Auma had lit the fire by the time I emerged, filling the room with the earthy scent of peat. I stayed away from it, near the table in the sitting room, which had been laden with plates of eggs, fresh fruit, scones with cream and lemon curd, and pots filled with hot chamomile tea. I’d sampled tea once before in the Ambriels, but no one drank it in Rhodaire.

Kiva tried to get Auma to eat with us, but she excused herself and was gone in a wisp of air. Kiva eyed the spot she’d been standing. “She has a hunter’s step.”

“More than that. It’s like her feet don’t touch the ground.” The Jin were known for being masterful trackers. The prestige of the hunter’s guild came third only to the artist and gem guilds.

I sipped my tea and sighed. “This is so good.”

Kiva smirked. “The way to your heart really is through your stomach. But I’m glad to see you eating again.”

“Let’s talk about the way to your heart instead.” I glanced at the door Auma had left through, and Kiva’s eyes widened the slightest bit.

“I think she’s cute. That’s all.”

“And you respect her skill.” I hadn’t missed the admiration in Kiva’s tone when she noted Auma’s silent step. “All she needs now is talent with a blade and you’ll be smitten.”

“I will throw things at you.”

“I’m thinking a spring wedding.”

“Thia.”

“You can’t wear your guard’s uniform though. I bet we can find a nice suit for you to borrow.”

She seized a scone, and I leapt from my seat with a laugh, narrowly avoiding being pelted in the head.

An hour later, Auma led us down the corridor, my bow a familiar weight across my back. One of the guards posted outside my door had followed us, but my head stayed on a swivel nonetheless. I didn’t trust anyone here besides Kiva and my own soldiers. Still, I already noticed something different in the eyes of the people we passed. Eyes that saw my weapon and didn’t look quite as disgusted as last night’s dinner guests.

Auma led us downstairs to the first floor and through to the back of the castle, where we entered a long, rectangular room. Light flooded the space, forcing me to blink several times to clear my vision. The entire back wall consisted of floor-to-ceiling windows, granting light to a room filled with chairs and couches, all organized in clusters around small hearths lit with roaring fires.

Thankfully, the fires were on the edges, and the room was fairly large. I could walk through the middle without getting close to any of them.