Chapter 45

The following morning, after picking Clementine up from where she slept on top of my rucksack for what felt like the billionth time, there was a tap at the door and Zusa entered with a message from Finli. I handed the recalcitrant kitten to Zusa, asking her to find someone to play with the tangerine ball of fluff for awhile so that I could get my packing done, then took the proffered letter.

As Zusa closed the sliding door, I heard her gently admonishing Clementine for being a naughty girl, followed quickly by a promise of a bit of milk. I smiled as I tore open the envelope that Zusa had given me; Clementine was being spoiled but I couldn’t really object since she was the first addition to our family unit that Liam and I had done together.

Pulling a fine piece of parchment from the envelope, I scanned the message. My smile broadened to a grin as I saw that it was an invitation from Finli and his wife, Yuna.

I slid open the door to the study and seated myself next to Liam at the lacquered table, which was covered in untidy stacks of papers that Liam was trying to work on prior to our departure since we would be gone for more than two weeks.

He was busily writing on one of the many papers, glancing back and forth between it and another paper he held in his hand. I waited for a moment, trying not to interrupt, but when he seemed oblivious to my presence, I cleared my throat in an attempt to get his attention.

He looked at me and immediately responded to my grin with a smaller smile of his own. He set down both the pen and paper he’d been holding and asked, “What has you looking like the rat that got into the cheese?”

I handed him the invitation, but didn’t let him read it before blurting out, “Finli seems to have survived the birthing experience once more and has invited us to lunch with his family and to meet his newest child, L’nai.” I was so excited by the prospect that I wiggled a bit in my seat as Liam perused the invitation.

He flashed me an amused look. “I take it that you’d like to go?”

I nodded and wiggled some more. I hadn’t seen a baby in years and also wanted to get to know Finli better as he was Liam’s top advisor in magical matters. I had decided at some point that I wanted to foster better relations with Liam’s staff, same as I’d done with Major Antelz, and meeting Finli’s family was a great start in that direction. I was also feeling cooped up and an excuse to leave the citadel, even for just an afternoon, was appealing, despite knowing that we would soon be departing for the highly anticipated journey to Otter Cove.

Liam touched the call orb and when Zusa appeared, he asked her to send a message to Finli’s home that we would be overjoyed to accept his invitation. She gave him a bow of her head and closed the door once more.

I left Liam to resume his work and for the next little while, I bustled about our quarters, packing the rucksack with necessities and dressing for our visit with the Jaxson family. I’d been wearing nothing but pajamas since the encounter with Liam’s father, so it actually felt nice to put on one of the outfits that Maezi had made for me, though I would have preferred the black outfit that I’d worn to court. But Nanny had taken one look at it after our return and declared it unfit for me to wear now that I was Tae Ko due to the damage that it had sustained during the supernatural confrontation, namely the blood that had splattered all over my back when Selene had beheaded one of the Argent Eight.

So instead, I selected an outfit that was a rich, dark blue on one side and a light blue so pale that it was nearly white on the other side. I checked myself in the mirror and was once again pleased with the effect Maezi had created with the vertical color difference, though I would have to ask her to add the Crimson Fang sigil to the collar, as well as to the other clothes she’d made so far.

That thought made me actually smack one hand against my own forehead with the remembrance of what Nanny had told me about royalty only being permitted to wear silk in public. I’d have to have an entirely new wardrobe commissioned. Though Nanny had also explained that the palace had its own group of tailors and seamstresses to attend to the royal family’s clothing needs, I’d made the decision that Maezi would be the only person to make my clothes as she’d done a spectacular job of it so far.

On impulse, I decided that, instead of sending a message to Maezi, we would stop by her shop in Magnolia, the village outside of the Eastern Gate that Liam and I had traveled through on our way to Twisted Pines. I called for Zusa and asked her to tell me how to get to Maezi’s shop since she’d been there several times before and then I went to check on Liam and to see if he was all right with leaving a little earlier than we’d intended.

I found him in exactly the same spot at the table in the study, but with one elbow resting on the table and his forehead in his hand and with an aggravated look wrinkling his brow.

“Is this a bad time?” I asked him as I moved around to stand behind him and began kneading his shoulders. The muscles there were bunched up tight and he sighed as I dug my fingers in, trying to ease some of the tension.

“No, it’s not a bad time. It’s just the usual nonsense, but I’m trying to plow through as much of it as possible before we leave for Otter Cove.”

Clenching my hands into loose fists, I began to gently thump his shoulders where they met his neck. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Liam half snorted, half laughed. “Not unless you want to lose your mind. I’ve trained for this my entire life and I still find it irritating. I think you might just start relieving the politicians of their heads.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” I said it jokingly, but was fractionally serious about the concept. From everything I’d seen, Zanskan nobles had an over-inflated sense of their worth and could do with getting knocked down a peg or two.

Liam barked out a laugh as he bounded to his feet, turning around and grabbing me about the waist, looking down at me with a twinkle in his eyes. “If I unleash you on them, it might start a war.”

I smiled at that but told Liam, “Joking aside, I do want to help and I want to do something besides sit in this house everyday. I know I’m supposed to be assigned official duties, but isn’t there anything I could do to ease your burden? Or perhaps I could take on some of Major Antelz’s duties so that she’d have more time to focus on helping you?”

“Ah, now that is something to consider.” he said in a musing tone. “Let me discuss it with the Major. It might be better than heaping anything else on you until we learn what your official duties are to be.”

I nodded amiably and then remembered my original purpose of coming into the study. “If you aren’t too busy, I’d like to stop by Maezi’s shop before we go to Finli’s. I need to discuss a new wardrobe with her.”

Liam groaned playfully and waved a hand at the paper-strewn table. “As if I need an excuse to leave this behind for a bit. Come, let’s go now so that you’ll have ample time.” Grabbing my hand, he tugged me toward the door and I laughed at his abrupt change of mood.

We tried to sneak out to avoid having to take a cortege with us, but Zusa caught sight of us and before we knew it, there were half a dozen slaves aside from Zusa as well as four guards trailing behind us as we made our way to the Eastern Gate and to the village beyond.

Although it was only late morning, the summer heat was intense and two of the slaves came forward to hold parasols over our heads. I objected, but Liam, with a reassuring pat to my hand that was resting in the crook of his elbow, told me to allow them to do their jobs, so I hushed myself, though I didn’t like it.

Since Zusa was with us, it was a simple matter to find Maezi’s shop and as Liam and I entered, I immediately saw my friend at the back of the room and she appeared to be examining a bolt of fabric.

As always, Maezi looked as lovely as a spring day in a flowing dress of pink silk embroidered with a cascade of white lilies that ran from one shoulder all the way down to the hem and were so realistic that it was hard to believe that she had created them with naught but needle and thread.

Maezi looked up with a pleasant smile and seemed about to greet us before realizing who it was that had entered her shop. Her genial expression melted away and turned serious and her normally bright and friendly eyes became guarded.

I frowned at the change. “What’s wrong, Maezi? Are you unwell?”

The tailor gave me a look that I couldn’t decipher and then lowered her head in a deep bow. “Greetings, Tae Han, Tae Ko. How may I be of service?”

Ah, so she had heard the news that I’d been formally acknowledged as Liam’s wife. I’d been so exhausted after my confrontation with Tae Beun that it hadn’t even occurred to me to send a message to Maezi explaining the change in my status from slave to bride of the crown prince.

I berated myself for a second for my carelessness and let go of Liam’s arm so that I could take a few steps closer to the three-spirited woman. Lowering my voice, I said, “Maezi, there is no need to be so formal. We are friends, are we not?”

She shook her head slightly, causing the adornments of butterflies and flowers that she wore in her hair to shiver with the movement. “A lowly one such as I cannot be friends with the exalted princess. My deepest apologies for being forward with you, Tae Ko.”

I made a moue of frustration for I’d thought we’d gotten past the class issue. “Nothing has changed between us, Maezi. I still consider you my friend and as I’ve said before, true friends care not about status or rank.”

With her head still bent low, Maezi’s voice trembled slightly as she said, “You may not care, Tae Ko, but the rest of the Kin nobles do and it would not do for a commoner such as I to be anything but your tailor from now on.”

Without thinking, I reached out and took her hands in mine. Maezi went rigid with the contact but I didn’t let go. “Maezi, I was already bound to Liam when you and I met. I care not for the small minds of nobles. You are my friend and nothing can change that.”

Squeezing her hands gently, I apologized to the sad looking woman before me. “I should have sent you a message after our Mark was confirmed. I’m sorry for not letting you know, Maezi, and I’m sorry that I’ve upset you. Will you forgive me, my friend?”

She finally lifted her head at that, her light brown eyes wide with astonishment. “Tae Ko, there is nothing to forgive. I…” She flicked her eyes at Liam. “I am merely following protocol and-”

Liam cut her off by suddenly moving past me and throwing an arm around her shoulder and gently swinging her around, pointing her in the direction of an open door to one side that looked as if it led to a parlor. “Enough of this. Come, Maezi. My wife and I would like to commission some new clothes.”

And with his arm still around her shoulders, Liam began guiding Maezi toward the parlor. She shot me a look back over her shoulder and I had to grin at the look on her face that said she didn’t know how to react to this development. She hadn’t expected the crown prince to throw protocol to the wind and I’m sure that his familiar way with her was profoundly confusing.

I followed behind them, pleased and amused at the way Liam had handled the situation. It may have been more abrupt than strictly necessary, but in one fell swoop, he had shown Maezi that her fears were unfounded and that she was welcome in our lives and in doing so, he also announced to the world that he, the crown prince of Zanska, accepted a commoner as friend.

There was little doubt that he’d get an earful about this from the various court officials, as well as from his father, but I wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment.

As Maezi, a look of bewilderment plastered across her face, called for her assistant to bring refreshments, I admired the large parlor that we’d entered. It was simply but elegantly appointed and well lit with natural light that flooded in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The three of us seated ourselves at a table that combined both modern and traditional styles in that it was beautifully carved and lacquered in the usual Zanskan style, but it was also a taller table with tall chairs unlike the low table and floor seating such as what we had in our study at home. The sole guard Liam had permitted inside since there wasn’t enough room in the shop for the entire cortege, took up position behind Liam’s chair with her hands clasped behind her back.

In her sweet, musical voice, Maezi told me how worried she’d been when she’d heard the tales of what had occurred at the court with Tae Beun.

I was contrite as I apologized once more. “Oh, I am so sorry that you were worried, Maezi. I should have sent you a message to tell you that all was fine.”

She gave me a sweet smile and said, “I am just happy to see that you are alive and well, Tae Ko.”

I quirked an eyebrow at her. “You are aware that my life was endangered?”

“Oh, yes, the court hasn’t yet released anything in an official capacity, but the rumor mills have been churning most energetically. Perhaps you’ll tell me the details so that I can separate fact from fiction?”

I gave her a pointed look and flicked my eyes toward the guard. “Yes, but at some later time, Maezi. We have somewhere we must be in a little while.” She seemed to catch my meaning and gave me a slight nod of her head in acknowledgement.

After a tray of tea and snacks were brought, I explained to Maezi what Nanny had said about the royal family only being permitted to wear silk in public, but that I wanted something similar to the leathers and robe she had made for my court appearance. Liam was quiet as we worked out a compromise between what I wanted and what the court wanted and seemed content to just sip his tea and eat an entire plateful of moon cakes. I was tempted to chide him since we would shortly be dining with the Jaxson family, but I stopped myself when I considered that this man’s stomach was a bottomless pit so it wasn’t as if he wouldn’t do justice to whatever we were served at lunch.

When Maezi called for her assistant to bring fabric samples, I told her that it wouldn’t be necessary since I wanted everything in black. I still yearned for the simpler clothing of the Astmenai, so if I was going to have to wear these fancier Zanskan items for the rest of my life, at least I could keep the colors simple and just match Liam’s palace attire.

We chatted about various things for a little while and I mentioned the surprise trip that Liam had planned for us. Maezi jumped up in excitement and excused herself for a moment. When she came back, she held a bundle of several items and explained that they were clothes she’d made in the Zanskan human style when Liam had sent her a message asking her to make them.

I gave him a questioning look and he gave me a self-satisfied grin. “I’ve been planning the trip ever since you told me that you’d never seen the ocean.”

My eyes widened in surprise and I thought back, searching my memory and realizing that conversation had occurred nearly two weeks ago. I gave Liam an admiring look. “You sly beast.” He just grinned at me.

Maezi showed each piece to us and assured us that alterations for Liam’s increased size could be done quickly and that she would have them delivered to our residence before our departure.

After a few more minutes of idle chit-chat, Zusa tapped at the door and explained that it was time for us to leave if we were to arrive at the Jaxson home on time.

I gave Maezi a warm hug and she whispered in my ear that she was truly glad to see that I was all right. I squeezed her a little tighter and told her that I would call on her once we returned from Otter Cove.

She escorted us out and gave us a deep bow as she thanked us for visiting her. More than ever, I wished we could do away with formality, but Nanny’s words haunted me; she had said that everything I did came back to Liam since he was a crown prince and I was striving to be mindful of that, at least in public settings, no matter how much I might dislike Zanskan rules of etiquette.

Giving Maezi a small wave of my hand, we left and made our way to the Jaxson residence. Finli himself came out to greet us with a formal bow before escorting us into his home and seating us in a study that greatly resembled our own, but with a distinctly more feminine touch. We sat on legless chairs at a low table and chatted for several minutes about inconsequential matters until a woman entered the room with a baby in her arms.

Finli jumped up from his seat and helped the young woman settle into her own chair as she cradled the baby carefully in her arms. Aside from being a bit on the plump side, which was of course understandable since she’d only given birth less than two weeks ago, Yuna was unremarkable in both looks and mannerisms.

That is, until she looked at either Finli or down at baby L’nai. When she smiled at them, her joy and obvious love for them transformed her from a plain young woman of average features into a goddess.

Kneeling next to his wife and baby daughter, Finli said, “Tae Han, it is my honor to introduce you to my wife, Yuna, and our daughter L’nai.”

Liam and I both leaned forward in our seats, craning our necks to get a better look at the infant swaddled in a thick, plush blanket, her round, pink face barely peeking out. Enough time had passed since her birth that she had lost that bruised, wrinkled look that so many newborns had and instead, her skin was as pale as freshly fallen snow with pink blossoms blooming on her chubby little cheeks.

What struck me was the amount of hair baby L’nai had. Even though the majority of her head was covered, a thick swatch of fluffy black hair stuck out all around her face. Astmenai babies barely had any peach fuzz when they were born, so I’d no idea that other babies could be born with so much hair.

I reached out tentative fingers but stopped myself, glancing at Yuna for permission. She smiled kindly and nodded her assent, so I stretched out my fingers and stroked the hair at the top of L’nai’s head. It was so soft and fine that my fingertips barely registered that I was touching anything at all. “It’s like touching a cloud!” I exclaimed in a hushed voice, trying not to disturb the infant.

That got Liam’s attention and he nervously reached out just his index finger and carefully touched a jet black curl that lay against L’nai’s cheek. He looked at me with wide eyes.

And for whatever reason, Yuna asked my husband, the crown prince of Zanska, a fierce warrior and Adept of the first order, an almost literal giant of a man, if he would like to hold her baby.

Liam leaned back away from the young mother, a look of uncertainty flickering across his face. “I, uh, don’t think that’s a good idea, Lady Yuna. I’ve never held a baby before. What if I drop her?”

Yuna’s eyes crinkled at the corners with amusement. “There is nothing to fret about, Tae Han. You won’t drop her.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. Now hold out your arms like so. There you are.” Yuna placed the baby in Liam’s arms and he stared down at the tiny bundle with amazement writ across his face.

In a voice so soft that I could barely hear him even though I sat only inches away from him, Liam said, “Greetings, Lady L’nai. I am so very pleased to meet you.”

His strangely formal words to an infant melted my heart. If I hadn’t already been madly in love with him, I think I would have fallen for him in that very instant.

With a soft touch, he ran his index finger down her pink cheek and then he froze as L’nai stirred slightly, her tiny rosebud mouth working open and closed a few times.

Yuna stood and took L’nai from Liam’s arms, explaining that the baby was hungry and that she would return shortly. She excused herself and Liam let out a pent up breath as soon as the door was closed behind Yuna.

Finli chuckled and told Liam, “You handled that well, all things considered.”

Liam looked at me, his eyes still wide like that of a horse that has seen a snake in its path. “That was the single most frightening experience of my life.”

Peals of laughter erupted from me, filling the room with sound. Liam gave me a sour look, which only served to make me laugh harder.

“I’m sorry,” I said in a breathy wheeze when I finally got my mirth under control. “But, husband, she’s a wee baby, not a ravening beast.”

Liam, with an openly frank look on his face, said, “I would rather fight a ravening beast. I was afraid I was going to break her. She’s so tiny.”

I patted his hand comfortingly. “Babies are sturdier than you think.”

The look on his face turned to one of reflection and he gave me a strange look. Intuiting what was going through his head, I smiled and squeezed his hand. “Someday, my love.”

He nodded, satisfied, and brushed a kiss across my knuckles.

While we waited for Yuna to return, Liam and Finli discussed all of the things Finli had missed since L’nai’s birth. When Finli noticed that I was not engaging in the conversation, he looked shamefaced and gave me a deep bow of his head. “My apologies, Tae Ko. I’ve been unforgivably rude. This is a social visit and here we are talking business and politics.”

I gave him a reassuring smile. “Please don’t fret, Finli. I don’t mind that you two are catching up on things. Much has happened in your absence and I know that you are invaluable to my husband.”

Finli bowed his head again. “You honor me too much, Tae Ko.”

“Nonsense.” I flapped a hand at the two men. “Continue.”

They resumed their conversation but once Yuna reappeared, alone this time as L’nai had fallen asleep after her feeding, she put a stop to it saying that it would sour our appetites.

I snorted indelicately. “That is an impossibility for my husband, Lady Yuna. His appetite rivals that of bears.”

Her eyes crinkled in a charming way and when she rang a small bell, slaves began bringing in trays of food and drink, arranging everything expertly before us before taking the trays away again.

It wasn’t on par with Kaira’s cooking, but it was a fantastic meal nevertheless. Braised beef in a succulent oyster sauce, roasted duck with a wonderfully crispy skin, roasted potatoes and carrots covered in a sweet and spicy sauce that Liam practically inhaled like it was the last thing he was ever going to eat, and a dozen other dishes.

We chatted as we ate and Yuna displayed a sharp, shrewd mind hiding behind her unassuming veneer. I liked her and Finli both and was glad that we’d made the time to visit with them before we left for Otter Cove.

After the leisurely meal, Liam and I thanked them for their hospitality and explained that we had things to attend to before the day was done so we had to take our leave.

Yuna surprised me by giving me a warm hug. “You have honored our home, Tae Ko. Have a safe journey.”

I was fairly certain that Nanny had told me that no one was allowed to touch me so casually now that I was royalty, but I liked that the young woman threw off convention and treated me like a normal person. I hugged her back and thanked her again before taking Liam’s hand and heading homeward.