clothing.”
“Oh yes, I’d forgotten,” Kapia said, turning to Ren. “A divided skirt is necessary for riding comfortably. If you don’t have one, Caral can alter something of yours, or I can loan you one. You’re taller than me, so it might be a bit short, but otherwise I think it would fit you well enough.”
“You’re very kind,” Ren said. “However, Brai Adaya had an entirely new wardrobe made for me before I left, and insisted that several divided skirts be included.”
“If you have no objection, Hara Ren, I will be glad to unpack your things for you,” Caral offered.
Ren stared. No one had offered to do anything like that for her before. She glanced quickly at Kapia, who nodded. “Um…I would appreciate that, Caral, thank you,” she said finally. As soon as Caral disappeared into the next room, Ren turned to Kapia. “Will you please explain to me why everyone uses the word Hara when they speak to me?”
“It is a term of respect,” Kapia said. “You are the Maiden of the Heart Orb, so everyone will use Hara when they speak to you. If anyone fails to do so without your permission, it’s a sign of disrespect, and you should let me or Karma know immediately.”
“All right,” Ren said. “What word should I use if I must speak to any of the men?”
“Normally that would vary, but you’re lucky,” Kapia said. “All of the warriors with us are Knights, though they took a temporary cut in rank to Hunter to be included on the Orb Quest. That means you can use Sir for all of them, except Zakiel of course. You don’t use an honorific with the servants and drovers because you outrank them.”
“Thank you,” Ren said, relieved that it would be so simple.
“Shall we go now?” Kapia asked, stepping to the window and looking out. “It’s warmed up since this morning. I don’t think we’ll need cloaks.”
“It’ll be nice to walk without being encumbered by a pack or a cloak,” Ren said, smiling.
“No doubt,” Kapia said. “That pack you carried is quite heavy, but you won’t have to carry it anymore.”
“You two have fun with the diplos,” Tiari called as they walked out the door. “If you see Nosey, give him a treat from me.”
“I will,” Kapia called back, grinning to see Tomas hovering nearby, exactly as she’d expected. She laughed as he hurried inside, then she turned to lead Ren away.
***
Marl stood in the shade beside the building Prince Zakiel used as a meeting hall, watching as Princess Kapia and the new woman, Ren, Maiden of the Heart Orb, stepped outside. The air in his lungs stilled as he watched her tall, elegant figure walk beside Princess Kapia.
When he’d seen her on the trail only her face had been visible, and that shadowed by the hood of her cloak. But it had been more than enough. For the very first time in his twenty-eight years, he desired a woman.
That was not to say that he had never experienced sexual urges before, for he certainly had. But it had never been more than an urge of his body, like thirst or hunger. This was different. Much different. This was deep, insistent, persistent desire caused by, and directed toward, one specific woman. And that was after seeing no more than her face. But what a face!
He didn’t even have to close his eyes to picture every detail of it. Wide sparkling green eyes, framed with thick dark gold lashes. A full mouth with a tiny mole at one corner. High cheekbones and milky skin, accentuated by the intriguing gemstones she wore on her forehead. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman.
This was his first opportunity to see her without her cloak, and there was nothing that could have induced him to turn away from the sight. She wore a plain cream colored sweater and a long brown wool skirt, but the heavy fabrics did nothing to hide her lush figure. He caught a brief glimpse of high firm breasts, a ridiculously tiny waist, and a
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