposite. I was hoping for a bargain. I tell you my name; you leave.”

“And if I want to stay?”

She heaved a sigh as she stabbed her needle into the fabric and gathered it into her arms as she stood. “Then I will leave.”

“No, no.” Kamaran reached for the door, strangely anxious to do anything to wipe the annoyed grimace from her face. “You were here first.” He waited a beat. “Your name?”

“It’s Rana,” she answered, shooing him out the door. “Now go. I’m sure you have some sort of royal duty that demands your attention.”

“Rana,” he repeated softly. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

She hummed in acknowledgement as she looked up with mischievous eyes. One brow lifted. “It was a meeting.”

Kamaran laughed, the first he could remember in a long while, as he stepped into the hall, careful to leave the door open behind him. There was a new energy to his step as he walked, and the air somehow seemed lighter.

Maybe this contest wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Chapter Six

RANA

“And then His Majesty just barged into the room as if he owned the place.” Rana sifted through the bolts of fabric stacked in the back of the tailor shop storeroom, searching for the particular linen she had in mind.

“I think I can safely say that he’s the only one who does.” Aida paused. “Is this the thread you were looking for?”

Rana looked over her shoulder to inspect the spool of light blue thread. “That’s it.”

Aida passed the spool of thread to Teta, who was perched on a stool in front of the workbench. She slipped it into a basket with the rest of the trimmings and materials that Rana had selected.