Sorrows of Adoration by Kimberly Chapman Page B

for decency’s sake,
knowing it was impolite to laugh about someone who was not present.
But it was too late, for the more each of us tried to suppress the
giggles, the funnier it became, until we both sat on the bed
red-faced with laughter.
    Leiset managed to gain
control over herself first, and pressing her hands together as if
in prayer, said, “Oh, it’s wicked of me to laugh at him. But he is
such an autocrat, isn’t he? I suppose he’s entitled, since he’s
very good at what he does. He’s healed people who were otherwise
doomed to die. But, Lady Aenna, you should hear how he speaks down
to even the King. It’s almost treasonous!”
    I smiled at her. I had
only just met her, but already I had decided I liked her very much.
Enough, in fact, that I was quite uncomfortable with the idea of
her serving beneath me. That just simply was not right, and I tried
to explain that to her.
    “Would you rather have
someone else assigned to you then?” she asked.
    “No, not at all! But
could you not refer to me with a title? At least not just yet. I’m
sorry if that’s inappropriate, but truly, it makes me nervous.”
    “It is only
inappropriate if you deem it so, Lady—I mean, Aenna. I shall call
you whatever you request me to. Though it would only be wise for me
to address you formally in public.”
    “Also, I am used to
caring for myself. All of this concern while I’ve been injured,
it’s been very nice and I appreciate it, but I’m not about to go
ordering anyone to serve me.”
    Leiset nodded, seeming
to understand how I felt. I thought perhaps she was imagining
herself in my place and could thus understand how strange and
awkward it all was. “I shall try not to make you feel waited upon,
then, but I am here to work for you. You shouldn’t feel that it is
putting me out to ask me to do something for you, for that’s my
job. Why, if you were to go fetch yourself a meal in the kitchen,
the poor cooks would be mortified, thinking that you had come to
scold them!”
    “I wouldn’t scold them
at all! The food I’ve had has been better than anything I’ve been
privileged to eat before.”
    “It may well be, but
there’s a structure to life in the palace. The royalty do not tend
to daily concerns such as fetching meals, drawing baths, arranging
schedules, and the like. They have other important things to worry
about.”
    “But I’m not royalty,”
I replied.
    “You will be, Aenna.
When you marry the Prince.”
    I sighed heavily. There
it was again—the knowledge that I was not ready for this world.
“It’s all too much. It’s all so foolish and ridiculous, like a
bard’s tale for children.” I said.
    Leiset put a gentle
hand on my arm and said, “I cannot imagine how difficult it must
be, to go from being a humble barmaid to the bride-to-be of the
Prince. But that shall be part of my job, to help you prepare for
that. You will take lessons in geography and economics and the
like—the sort of lessons that daughters of nobility are raised with
as children. I have worked in the palace all of my life, my mother
having been the cousin to a wealthy nobleman. I can help you learn
what you need to know, and I would be honoured to do so.”
    I smiled at her. “I
must have done something very right in the eyes of the Gods that I
would be blessed first with Kurit’s love and now with a kind friend
such as yourself. I am allowed to think of you as a friend, aren’t
I?”
    She nodded. “If it
pleases you, then I would appreciate it, yes.” After a moment of
silence, she said, “Now shall I continue with the dresses, or are
you too tired? It is a late hour already.”
    I told her I’d rather
continue the next day, when hopefully I’d be allowed to be out of
bed long enough to actually try them on and see them in the
daylight from the window. She agreed, tidied up the pile left to be
decided upon, and bade me goodnight as she left with those dresses
that had been rejected.
     

Chapter
5
     
    IT WAS NOT