Ba’an woke with a start, instantly alert and alarmed.

Someone was in her room, and it was not Lukios.

Play dead. She lay very, very still, focusing on the soul that was only five steps away.

The soul felt oddly familiar—like little chirping birds.

…Aika?

It was. Ba’an listened with her ears, and slowly, she felt the scene focus in her mind: the girl was humming quietly under her breath, and Ba’an could hear the slithering of fabric over fabric. What was she doing?

Ba’an sat up. Aika looked up from her mending, smiling very pleasantly, though her expression froze on her face as her eyes settled on Ba’an’s throat.

Oh.

Yes, and Ba’an was also naked.

Wonderful.

“Aika.”

“Yes, kyria!” Her smile returned, though her eyes continued to stray to the marks that undoubtedly dotted Ba’an’s chest and throat.

“I would like to dress.”

“Oh, yes, kyria!” Aika hurriedly got to her feet, Ba’an’s well-worn travel cloak still held in her hands.

It was obvious she had been darning Ba’an’s cloak, though Ba’an could not imagine why. What in all the Wheel had possessed the girl to sit in the corner while Ba’an slept and start mending her cloak? It was absurd.

Ba’an watched as Aika hung the cloak back up on the pegs that lined the wall. Rather than leave, which was what Ba’an had been expecting, Aika walked over to the clothes chest.

This was somewhat alarming.

“What are you doing?”

“I…I am helping you dress, kyria.” The younger girl looked very puzzled by the question. “You said you wished to dress. So…I…” She trailed off, taking in Ba’an’s expression. “Did you not…?”

“I meant alone, child.”

“Oh.” Aika finally looked flustered. “But I…I was told to assist you. When you woke.”

Ah. Waiting again. It was likely she had simply gotten bored of watching Ba’an sleep, then. Ba’an was suddenly reminded of Lukios, and his complete inability to sit still and stay put. He was used to working, and so was Aika.

“Sanders dress alone, Aika.” This was not strictly true, but it still applied. Everyone had their own role and duty within the tribe, but no one was anyone’s servant. Even Ba’an had not had anyone to wait on her hand and foot, and she had been a witch. She had had an assistant—two, actually—and her apprentices to help with surgeries, but that was a different thing. Such roles were necessities, not greedy luxuries at the expense of others.

“…Oh.” Aika fidgeted awkwardly. “So…you do not need my help, kyria?”

“I would like my tea. Will you bring me hot water?”

“Oh, yes!” The girl smiled again, seemingly pleased to be doing something now.

Good. Ba’an was acutely aware of how sore she was, and she knew she was in no state to be seen. She desperately needed a bath, and…

She smelled. She smelled exactly like Lukios and sex, and this was not something she needed others to know.

Ba’an needed Aika to leave. Now.

Ba’an kept her expression pleasant, but deep down, she was mortified. Which polite sadist had set Aika on Ba’an? Nikias? Gaios? Perhaps one of the other servants?

Ugh.

And then another thought: what if she had gone through Ba’an’s bags?

Oh no. That would be…very bad. Ba’an refrained from looking toward her things, knowing perfectly well that would only draw attention to them.

“Oh, kyria, should I bring up a meal as well? It is past noon.”

What?

Ba’an glanced at the closed shutters, realizing that there was, indeed, some very strong sunlight filtering in from between the slats to mark the floor in narrow stripes.

She had missed breakfast and lunch.

Her belly growled, and Aika giggled.

“Yes.” Ba’an did not bother keeping the resignation from her tone. Half the day gone already, and if she knew Lukios at all, he had gone out to see to his business while Ba’an slept. She would not see him until evening. “Is there something hot?”

Was it too demanding? Perhaps she ought to have simply held her peace and eaten whatever Aika brought up. Well, it was too late now. Ba’an’s belly felt hollow, like it was sticking to her spine. She wanted hot, hearty food, and lots of it.

“Of course!” Aika nodded with enthusiasm then left, promising to return quickly.

Ba’an bolted out of bed, examining her bags. Everything looked to be in its place, completely untouched; even so, she checked the contents, making sure everything looked exactly the way she had left it.

No one had touched it, as far as Ba’an could tell, but now that the thought had come to her, she could not dismiss it. Ba’an dug her coat from the bottom of her bag and folded it, then wrapped it in one of the new shawls Lukios had bought her.

She crawled under the bed. There was nowhere to hide it there; she crawled back out, then lifted the mattress. How about here?

No, no. Ba’an could see the seam, and it looked like whatever the mattress was stuffed with was changed out once in awhile. What if someone restuffed them while Ba’an was out and about? No, she had to find some other place to hide it.

The clothes chest. The best place to hide clothes was inside the clothes chest. Ba’an considered her bundle, then unwrapped it. She folded her coat to make it as small as possible, then tucked it into one of the Dolkoi’ri dresses Lukios had bought her; she folded it all together, so it looked perfectly innocuous, then put it into the clothes chest. Then she took the rest of her clothes from her bags and folded them into the chest, too, leaving out only the clothes she would wear for the day; hopefully, anyone who saw it would assume it was some strange Sander habit and refrain from shaking out every single thing she owned.

After some thought, she left her suk and other very K’Avaari items conspicuously on top. Perhaps if anyone came to investigate her at Nikias’ behest, they would become absorbed with her cures, not her clothes.

Coat safely hidden, she took the opportunity to scrub herself down the best she could, trying to look presentable for her walk to the bathing room.

Her belly growled again, cramping, and she sighed.

Food first. Then a bath.

Then she would have a chat with Aika. It would not do to wake up with the girl in the room.

For a moment, Ba’an had been tempted to leap out of bed and eat her.

“Oh, that is so beautiful!” Aika’s eyes were wide, gaze utterly transfixed by the earrings held between Ba’an’s fingers.

Ba’an refrained from fidgeting, but the younger girl’s admiring—and envious—stare was discomfiting. It was likely Ba’an’s jewellery cost more than the girl’s monthly wages; Aika’s clothes were plain, and so were her ornaments. Her hair pin was a wooden stick, and her necklace was typical of what could be bought from street hawkers: braided leather with a single shiny, polished stone. There were no precious metals or gems for items bought by commoners, being only poorly made copies of richer fashions.

“Yes,” Ba’an replied, keeping her discomfort from her voice. What else was there to say?

Ba’an quickly slipped the hooks into her ears, then looked at her other things. The necklaces Lukios had bought remained wrapped in their packages, though not for long; Aika had spotted them, and was making quick work of the wrapping.

Ba’an refrained from sighing. The girl was far too excited; Ba’an had not instructed Aika to help her, never mind touch her things, but it was obvious the child was deeply curious about whatever it was that Ba’an had in her satchel.

“Oh, kyria! These are so beautiful! Look, look!” Aika held up one of the amber necklaces, the one whose chain was made of elaborately braided gold wire. The amber beads hung on single strands, seemingly glowing with their own mellow light.

“Yes, Aika.” Ba’an smiled as gently as she could. Of course Ba’an knew what they looked like; she was the owner. But it was difficult to be angry with the child, if only because of how obvious her excitement was. It was likely she never got to touch such fine things.

“Will you wear this one? Or…this one? Or…!”

Ba’an felt her smile stiffen on her face, hand going to her throat, which was now neatly wrapped with her shawl. It was a very tight style, and not one K’Avaari women used, but there was no other choice. Ba’an had no desire to display the fruits of Lukios’ enthusiasm.

What was the point of wearing a necklace under a shawl?

Ba’an’s hand briefly touched her collar, where the teeth of Thu’rin’s sumanu'ta would normally sit.

“I will not.”

“Oh.” Aika’s face fell. “But…they are so beautiful!”

“Yes, but I am wearing a shawl.”

“Yes, but…” Aika mumbled under her breath. “It is nice to wear beautiful things, even if you are the only one to see them.” She turned her large, dark eyes up to Ba’an. “Isn’t it? It just feels nice, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps.” Ba’an did not think so, but she did not have the heart to say it.

Aika sighed, then wordlessly re-wrapped the necklaces in their scrap fabric to keep them from tangling. “A ring then, kyria?”

Hm. A ring would not be so bad, would it? Lukios had bought her one yesterday, to match her earrings.

It was a gold ring with a single amber stone, and quite plain at that; Ba’an had insisted on something she could wear without worry, and Lukios had agreed. “Wouldn’t do if it made you a target,” he’d said, and they’d both been very sensible about it, though it had not stopped him from promising her ‘a real nice one’ later. His smile had been rather enigmatic.

Silly man. This one was nice enough.

Aika started giggling, and Ba’an returned to herself with a start. Her cheeks felt hot, and it took some effort to keep herself still and steady.

“It is such a pretty ring, kyria! Kyrios Lukios is very generous!” Her voice had a very chirpy quality that embarrassed Ba’an even further.

“I did not say it was from him,” Ba’an said, repressively, but Aika only giggled more.

“Yes, kyria.” She put her finger to her lips. “I will not say a word. Not one.” Then she leaned in very conspiratorially and whispered, “But no one would blame you. He is very handsome. And that smile!” Aika put her fingers on her own cheeks, right where Lukios dimpled so very charmingly, then leaned away with a deep, heartfelt sigh.

Oh sweet ancestors. Ba’an imagined the floor opening into an endless black pit and simply swallowing her whole. Such an ending would be preferable to…to…

What were they even doing? Ba’an was hardly dressed, though they had been at this for…how long now?

Ugh. Was it not supposed to go faster with help?

Ba’an cleared her throat. “You are kind to say so.” Though it was true. Lukios was ludicrously handsome, and he knew it. Ba'an knew it, too. She knew it very well, which was very annoying, so why was her mouth trying so hard to turn upwards? He was often far too smug to be tolerable, laughing and making a joke of everything.

Ba’an worked to keep the smile from her face. She ought to think of his terrible jokes now, lest she shame herself further in front of this child.

“No, no, kyria! It is true. He is very, very handsome, and half the girls cried when we realized…uh…” She flushed, finally speechless, then cleared her throat. “I mean, he is always very kind when he visits, and we were very sad to hear he had died. We were so happy when we saw him again!”

Hm. “I…see.” Ba’an did not understand why Aika was telling her this. So what? Lukios was alive and he was Ba’an’s, and they could cry all they wanted. Was she expecting Ba’an to care?

The girl was terrible at reading Ba’an’s moods, though perhaps it was less about talent and more about caring. “Yes, yes.” She was nodding to herself as she slipped the ring on Ba’an’s finger. Ba’an blinked. Was there some significance in putting it on the fourth finger of the right hand and not the left?

“No one blames you at all, kyria. If he had asked me to keep him company, I would hav—” The girl cut off, cheeks flaming. “I mean, anyone would have! So no one can fault you. At all.”

Ba’an watched in amusement as the girl fumbled to put away Ba’an’s jewellery, fingers suddenly clumsy. So, Aika and the rest of the serving girls were quite fond of him, then. This was not at all surprising. Ba’an would have been shocked if she had learned Lukios was rude to the servants. He was simply not that sort of man.

Ba’an did not think he would ever order a serving girl into his bed, either. The very suggestion would insult him, she was sure. His thinking on this was refreshingly un-Dolkoi'ri, which only added to his immense...charisma.

But yes, the brightness of his smile certainly did not hurt; it only aided.

“Oh, kyria! You must tell me how you rescued him!” Aika was brushing Ba’an’s hair now, still chattering in the happy way she always did.

Ba’an did not stiffen. She had more control than that, but…

Hm. Of course the servants knew; word always travelled quickly through the low-vuti, and she did not think the Dolkoi’ri were any different. Besides, young girls were always very curious, K’Avaari or not.

Ba’an shrugged. “It is not very exciting. I had my strifa drag him to my home, and then he slept for most of the time. There was a great deal of blood.”

"Strifa?"

"A Sander goat. They are big." And very clever. Ba'an missed their company rather a lot.

“…Oh.” It was not long before Aika rallied. “But…surely…?”

“Surely?”

“Oh! This hair pin is very pretty! Did kyrios buy this one too?”

Ba’an inhaled slowly and strangled her sigh. Could the child not stay on topic for longer than two breaths at a time?

“Yes, Aika. Lukios purchased that one as well.”

“Oh, it matches your earrings! And your necklaces! And the ring!”

“Yes, Aika. They are a set.”

“Oh! And this comb is very—” She continued describing each item as she braided and pinned Ba’an’s damp hair. Ba’an already knew what everything looked like. There was no point in describing her own items to her, but Aika loved to talk and she clearly loved pretty things, and Ba’an resigned herself to listening to the overly-excited serving girl tell her exactly what Ba’an owned.

No. Ba’an had to escape. She could not take this for much longer, or she would say something unkind. Ba’an did not wish to speak harshly to a poor serving girl who had never owned nice things, but she could feel her temper fraying. She was unused to such chatter. Even Salu’ka had never prattled on so mindlessly, and Vaa’ti had been a serious student, always full of exactly the sort of clever questions Ba'an had expected from the chief's daughter.

This babbling was an outlander habit, Ba’an was certain. She had never met such an enthusiastic speaker before.

Aika cooed as she pinned the last braid to her head. Ba’an looked at herself in the small mirror by the table, impressed despite herself. Ba’an would not have managed such a hairstyle on her own: it was too much braiding and too much pinning. Ba’an’s long hair sat in a coiled crown around her head, and golden pinheads glinted from their dark, glossy depths. With the amber earrings dangling from her ears, the sharp angles of Ba’an’s face had softened, the colours of her skin and hair warming beneath the mellow glow of reflected light.

It was a pity that Lukios was not here. He would have liked it—immensely. Ba’an did not think Aika’s hard work would have lasted two heartbeats.

Hm, perhaps it was just as well that he was away. It would have been a bother to wash and dress again.

“Oh!” Aika suddenly clapped her hands. “You’re so pretty!”

“Thank you, Aika. It is a credit to your skills.” This was true. Ba’an was neither lovely nor ugly, and any beauty she had had been coaxed out by Aika and her clever fingers, the same way a sculptor coaxed beauty from a chunk of rock.

The girl tittered. “Thank you, kyria! But you have such dark hair and eyes. And your lashes are so long! I’m envious.” She smiled, and added, “You look very mysterious.”

Was that a compliment? “Thank you.”

Aika began to put everything away. “Oh! I forgot. I meant, surely there is a story?”

“Story?” The girl was simply baffling. Could she not keep her thoughts straight at all?

“Yes, yes! How you made kyrios…well, you know!”

…What?

“I do not know.” This was a lie. Ba’an did know exactly what Aika was referring to, but this conversation needed to end. Now.

“What?” Aika’s mouth fell open. “But…” Her eyes fell onto Ba’an’s neck, and Ba’an felt the stare though the shawl.

“But?” Ba’an heard her tone go flat. Enough was enough.

“Ah…” Aika looked flustered. “I mean…you are…I mean…” The girl held up two fingers and coiled them together.

Ba’an tried to look very confused, which was not difficult: she was absolutely baffled. Did that gesture mean what Ba’an thought it meant? Because if it did, that was very rude, but Aika did not seem particularly ill-mannered, only excitable.

“You know?” The girl peered at Ba'an earnestly, making the exact same puzzling gesture.

“I do not.”

“Because the two of you are…” The girl flushed and looked toward the bed.

“We are fond of each other, yes.”

Aika nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Yes! He is very fond of you. He gave you all his crab!”

“…Yes?” What was she on about now?

“Yes, yes!” Aika nodded. “Kyrios loves crab. That is why it was served.”

…What?

“But he is fonder of you, see?”

What?

“He loves crab?”

“Yes! Kyrios Nikias was very particular about the menu.”

Nikias had set the menu? Nikias?

Ba’an suddenly remembered the way Askles and Epitus had glanced at each other. Oh no. Oh no. It was because they knew how much Lukios liked crab, and Ba’an had eaten it all. All of it. Without thinking. All of it.

“Uh…kyria?”

“Aika,” Ba’an said, and her voice sounded weaker even to her own ears. “Tell me. Does Lukios visit sir Gaios very often?” If he did, Aika would be a very useful font of information. What else did Lukios enjoy? Why hadn’t Ba’an thought to ask him what he liked?

“Uh…” Aika suddenly looked flustered, eyes darting to and fro.

Hm. Now this was odd.

“Aika?”

“Ah…that is…yes?”

“Here?”

“He—? Oh, no, no. The estate in—ah, I mean…um.” She stammered to a stop, looking truly alarmed.

“Aika? Is something wrong?”

“Uh…no?” Her voice was a squeak.

“So Lukios often visits sir Gaios at another estate?”

“Ah…y…e…s?” Aika’s eyes darted away, and Ba’an watched her swallow.

No. Ba’an was asking the wrong question. This was not about Gaios. What…?

A suspicion began to form in her mind.

“Was Lukios visiting sir Gaios? Or someone else?”

“Uh…” Aika went completely red.

Ah. Of course.