Still holding Della’s hands and prodding Ataht with a palm of air, Kas turned their trio toward the main door. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed Miss Kiappa rooted to the cobbles, her eyes darting back and forth between Thera and the other staff members, and the twins and him. She rubbed the fingers of her right hand together nervously. It was adorable.
“Come along, Miss Kiappa.”There.That was the kinder tone he’d been aiming for earlier. “I’m pleased to welcome you to Stormhill.”
Though she followed behind, Kas was fairly certain she let out a littlegasp when they made it into the entrance hall. His manor was nowhere near as grand as Kirce Palace, but he was proud of his ancestral home. He’d put in work to make it his own after unexpectedly assuming the dukedom three years earlier.
“Oh, I love what you’ve done with the place,” the princess squeaked, sounding so much like a miniature version of Hevva that a laugh leapt from his chest.
“Thank you, Della.” He grinned.
“I liked it better before.” Ataht shared his opinion, too.
“Oh!”
Glancing back at Miss Kiappa, he found her lips pinned between her teeth as if she were restraining more words from escaping. He shrugged. His nephew’s comment was acceptable, as far as he was concerned. Kas found he had quite a lot of empathy to spare when it came to people putting their feet in their mouths; doing so seemed to be one of his own personal fortes.
“What did you like better about it before?” Kas asked Ataht as he brought everyone to a stop at the foot of the staircase.
The prince hummed, tapping his chin with a finger, and surveying the foyer.
Kas caught Miss Kiappa’s eye. She too was stifling a smile at his nephew’s adult mannerisms.
“I liked the way it was dark. It’s too bright now, too—”
“Airy?” Miss Kiappa supplied.
“Airy,” Ataht agreed, nodding solemnly.
“So, your taste tends toward the moody and dramatic,” Kas offered.
“Exactly!” His nephew beamed.
“Well, you’ll be happy to know your room is as dark and brooding as always.”
“Ah, wonderful!” The boy clapped, so much like his father Kas couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Before I take you upstairs, I want to speak for a moment, with all of you,” Kas clarified, looking in turn at Adella, Ataht, and Miss Kiappa. He hoped the tutor recognized he wasn’t intending to lump her in with thechildren—all guests got the same warning.
“Let me be clear, I’m happy to have you here, for as long as need be. I want you to make yourselves at home. My staff are happy to help with anything you need, and the grounds and house are open to you—except for two places. Undernocircumstances are any of you allowed to enter my personal study, or my apartment.” He hit the group with a cold blast of air to emphasize how serious he was. “Do you understand?”
The twins shivered appropriately and nodded, not cowering, but showing they understood his resolve.
Miss Kiappa, however, moved to bring both hands to her hips so quickly he almost missed it before she dropped them back to her sides. Her demeanor made him wonder if she was put out by his request to stay out of his private spaces. Or was it his magic that had her so perturbed? He’d have to run tests to gather additional data.No, no.He couldn’t. She wasn’t that interesting.
“Shall we?” Kas ignored the tutor’s raised brows and gestured for everyone to proceed upstairs.
Della and Ataht raced off to their respective rooms before Kas had a chance to escort them. He tugged on the hem of his jacket as the two doors across the landing slammed closed, one right after the other.
“That was easier than I expected.”
Glancing down, he found her peering up at him, smiling softly.
“Miss Kiappa.” Finding his confidence, Kas crooked his arm as low as he could and presented it to her, hoping she would permit his escort. He couldn’t bear to look at her, in case she avoided him.
Her palm came to rest on his forearm, and even through his jacket, her touch was enough for his heart to vibrate. He longed to turn toward her, to reach out with his free hand and bring it to the back of her lovely head, tugging her near.
“Let me show you to your room,” Kas offered instead, smashing down his desire and forcing his feet to move across the landing to the opposite side of the stairs. “You will be in the Tarisden Suite.”
“Tarisden? That was my papa’s last name.”
