herself.”
“Please try not to worry, Ashi,” Jelena said, stroking his cheek.
“Impossible,” he replied. He rolled out of bed and crossed to the window to crack open the shutters. Jelena smiled with admiration. The sight of Ashi’s bare backside made her want to drag him back to bed for another lovemaking session, but she knew Amara waited downstairs.
“How do you feel?” he asked, pulling a robe over his nakedness. “Nausea all gone?”
“Yes, thanks,” Jelena replied. “The tea really helped. Truth be told, I haven’t felt myself lately…I just hope I’m not coming down with the flux.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“What? You’ve been ill and you didn’t tell me?” Ashinji came over and sat beside her, frowning. “How long has this been going on?”
Jelena sighed. “Since Nadaka Castle…”
“Nadaka Castle!” Ashinji cried. “That was over a week ago!”
“Yes, I know, but really…Ashi, it’s nothing. I didn’t want to worry you.”
“You didn’t want to…”
Jelena laid a finger on his lips to forestall any further outburst. “Hush, Husband. It’s nothing. Truly.”
“Everyone is keeping secrets from me,” Ashinji muttered crossly.
Jelena kissed him. “I love you, Husband,” she said, and her words seemed to mollify him. “Now, where are my new clothes?”
Ashinji stood and went to scoop up a bundle by the door. “Your new raiment, my princess,” he announced in his best imitation of a court herald’s pompous voice. He held out the garments with a flourish. “My mother brought them up.” Jelena took the clothing from him and spent a moment admiring their color and cut.
“My father is a man with exquisite taste,” she commented.
Having no time for a proper bath, they had to make do with a ewer and washbasin. Afterward, Jelena put on her new outfit, marveling at the luxurious feel of the fabric. It brought back the bittersweet memory of the gown she had worn on that fateful Sansa night at Amsara Castle, nearly a year ago.
Ashinji, as usual, donned his plain, soldier’s leathers. When he had finished dressing, he sat down at the end of the bed. Jelena braided his hair in a single queue, a task she had taken to doing for him each morning, just as he had made it his job to comb the snarls from her mane each evening. These small, loving gestures served to strengthen the bond between them.
When she had secured the braid with a leather tie, she stepped back and he stood and turned to face her. He raised his hands as if to touch her, then lowered them to his sides. “You…you look beautiful,” he whispered. “Your Highness.”
“No, Ashi, never ‘Highness’ to you,” she insisted, shaking her head. “Only ‘Jelena’ or ‘my love’.”
He nodded and offered her his arm. “Allow a simple soldier to escort his lady, then,” he replied.
She smiled and slipped her arm through his.
Chapter 9
The Veil Is Lifted
From atop its lofty perch on the blue tiled roof of the keep’s north tower, the raven watched and waited. Or rather, the intelligence that had enslaved the bird and now used its eyes waited, knowing that soon, the woman would come to walk in the garden below.
The bird held a shiny black stone within its beak. It knew nothing of the purpose of the stone; in fact, it knew nothing at all. The mind that now controlled the bird’s body had obliterated the tiny part of its brain that had contained its rudimentary self awareness. It served as a tool, nothing more.
The sun passed zenith, and still, the raven waited.
At last, the woman came, as she always did, alone except for a small, silky-haired dog capering by her side.
The raven spread its wings and sprang from the roof. It glided unsteadily downward and came to a rough landing on the gravel path at the woman’s feet. The stone tumbled from its beak.
The woman let out a startled cry and the little dog jumped back in a frenzy of barking. The raven stretched out its neck
“Please try not to worry, Ashi,” Jelena said, stroking his cheek.
“Impossible,” he replied. He rolled out of bed and crossed to the window to crack open the shutters. Jelena smiled with admiration. The sight of Ashi’s bare backside made her want to drag him back to bed for another lovemaking session, but she knew Amara waited downstairs.
“How do you feel?” he asked, pulling a robe over his nakedness. “Nausea all gone?”
“Yes, thanks,” Jelena replied. “The tea really helped. Truth be told, I haven’t felt myself lately…I just hope I’m not coming down with the flux.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“What? You’ve been ill and you didn’t tell me?” Ashinji came over and sat beside her, frowning. “How long has this been going on?”
Jelena sighed. “Since Nadaka Castle…”
“Nadaka Castle!” Ashinji cried. “That was over a week ago!”
“Yes, I know, but really…Ashi, it’s nothing. I didn’t want to worry you.”
“You didn’t want to…”
Jelena laid a finger on his lips to forestall any further outburst. “Hush, Husband. It’s nothing. Truly.”
“Everyone is keeping secrets from me,” Ashinji muttered crossly.
Jelena kissed him. “I love you, Husband,” she said, and her words seemed to mollify him. “Now, where are my new clothes?”
Ashinji stood and went to scoop up a bundle by the door. “Your new raiment, my princess,” he announced in his best imitation of a court herald’s pompous voice. He held out the garments with a flourish. “My mother brought them up.” Jelena took the clothing from him and spent a moment admiring their color and cut.
“My father is a man with exquisite taste,” she commented.
Having no time for a proper bath, they had to make do with a ewer and washbasin. Afterward, Jelena put on her new outfit, marveling at the luxurious feel of the fabric. It brought back the bittersweet memory of the gown she had worn on that fateful Sansa night at Amsara Castle, nearly a year ago.
Ashinji, as usual, donned his plain, soldier’s leathers. When he had finished dressing, he sat down at the end of the bed. Jelena braided his hair in a single queue, a task she had taken to doing for him each morning, just as he had made it his job to comb the snarls from her mane each evening. These small, loving gestures served to strengthen the bond between them.
When she had secured the braid with a leather tie, she stepped back and he stood and turned to face her. He raised his hands as if to touch her, then lowered them to his sides. “You…you look beautiful,” he whispered. “Your Highness.”
“No, Ashi, never ‘Highness’ to you,” she insisted, shaking her head. “Only ‘Jelena’ or ‘my love’.”
He nodded and offered her his arm. “Allow a simple soldier to escort his lady, then,” he replied.
She smiled and slipped her arm through his.
Chapter 9
The Veil Is Lifted
From atop its lofty perch on the blue tiled roof of the keep’s north tower, the raven watched and waited. Or rather, the intelligence that had enslaved the bird and now used its eyes waited, knowing that soon, the woman would come to walk in the garden below.
The bird held a shiny black stone within its beak. It knew nothing of the purpose of the stone; in fact, it knew nothing at all. The mind that now controlled the bird’s body had obliterated the tiny part of its brain that had contained its rudimentary self awareness. It served as a tool, nothing more.
The sun passed zenith, and still, the raven waited.
At last, the woman came, as she always did, alone except for a small, silky-haired dog capering by her side.
The raven spread its wings and sprang from the roof. It glided unsteadily downward and came to a rough landing on the gravel path at the woman’s feet. The stone tumbled from its beak.
The woman let out a startled cry and the little dog jumped back in a frenzy of barking. The raven stretched out its neck
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