The spurts of laughter didn’t sound like they were directed at me. “I’d noticed the particular closeness between you two but did not realize the happy occasion!” Knox proclaimed. “We must drink to your health and to Kalen’s! Have you been long together?”

“Not too long, milord, but I intend it to last me my days!”

“Once I traveled the Steerfall strays,” Aden started to sing, “with gold to last me my days, but soon found myself on old Thanh’s shore, all shacked up with a Yadoshan wh—”

“Stop!” I raised my hand before he could finish. “Kalen and I are nothing of that sort! Our Kion songs speak of it better than your bawdy tunes!”

“An asha performance!” Knox crowed. “Sing us some refrains, little miss, and let us be the judge!”

I was not known for my singing voice. Instructor Mina had been able to coax my frog-like warbles into a decent melody, but inebriation masked what little skill I possessed. Still, I endeavored.

Kiss me with your generous mouth,

That source of endless wine.

Kiss me close when season’s drouth,

Your lips a taste of mine.

Through storm-led skies and sun-dried fires,

Our love ’twas meant to be.

When roses fade on funeral pyres

I’ll carry your heart with me.

The men applauded like I’d danced the darashi oyun. “Fighting words!” Balfour said. “Softer than what we’re accustomed to, but the heart speaks true! Which does raise the question: Who seduced whom?”

The men found that hilarious, and I laughed along with them. “I’m not entirely certain, Lord Balfour. It was difficult to ascertain who made the first move; we were initially on hostile terms, you see. But that might have been part of his charm.”

“But surely there was a turning point, milady?” Our table was no longer my only audience. About half of the hall was silent, riveted by my performance.

I reflected, ignoring them all. “Perhaps it was when I accidentally used compulsion to save his life, Sir Balfour.”

For some reason, a fresh chorus of laughter met my words. “Surely you didn’t need to compel him to be fond of you?” someone called out. “You have no need for trickeries when you look the way you do!”

“Oh, but I did, and I apologized! It took him so long to forgive me. Even after I offered for him to do the same to me!”

Balfour gaped at me. “You volunteered to relinquish control of your mind? That is quite the test of trust, milady.”

That was true, wasn’t it? As angry as he had been with me, I’d trusted him enough not to take advantage, even when he threatened to do just that. Even when I hadn’t done the same. I drained another bowl. “He didn’t like me, but I had confidence in him. That’s the kind of man Lord Kalen is.”