Page 40 of A Touch of Royalty

He was staring at the lists and trying to make a plan when the door opened in Emryn’s rooms and he rose, tapping the lists into a neat pile.

She was back and he fixed a smile on his face and went to see her.

He’d taken Brutus out earlier and the puppy was sleeping at the foot of their bed.

Emryn spun when she heard his steps and smiled at him, but there was worry in her eyes. “Hello Cas.”

“Hello Emryn, how did the meeting with the council go?”

Emryn raised one hand and laid it on her chest. “There are going to be a fair few upset entrepreneurs in the lower city.” She smiled, but it had a sharp edge. “Her Majesty says she will send people to take care of the controlled resources and ensure that the water is free for the people.”

Cas nodded. “Good, it was always meant to be.”

“Now I have to figure out how to plan to separate the washing and drinking water from teach other.” She looked worried, up into Cas’ eyes. “I have three weeks to have the plans drawn up, and I don’t have the first idea of how to begin.”

“I think this is where we talk about your tutors.” Cas waved the pages in his hands. “I have a list, but they each play to different strengths in your learning styles and I wasn’t sure what you were comfortable with.”

“I’ve had many different styles of teacher.” She mused. “Including one who’s language was entirely insults.”

“That seems counterintuitive.” Cas tilted his head at Emryn, puzzled. “How can you learn being insulted at every turn?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Emryn said carefully. “But healer Maria had some very good lessons to teach as long as you were alright with being insulted if you put a foot wrong.”

“I would not have been a good student.” Cas said as Shana bustled in. “Perhaps we can discuss this later, after supper with the Court?”

“I don’t think certain classes of noble are going to be happy with me either.” Emryn looked down briefly and then back up. “I’m fairly certain that some of the people controlling the water sources were employed.”

“Enforcers are usually employed by someone or another.” Cas was again confused. “I don’t see the correlation?”

“I just have a feeling,” Emryn said, looking over at Shana, who was laying out her grown for the evening. “It might not come to anything.”

“Emryn, I wish you’d talk to me.” Cas said after a moment of silence. “I wish you’d let me learn about you, and I wish I understood why you are afraid of me.”

“I’m-” she slumped slightly before pulling herself upright. “What do you wish to know, highness?”

“I want to get to know you, Emryn.”

“Talking about it hurts, Highness.” She whispered. “I lost my home, lost everything that ever made me feel like I mattered, and talking about it is like taking a knife to the chest.”

He should have known that. She’d never been anything but a healer, so him prying into that was to pry into a part of her that was still raw and sore.

“Will you tell me about before?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know anything about before.”

He’d known that, should have remembered. “Emryn, I-”

“I should dress,” she said quickly and turned from him, but not before he saw the tears on her lashes. “I will meet you in the foyer, highness.”

“As you say,” he bowed to her back and left, taking a cue from Shana who was shaking her head at him.

He should have remembered, she had no memories before she’d been found by the temple, and that had been her entire life before she’d healed him.

But there was something under it all. Something that stemmed from her confession to Asan that she was no true healer. He needed to know what that meant, but he wasn’t sure how to ask that wouldn’t result in hurting her.

He’d figure it out.

For now he was going to go change for supper and maybe he’d try to get her to dance with him. She had her first meeting with the dancing master tomorrow and if he could teach her a little bit, she might take to it better.

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