the back door and ask at the kitchens,” the girl said primly, plainly mistaking him for the merchant he was dressed like and ready to shut the door in his face.
Kyndan gave Alari a wry look. “So, am I impressing you yet?”
Just then Laric, Kinara’s maid, crossed the hall and spied him in the doorway.
“Metara, that is the Tellaran ambassador! He is an honored guest here,” she admonished and waved her hand impatiently. “Foolish child. Step aside and allow him enter!”
Her face flushed, the girl scurried out of the way and Kyndan gave her a reassuring smile as they passed to show he wasn’t offended.
“Is Kinara still up?” he asked Laric and glanced up the stairway. “I thought we could say hi.”
Laric glanced between them then, her expression so puzzled that Kyndan wondered for a moment if he had slipped back into speaking Tellaran.
Laric’s gaze rested on Alari and her brow creased. Suddenly her eyes went wide. Her mouth opened and closed and in that moment Kyndan had the unkind thought that his sister’s most trusted attendant looked very like a mohu fish.
“Imperial Daughter,” she gasped and bowed low.
Alari’s cheeks pinkened becomingly but her eyes flickered her discomfort to Kyndan. “Rise.”
Laric straightened, her throat working. “Imperial Daughter, my lady is—” The little housemaid was staring openmouthed at Alari; Laric put a hand to the girl’s back and pushed her toward the stairs. “Tell your lady to come at once!” she hissed at the girl. Laric looked back at Alari as the girl ran up the stairs. “My lady is—I—we did not expect Your Highness.”
“No, I—please forgive the intrusion,” Alari said quickly.
Laric’s hand went to her chest. “Your Highness could never intrude! Oh, but our clanhouse is shamefully unprepared for—!”
“Laric, it’s fine,” Kyndan interrupted. “I’m sure she doesn’t mind.”
The sound of running footsteps could be heard on the second floor and in the next moment the little maid, Aidar—looking hastily dressed—and Kinara, her sleeping robe tied over her rounded belly, were coming down the stairs.
Aidar bowed as soon as he got to the bottom of the stairs and Kinara threw Kyndan a look that was both wide-eyed and aggravated; then she too bowed.
“Imperial Daughter,” she intoned, sounding out of breath as she bowed, her red hair hanging loose around her face.
“Lady of the Az’anti,” Alari returned, her cheeks reddened now.
“We, uh, we weren’t expecting you,” Kinara said, straightening. “We haven’t prepared the household for—” Looking utterly flustered, Kinara turned to her maid. “Laric?”
“I will—” the attendant broke off and whirled, urging the young housemaid ahead of her. “Tell the kitchens!” she said in fierce whisper. “Find Lerita!”
Kinara watched her maid go as if dismayed to find herself abandoned so and she and Aidar exchanged looks.
“Your Highness, I beg forgiveness for our poor welcome.” Kinara shifted her weight. “Uh, to our shame—”
“Okay,” Kyndan broke in. “Enough! Just stop !” He ran his hand through his hair. “Look, we’re tired and we just wanted to say a quick hello before we went to our room.”
Kinara blinked. “Your room. Oh. Okay.”
She exchanged another glance with Aidar.
“Okay,” she said again. “Look, Kyn, I mean Kyndan—I mean Imperial mate, I thought, we all thought, that—We weren’t expecting —Oh, man.” She closed her eyes for a moment and threw her hands out. “How about some tea?”
“Yeah, sure, perfect,” Kyndan said, relieved his sister was finally remembering her manners. “Tea sounds great. What do you think, Alari? Tea?”
She nodded quickly and it was hard to tell really which one of the three was the most uncomfortable.
“How about—” Kinara’s glance darted about. “Okay, let’s—sitting room! Everybody into the front sitting room.”
His sister turned that way and Kyndan noticed
Kyndan gave Alari a wry look. “So, am I impressing you yet?”
Just then Laric, Kinara’s maid, crossed the hall and spied him in the doorway.
“Metara, that is the Tellaran ambassador! He is an honored guest here,” she admonished and waved her hand impatiently. “Foolish child. Step aside and allow him enter!”
Her face flushed, the girl scurried out of the way and Kyndan gave her a reassuring smile as they passed to show he wasn’t offended.
“Is Kinara still up?” he asked Laric and glanced up the stairway. “I thought we could say hi.”
Laric glanced between them then, her expression so puzzled that Kyndan wondered for a moment if he had slipped back into speaking Tellaran.
Laric’s gaze rested on Alari and her brow creased. Suddenly her eyes went wide. Her mouth opened and closed and in that moment Kyndan had the unkind thought that his sister’s most trusted attendant looked very like a mohu fish.
“Imperial Daughter,” she gasped and bowed low.
Alari’s cheeks pinkened becomingly but her eyes flickered her discomfort to Kyndan. “Rise.”
Laric straightened, her throat working. “Imperial Daughter, my lady is—” The little housemaid was staring openmouthed at Alari; Laric put a hand to the girl’s back and pushed her toward the stairs. “Tell your lady to come at once!” she hissed at the girl. Laric looked back at Alari as the girl ran up the stairs. “My lady is—I—we did not expect Your Highness.”
“No, I—please forgive the intrusion,” Alari said quickly.
Laric’s hand went to her chest. “Your Highness could never intrude! Oh, but our clanhouse is shamefully unprepared for—!”
“Laric, it’s fine,” Kyndan interrupted. “I’m sure she doesn’t mind.”
The sound of running footsteps could be heard on the second floor and in the next moment the little maid, Aidar—looking hastily dressed—and Kinara, her sleeping robe tied over her rounded belly, were coming down the stairs.
Aidar bowed as soon as he got to the bottom of the stairs and Kinara threw Kyndan a look that was both wide-eyed and aggravated; then she too bowed.
“Imperial Daughter,” she intoned, sounding out of breath as she bowed, her red hair hanging loose around her face.
“Lady of the Az’anti,” Alari returned, her cheeks reddened now.
“We, uh, we weren’t expecting you,” Kinara said, straightening. “We haven’t prepared the household for—” Looking utterly flustered, Kinara turned to her maid. “Laric?”
“I will—” the attendant broke off and whirled, urging the young housemaid ahead of her. “Tell the kitchens!” she said in fierce whisper. “Find Lerita!”
Kinara watched her maid go as if dismayed to find herself abandoned so and she and Aidar exchanged looks.
“Your Highness, I beg forgiveness for our poor welcome.” Kinara shifted her weight. “Uh, to our shame—”
“Okay,” Kyndan broke in. “Enough! Just stop !” He ran his hand through his hair. “Look, we’re tired and we just wanted to say a quick hello before we went to our room.”
Kinara blinked. “Your room. Oh. Okay.”
She exchanged another glance with Aidar.
“Okay,” she said again. “Look, Kyn, I mean Kyndan—I mean Imperial mate, I thought, we all thought, that—We weren’t expecting —Oh, man.” She closed her eyes for a moment and threw her hands out. “How about some tea?”
“Yeah, sure, perfect,” Kyndan said, relieved his sister was finally remembering her manners. “Tea sounds great. What do you think, Alari? Tea?”
She nodded quickly and it was hard to tell really which one of the three was the most uncomfortable.
“How about—” Kinara’s glance darted about. “Okay, let’s—sitting room! Everybody into the front sitting room.”
His sister turned that way and Kyndan noticed
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