Page 33 of The King is Dead
“…sleeproot can help you sleep if we make it into a tea. And it's safe to mix it with shadowleaf. That can make nightmares go away.”
Gall frowned, but then Istral straightened and placed something long and green in the basket he held, and for a moment both their heads were bent over his arm, and they seemed…together.
I blinked. “Harris—”
“Shhhhh, just watch.”
Istral had always done things very precisely. It took her a long time to learn new information or skills. She worked hard to do it. But once they were solid in her head, she did them exactly the same way every time.
Now, she put the plants she’d picked carefully in the basket and even though I was too far away to see, I knew she laid each of the stalks perfectly straight with its brothers. If there was more than one plant in there as I suspected, she would very carefully separate the bunches so they touched as little as possible. But the thing that stole my breath was Gall.
He stood over her, very patiently waiting while she arranged the plants as she wanted to. But it wasn’t the greenery that he looked at.
He was staring at Istral. As ifshewere the precious thing to be gathered.
“He isn’t sleeping well, Yilan,” Harris whispered. “I’m a little bit worried about him, but we’ll wait and see if it’s just because he was kept unconscious for so long. Still… he’sbesottedwith her. He can’t take his eyes off her. He gets agitated when she leaves the room. I awoke this morning to find him curled up on the floor outside her door like a giant dog.”
I looked at Harris in alarm. “But… they’rechildren.”
Harris’s brows rose. “No. They are… unique. And they recognize something in each other. And neither of them denies it. You should have heard them talking as we ate last night—he told her that he’d never met anyone like her, and he didn’t want to ever be far from her.”
Oh, dear Lord. “What did she say?”
Harris was clearly fighting laughter. “She told him she’d get your permission for him to stay. That if you said he could, no one could deny him.”
I blew out a breath. “I brought him here to stay but… I never imagined… Harris, do you think—”
“I think we have no idea how things like this work for people like them, so we should just watch and… help them whenever they need it.”
I looked back at the pair. Istral had finished arranging her stalks and was smiling up at Gall, who stared at her like the sun shone out of her eyes.
“But… I mean, they only just met! They’d never—surely there’s not a chance they would want… I mean, that they’dwanteach other?”
Harris snorted. “I would be very surprised if theydidn’tat some point,” she said, shaking her head and smiling. “Particularly him. His body would drive him to it, if nothing else.”
I was aghast. “But she’s innocent! I’ve never spoken to her about—”
“She ispure,Yilan. But not entirely innocent, you know that.” Harris gave me a grim look that I wanted to ignore. “I know her desire to marry and be a mother has always been uneasy for you.”
“It’s not just uneasy—I don’t thinks she understands the slightest reality of marriage or intimacy with a man,” I hissed. “She’s a child!”
Harris turned to look at me then, some surprise on her face. “You’ve used that word in relation to her many times, but I didn’t think you meant it literally. You do know, don’t you, that she is much more than that?”
“Of course!” I spluttered. “I just… I never imagined she’d… I mean, not an actual, long term,intimaterelationship with a man.”
Harris’s brows rose. “Have we not already learned that the world willforceadulthood on to her, whether she wants it or not? Respectfully, I think the Queen might need to give some thought to… reconsidering that position.” Her face softened. “Yilan, look at them. They’re perfect for each other.”
I turned with her, for the first time tensing with unease about Gall being here, my head spinning. But of course, the two of them together were adorable. Istral was smiling and sweet, and Gall was soft and patient, clearly swelling with pride when they started to walk and Istral took his arm as if it were simply natural.
If it were just their hearts, I would have cried with joy at the sight of them being so easy with one another and so in tune. I didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that they might become attached to each other. But…
“Harris… he’shuge!”
She nodded, and the first flicker of unease crossed her face. “It’s definitely going to be challenging for them if things go in that direction,” she said. Then she turned to me again. “I don’t think you should worry too much, though. Perhaps… perhaps past events could prove to be blessings in disguise?”
When my eyes widened in horror, she rushed on.
“Please, don’t fret, Yilan. I suspect it will be some time before either of them is ready to… expand their relationship. I just wanted you to see them together. There’s something very special here. A gift. For both of them, I think.”
