Page 46 of A Filling of Fables and Firelight

Kamaran looked over his shoulder to see Aida and an old woman that he assumed must be Rana’s Teta, based on the familial resemblance, and he vaguely remembered that Rana had been speaking to someone when he woke up. Aida rubbed the fingers of one hand together and studied them nonchalantly as she spoke, “But since I approve of where this is going, please continue.”

“By the way, we have company,” Rana offered brightly.

He faced her again. “Then they can back me up. You shouldn’t have jumped in front of me like that.”

“Then the dart would have hit you.”

“And?”

“And I didn’t want that to happen.” She crossed her arms. “In case you weren’t aware, Jasper and I were trying to keep you from being assassinated at your own party.”

“So you thought the alternative was for you to be assassinated?”

Rana tilted her head and hummed. “Can you really call it an assassination if it’s an unintentional murder? Or are we rewriting dictionary entries again?”

Kamaran exhaled heavily as he scrubbed both hands down his tired face. “Rana…”

“Kamaran.” She quirked an eyebrow.

“The point here is that you recklessly endangered your own life. It’s far too precious for you to throw it away for someone like me, and I don’t understand how you don’t see that.”

She softened and reached for his hand. “And I don’t understand how you don’t see that you’re far too precious for me not to.”

“Well, I think we’ve seen enough,” Teta announced. “I give my sincerest and heartiest blessings. Your children will argue better than lawyers, but there are two of you, so at least you’ll have someone to commiserate with.”

He watched from the corner of his eye as Aida helped her stand, adding, “Let me know if there’s anything you need help with for the wedding, Rana. Oh, and Kamaran?”

He looked over his shoulder again.

“Your father would approve.”

Kamaran nodded and swallowed against the ball of emotion that suddenly filled his throat as Aida escorted Teta quietly out the door.

“Kamaran.”

His whispered name on Rana’s lips reeled him back like a fish on a line.

“I’m—” She stopped, shook her head, then started again. “Sorry, you just look far too uncomfortable there.” She shifted gingerly to the side, then patted the space on the mattress beside her.

Kamaran hesitated. “I don’t⁠—”

“It’s either that or I’m getting up and moving to the couch.”

He sighed and gave in, relocating from the chair to the mattress. He tucked an arm around her shoulders. “You’re kind of stubborn, you know that?”

“Someone needs to remind you that just because you’re Sultan, doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.” She scooted closer, letting her head fall against his shoulder and reaching for his other hand. She slipped her fingers between his. “Given the recent applicants for the job have either tried blatantly to seduce you or to murder you, I think I’m your best choice.”

“The bar for employment in Adhavi has fallen dangerously low.”

“Indeed. As Sultan, you should probably do something about that—though not before I get this job, because I desperately need it.”

“Really? I thought you were already employed.”

She tilted her head back so that he could see her face, and the way that she was looking at him made his breath catch. “Let me amend my statement: I desperately want that job.”

“The job of keeping me in line?” He leaned his head closer to hers.

Her eyes dropped to his lips for a moment. “The care and keeping of a Sultan. Among other things.”