Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
The last time they had been in a stable loft together, lying on their backs and asking questions to the stars, was the last time he would see her for fifteen years. He had promised he’d return to her, once he convinced his father to take pity. But William’s father was cold to the world. Lord Beneger swore and cursed that if William brought Arable home, she would wear shackles. He was blinded with grief, unable to bear the sight of a Burel—even the sound of the name drove him to hysteria. He threatened to have his men follow William, with orders to apprehend her if the two should meet at all. And so William did not return to the stables that night, nor send word. He had broken his promise. To protect her.
Now he had the opportunity to make amends.
“That room I was sent to clean … that’s yours, then?” she asked.
“I’ll be staying for a bit. Maybe as long as a month,” he explained. “I asked the Sheriff for whatever accommodations he could afford me in that time, so that’s … my room.”
She nodded. “It’s a nice room.”
“It’s a nice room. I also asked if he could spare me an attendant, since I don’t know my way around the castle, and am otherwise unattended.” His words felt sloppy—he had all the grace of adolescence again.
“That’s good,” she said, emotionless. “Do you know who it’ll be?”
He blinked, not realizing it was possible she could misinterpret what he had done.
“Oh,” her eyes widened when she figured it out. “Oh.”
“Only for a few hours a day. I couldn’t really justify any more than that.”
“Ah.” She seemed confused, or perhaps she was just avoiding making any face large enough to hurt herself. “So I’m to … serve you?”
“No!” He had messed it up, exactly like he feared. “Sorry, I didn’t explain that well. I don’t need an attendant at all. The hours you’re assigned to me, they’re yours. To do whatever you want. Rest, or read, or go out to the city, whatever you like. I thought … I thought you could use a break. There’s a servant’s quarters attached to the state room, it’s yours, for as long as I’m here, at least. When you’re not tending to your other duties, of course.”
He didn’t need anything brighter than the moon to see the effect it had on her. It was as if she’d never been given a gift before.