Most people would consider what Raulin did that evening to be in poor taste. Despite his technical relationship as Al’ s guard and the consideration of his profession, one just simply didn’t spy on their friends. It was considered desperate, rude, presumptuous, and full of potential ruinous issues. All fair concerns if one didn’t realize Raulin was doing what he always tried to do: protect his friend.

Al and Mian were at the classiest restaurant in Kinuestra at a private little table in the back. That isn’t to say they were having the best food Al ever had; their meals paled in comparison to a place like Vedroir. But they didn’t care. You could’ve switched their meals for wet strips of linen and mud and they wouldn’t have noticed. It was like that for people who had no time for looking at their food, only at their company.

As a test, Raulin sent them a bottle of good wine and asked it be anonymous. Al gave a fine, if brief, performance of glancing around the room for the patron, but laughed and had the waiter pour it for them. Maybe he did say something to Mian about how it wasn’t Caudet or about the region of Arvonne the grapes were grown, but they went back to holding hands and speaking to each other quickly. The wine was drunk, at least, and Al ordered another bottle, but Raulin was sure the bouquet was lost on love.

Eventually Al rose, kissed Mian’s fingers, and made his way to the restroom. (The restaurant might not have the best food in Gheny, but at least it had plumbing.) Raulin waited until he left to tap him on the shoulder, placing a key in his hand. “Since we have a suite, it would be a bit awkward to bring her back there tonight. I got you a room in the Briar Inn. It’s a bit more quaint.”

“We’re not…I’m not going to ask her to…”

“Maybe you will or maybe you won’t. I’m just giving you a quiet place away from everyone to sleep, or talk, or…other things.”

“I think I want to, but…,” he let out his breath with puffed cheeks, “there’s a lot to think about. I mean, I’m still married, technically, and we need to leave tomorrow, and she has a job here, and her reputation might suffer, and it’s been a while for me, and…”

Raulin grabbed Al from behind and turned him towards the table. “Why are you talking to me about it? Talk to her. Though, maybe don’t charge in with all that. Be a bit subtle.”

“Why?” Al asked.

“Because if you walk up to a woman and you dump all that information on her, she might get a little apprehensive.”

“No, I mean why would she want to be with me? Why is she here having dinner with me in the first place?”

“No reason I can think of. I mean, it’s not like she thought you were attractive immediately and found excuses to see you and visited you when you were in dire straits. And she didn’t kiss you and all but ask you out on this date. Wizard, she likes you. A lot. Don’t ask why. Treat her well, be honest, and enjoy yourself.”

Al nodded and mumbled a “thank you” before rejoining Mian at the table. “That was your trirec friend. Raulin, yes?”

“Yes,” he said, snapping the napkin out so he could place it over his lap.

“What did he want? Is everything okay?” She focused solely on him, her eyebrows lightly furrowed, a thoughtful expression of concern. Al had to admit that there was something incredibly endearing about her when she looked at him. He wanted to set her mind at ease immediately.

“Everything is fine. He was being thoughtful and he got me a room at the Briar Inn to spend a peaceful night away from everything.”

“Oh, that’s a nice little inn! It’s on the other side of town, up on a little hill. The owners are a little old couple, one of my classmate’s grandparents.”

“So he really meant away from it all. I think having a little serenity after the last few weeks will be nice.”

Mian took a bite of her lasagna, giving him a little smile while she chewed.

His tongue felt like lead, but he forced himself to say, “I might need directions there, or a guide, or something…”

She nodded and continued eating. He was trying to think of something else to say when she dabbed her napkin at the corners of her mouth, then placed it on her plate. “I’m not much of a dessert girl. I can show you there.”

“Er, okay. Let me go settle the bill and I’ll be right back.”

He floated a little as he walked back to the table. (Raulin had paid for everything, too, so he was off the hook for the meal.) She took the last swallow of wine in her glass and stood, putting on her jacket and gathering her gloves and purse. “It’ll be a bit of a walk.”

“Nothing wrong with a stroll at night,” Al said, leading her outside.

She gave him an excited grin. “And I know you’ll be able to fend off anyone who dares attack us. That was so brave of you.”

“Brave?” he said. How was it brave? Once he gave chase to Cove, he hadn’t thought twice about what he was doing. He had just reacted.

“For all of winter and fall, every woman in this area of Tektorn, likely farther, has been frightened of going outside their homes. I rent a room in a home of younger, unmarried women and we had started forming groups to and from work, with a brother or cousin if we could. I know he was just a man, but to me you took down a monster. You’ve given us our freedom and security back.”

“I think you’re making it out to be more than it is. I hunted a criminal, one that I and my friends were equipped to handle. The police and the Cumber do that all the time.”

“But they didn’t. You did. And you said you never did anything like this. That’s incredible that you were able to figure out who he was and plan a trap for him. And you took the magic from Linden…” She stopped and held his wrists for a moment. “I’m making this out to be what it is. Don’t be humble.”

“All right. I’m glad it came together and that I was able to help.”

Mian gave a light snort and continued walking. “I suppose it’s better than nothing.”

After a block, Al asked, “Where is your home?”

“My home, with my seven younger siblings, or my room in the building with Katrise and Achelle and Auntie Picren?”

“The latter. If you wanted me to walk you home, we could go there next.”

“Oh,” she said. “It’s the other way.”

Though it killed him, Al turned around and began walking her home. He started asking her questions, joking with her, but all the mirth had left her. He knew something had shifted. He fell back on one of his newer skills, listening. But, she didn’t say much more than a word or two for answers. There was nothing to glean from curtness.

Al did something he should have done with Burdet, something he considered actual bravery. He stopped. “What did I do wrong?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Mian said, and though she sounded genuine, she also sounded unhappy. “I understand why you would want to cut our time together short.”

“I’m giving you an excuse, Mian. I know that a young Ghenian woman needs to preserve her reputation and walking to a man’s room at night would damage it.”

“Um,” she said, looking up and blinking, “I wouldn’t worry about that. But, thank you for the ‘excuse’.”

“Why shouldn’t I worry about that?”

“As I’m sure you’ve heard, I had a boyfriend. We were school sweethearts. He told me he was going to marry me. Then, when we finished school, he decided to move to Acripla…without me. I think we had been drifting apart for some time, but it was still painful and I never really got over it.”

“So you had a boyfriend. I’m not sure what the problem is.”

“I think a lot of people in Kinuestra know that we didn’t just kiss.”

Al’s eyebrows furrowed. “You were intimate.”

“Yes.”

They continued to walk towards her home in silence. Al was puzzled. There seemed to be some pathway he should have taken, but didn’t. Maybe it was a Tektornian custom?

She turned and said, “This is my place,” just as he figured it out.

“You think I care.”

“What?”

“You think I’m bothered that you had a boyfriend before?”

“Well, yes,” she said, wiping underneath her eye.

“Ah, you think I think like all of them,” he said, waving his arms to the streets. “I’m Br’vanese. My parents were born in Gheny, but all of my grandparents were born Br’vani. I grew up with the understanding that men must be choosy about who they are with. It’s fine for a woman to do that because if a woman chooses to spend time with a man, she’s careful about it. She either plans the timing right or wants to have a child on her own. A man, though, doesn’t know about what happens afterwards, so his responsibility is to pick a woman who he will carry the spear for, someone he’ll either marry or look after, should there be a child.” He stopped and looked at her. “I’m sorry. This is rather frank talk.”

“No, I’m interested. So, you don’t think I’m undesirable because I haven’t saved my purity?”

“I think you’re quite desirable, Mian. I just know that you’re Ghenian in a Ghenian town and that walking to my room tonight might be bad for you. I can’t carry the spear for you. I have to leave tomorrow.”

“I know,” she said, taking his arm and leading him back towards the Briar Inn. “I’m being careful.”

His eyebrows lifted at what she was implying, but he said nothing.

“Is that why you didn’t care about your wife cheating on you?”

Al stumbled, but regained his balance quickly. “Who told you that?”

“Anladet was trying to warn me off from seeing you last night. I think she thought I’d think you were less desirable if you had some weight behind you.”

“Uh, the cheating thing…hurt. It was in her society, her rules, which meant our marriage was broken and there was a more desirable man in the picture, who happened to be my best friend.”

“That’s cruel.”

“It wasn’t intentional, but yes.”

“Are you going home to her soon?”

“Never. As far as I’m concerned, we’re through.” He held up his left hand, bare of any jewelry. “I doubt I’m ever going back to Whitney. I might go home to Baradan, but…” He sighed. “This last year has felt like a whirlwind that I’ve been swept up in. I’ve lived more in these past nine months than I have in my last nine years. I don’t want it to stop, partly because I don’t know where I’ll end up, but more because I’m loving this.”

“I’m happy you’re having a good time. I am, too, though it might surprise you to hear that. I love Kinuestra and I really enjoy my job. It keeps me busy and I’m able to help my people here. I’m earning my own way in the world. I can visit my family whenever I want to. And if I really want to, I can save up some money and take a carriage to Acripla for a week. It’s not terribly far, just a day’s ride.”

“Have you taken that ride?”

“Yes.”

“And did you see him?”

She took a large breath in, slowly releasing it. “He’s married with a young boy. His wife is pregnant…no, she would have had their second child by now.”

“And do you regret it?”

“I needed to know if there was anything still there. I think, for me, there was a little. For him, no. He’s moved on, he’s in love with his wife, he’s happy with his career and his children.”

“I meant your school days with him.”

She thought about this for a few moments. “No, I don’t think I do. Even though some people remind me of it now and then, it really didn’t jeopardize my future. We didn’t have a child together, I still got the job I wanted, and I’m where I want to be right now. Right now,” she emphasized, sliding her hand into his.

Al felt a strange mixture of things, all good. Mainly he was surprised to be there with someone who knew so much about him and still liked him. They continued to talk, the bubbly happiness of dinner regained. Al opened the door to the room and lit the oil lamp before turning to Mian. He thought they were going to talk a little more, but she was too close, the odor of some sweet flower like magnolia filling the air, the smell of wine on her breath, and some other scent that drove him mad for a moment. If she hadn’t grabbed his neck and pulled his lips to hers, he would have done the same. And that went for everything else that happened that night and well into the morning.