Page 28 of Prize for the King
My head pounds as I crawl off the bed and don a nightshirt, tying the neckline ribbons firmly on my throat so no part of me is uncovered. When Khay comes back with two men who haul the tub away, I’m buried under blankets in bed, feeling confused and sorry for myself, and a little guilty.
I suspected him of the worst, but he only wanted to help.
“Here.”
Khay hands me a bowl of stew and unwraps a napkin covering three buttered slices of dark bread. I take the food without protest, my stomach grumbling. As I eat, he gathers my dirty clothes. I think nothing of it until he snorts under his breath, holding out Magnar’s underthings with a gleeful smile.
“Put these away,” I ask with a half-hearted groan. I really don’t have any more strength left to deal with the nonsense of today. It was the most bizarre day of my life.
“I finally get why Magnar didn’t mind the dress,” Khay says, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “I’ll lend you mine tomorrow, then. It will be fun to think about you wearing them while we ride.”
I finish the stew and a slice of bread, then put the rest aside. I don’t even care about the underwear anymore. With the last of my strength, I stumble out of bed to brush my teeth at the dresser. Khay leaves, locking up behind him, and I crawl into bed and fall asleep, waking only for a moment when someone whispers in the dark, the mattress dipping by my side.
*
“Rise and shine, little diamond!”
I groan and turn away from the horrible sound of Khay’s cheerful voice. It’s still dark outside, and fresh candles burn brightly in the sconces. I don’t understand how he can be so upbeat before dawn.
“Come on, we don’t have much time.” He shakes my shoulder, and I grab a pillow, planning to hit him with it, but my arm is so weak, I drop it on my face instead.
“Wonderful,” Khay says with a snort. “You almost drowned yesterday, and now you want to suffocate yourself with a pillow. I think you secretly want me around all the time, or you wouldn’t endanger yourself with the simplest things.”
He delivers that hilariously annoying speech without making a single move to help me. I manage to push the pillow off and glare at him.
“You’re the most annoying person I know.”
Khay grins, showing off his white, sharp teeth. I pull the pillow back onto my face so as not to see them. “Go away. I’m going to sleep in, and you can ride without me.”
Next thing I know, both the pillow and blanket are thrown off me, and I’m up in the air, thrown over Khay’s shoulder. I scream and flail, and he has the audacity to pat my rump.
“There. Be a good little diamond and get dressed. You can’t skip another meal at the table, or Magnar will have kittens.”
He deposits me on the floor by the bench where my dress from yesterday is laid out, the fabric brushed clean. Fresh underthings and a pair of red male underwear are folded on top.
“Is that everything you need?” Khay asks, looking smug. “Did I get it right?”
God, I want to cry. I’m so frustrated. Why doesn’t he see how improper this is? He’s a man, and not the one I married.
“For the last time, you can’t be my maid,” I say, shaking my head wearily.
Khay has the audacity to laugh. “Of course not, my lady. I’m your knight. Can I please finally do my job and take care of you?”
I pause, something about his wording making me hesitate.Takecare of you.Isn’t that what he did yesterday? At no point did Khay hurt me. He saved me, he held me, and then he brought me food, and now—even though it annoys me to no end—he’s making sure I get up early enough to have time to dress and eat before we set off.
As my groggy mind laboriously works on the issue, Khay senses my hesitation. He takes a step closer and fingers the ribbon at my throat, eyes serious.
“What if I stay in the room but don’t look?” he offers, his graceful fingers brushing my jaw. “That way I’ll be available to help as soon as you need me, or save you if you set yourself on fire or something. You can dress on your own, and I won’t see a thing, I promise. Or you can ask me for help, and I’ll be prompt and respectful like the best maid you’ve ever had.”
I blink up at him, the golden glow of the candle warming his smooth skin and bringing out the freckles. He smiles with his lips closed, reassuring and comforting, and when I look at the way his eyes crinkle, I notice for the first time how long and dark his lashes are.
Khay is… is… not unpleasant to look at.
“Come on, little diamond,” he says, his voice an octave lower, a husky note stealing in. “I need an answer. It’s really best we start early so you can get used to it before we arrive at the keep.”
“Oh.” I release a soft breath of wonder, looking down, my eyes level with his upper stomach. I’ve just realized something.
Khay is right, and he’s tried to tell me all along: things are different now. They will continue to be different. Back home, it was unthinkable for a princess to be attended by anyone but women, but the Agnidari are a different people with different customs.
