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“Leave me, Marlak. I can make my own choices.”
“Where?” he insists.
“The kitchen at the Owl Inn. I’m missing work now. Happy?”
“Are you happy?” he asks.
Lidiane crosses her arms. “Things are tough.”
“Ferer should be helping you.”
“Marlak, leave me. I’ll make a gorgeous dress for your wife, like I promised.”
I can see him shifting, as if uncomfortable. “We can go elsewhere.”
“No.” She glances at me. “I want to do this. People still come here, and I make clothes at night. Maybe more fae will come.”
Marlak sighs. “I’m sorry. Are you sure you don’t need more help?”
“No!” Her posture is stiff in the chair. “It’s good like this. Get that council and your brother out of the palace, and things will change. You need to do what you need to do, and you shouldn’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
I see then a shadow across his eyes, a flicker of pain. Is he unsure if he’ll ever take the throne? Or is he upset he can’t do more now?
What I’m starting to understand is that Marlak depends a lot on alliances and promises. I’m also realizing he has friends, like Ferer and his sister, and is capable of caring for people.
“Now go,” Lidiane says. “Leave me alone with your wife.”
He looks at her and me. “Absolutely not. I need to make sure you’re both safe. I’ll turn around, won’t listen. Won’t see anything.”
And indeed Marlak takes a chair, turns it to the wall, and sits on it.
“Get a book, at least,” Lidiane says.
He huffs. “I’m fine.”
“So I guess you’re all set.” Her tone is sarcastic, then she turns to me and shakes her head. “Is he always that clingy?”
“Recently, yes. But I don’t mind it.”
If it wasn’t for that attack, Marlak would happily travel and leave me on that island. So yes, I definitely prefer clingy Marlak.
She smiles, then looks at him and then at me. “Well, it makes sense. We’ll have to be fast. I only have four rolls of fabric, and I hope you like one of them.”
They’re not full rolls, as there is very little fabric left in each of them. Two are velvet, blue and green, and two are silk, gray and red. I also see patches of many types of fabric by it. This house is very modest, and I imagine that those rolls are her only valuable possessions, waiting for the day a noble walks in asking for a dress.
Perhaps she could buy more fabric if she got paid, but I don’t know if Marlak will pay her fairly. I almost offer to give her my thirty-two ducks. I’d be glad to get rid of the rest of my shame, after spending eight of them on the passion-fruit custard, but I fear offending her by paying too little.
“I…” I notice her voice shaking. “I can get something else at the market.”
“No. I’m thinking.” I’m not going to make her spend her hard-earned money. I take a look at the small patches of fabric. “What are those?”
“Leftovers. I get them to practice.”
There are many of them. “What if you used those pieces? For something different. I assume you’d like me to wear something unique, right?”
She bites her lip, looking so young and uncertain, but slowly, I see a smile cropping up on her lips. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
