He made a low noise, and I fled. I closed the door behind me and left with alacrity, almost sprinting across his bedroom to get the airspace between us. I slammed the adjoining door shut and fumbled the lock closed, then leaned against it, breathing like a Thoroughbred at the end of a race.

"Oh, my God," I said to my bedroom.

Kamharida poked her head out of her room. "That doesn't sound like happiness."

I laughed, a shrill little sound. One major problem with human helpers? You can't swear them to secrecy in any way that actually matters. Dain kicking me out so he wouldn't beg me to be his lover was a secret that would have to live and die with me.

"Went fine!" I chirped. "Super good! No problems!"

"So..." she said, a leading comment if ever I'd heard one.

My knees buckled of their own accord and I slid down the door to sit on the floor. Kamharida came over and sat down next to me, then patted me on the knee in a motherly fashion. I clonked my head back against the door and groaned in frustration.

"I think he will maybe avoid me somewhat less," I said.

"That's a lot of prevarication," she replied, sounding amused.

With a grimace, I said, "I actually suspect he will glue himself to my side, but I am somewhat overwrought at the moment."

She laughed at me, and patted my knee again. "You know, the palace staff are all very hopeful for the two of you," Kamharida said, her eyes twinkling. "He hasn't killed anyone since the archers. It's almost a record."

"Jesus Christ," I muttered. "What's the record?"

"The Queen imprisoned him in the dungeons when he was nineteen, as punishment for killing a woman who kept yanking on his ears, tails, and wing-arms like he was a tolerant animal," she said, as if this was both common knowledge and of no consequence. "He stayed there for a little over nine months before he tore out the wall, killed the guards who tried to stop him, then went and sat in his throne on the dias in the middle of open court, naked and dripping with blood."

"Jesus Christ," I said again. "You'd think people would stop trying to kill him. It doesn't ever go well."

"You'd think," Kamharida said with a chuckle. "Cheer up, your highness. There's a revel tonight. Maybe your Dain will show up this time to escort you like he's supposed to."

"Yippee," I groaned, thinking of how well our last revel had gone. But I still smiled when she laughed. Maybe he and I could stir up a little hell.

40. Revelry

Chapter 40

Revelry