Voyage to Balbadd

Thalia plopped a pile of papers on Sinbad's desk, clapping her hands together as though she were wiping off the remains of the work she had just finished. Five order forms complete. She was done. Now she could go back to her room and hide, so long as—

"Thalia! Just the person I wanted to see!"

Sinbad twisted in his chair to face her, a wide grin splayed across his face. She narrowed her eyes. That placative smile was one she was intimately familiar with. He was about to give her extra work, wasn't he?

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Her brand new book about the recent unification of Kou, Gai, and Go would have to wait. Apparently, being a salaried worker was akin to selling your soul— or, at least, your free time.

"What's with that expression?" Sinbad's shoulders slumped. "Can't a guy be happy to see his best friend?"

We both know that's not what's going on here, Thalia thought, tapping her foot impatiently. He was never this happy to see her unless he wanted something, and that something was usually work-related.

Crossing her arms, Thalia cut to the chase. "What is it and how much will it affect my bonus if I say no?"

"Huh?" Sinbad drew back in surprise before doubling over with laughter as though she'd just told him a hilarious joke.

Thalia raised her eyebrow. Was what she'd said really that funny?

When he finally caught his breath, he stood up, leaning his weight on one hand on his desk. "No, it's not extra work."

Oh. "Oh." So… if it wasn't work, what was it he wanted from her?

"Have you ever been to Balbadd?" With his index finger, he tapped the wooden surface of his workspace casually.

"Once or twice when I was small. Usually, we sent delegates to negotiate trades with them. Why?"

He gave her that smile again, the suspicious one that made her think he wanted something from her, and sat back down, shuffling around papers on his desk. "Hinahoho, Ja'far, and I are sailing there to discuss the relocation of the headquarters with King Rashid."

Ah. Sinbad would be leaving. She would be on her own for a few days, and he was just making sure she would be okay. His thoughtfulness made her lips twitch into a smile. Sometimes as a boss, he could be a bit of a tyrant, but he still had a soft side. She supposed she could forgive him for making her work overtime last week.

"Anyway," he continued. "I've thought about this for a while now… I think you should come."

"Come… to Balbadd?" Thalia froze. She just did paperwork and supervised the children. What good would her presence be in Balbadd? "But why?"

Sinbad frowned, knitting his thick eyebrows together. "I'd like to have you around, just in case…"

"In case what?"

He shook his head and met her gaze. "Princess, court etiquette can be tricky, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"And who better to help us navigate than you, someone who spent most of her childhood in the heart of politics?"

Thalia leaned forward, scrutinizing his expression. His eyes gave him away. His explanation made sense, but it wasn't the whole story. He was hiding something from her. Though, she supposed everyone had their secrets. She didn't need him to be completely honest. She just needed him to be her friend.

Smiling, she straightened her back. "Of course I'll go with you." She would follow him to the ends of the earth if it meant she could stay by his side, but somehow, she felt telling him that would be crossing a line she couldn't uncross.

Instead, she asked, "When do we leave?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Inhaling deeply, Thalia rubbed her temples. Why had he waited so long to bring this up? Surely this entire thing hadn't been planned at the last minute, so why?

"Who's going to cover my shifts?" she demanded. "Dinarzade only has one day off this week, and there's no way I could ask her—"

"Relax." Sinbad motioned for her to calm down with his hands. "I'll take care of it. Just go pack, okay?"

Thalia nodded obediently, confident that if Sinbad said he would fix it, he would. He could be a bit irresponsible, but he always made things work in the end. She was learning that about him every day. He seemed so carefree, but he knew exactly how long he could neglect his work before it got out of hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Bright and early," he confirmed, turning back to his work. Thalia stood over him awkwardly, bursting with questions. What should she pack? Was it okay to wear her uniform in the presence of a king? She opened her mouth to ask, but Sinbad looked so serious, concentrating on the papers in front of him. Rather than interrupting him, she slid out of the room quietly. She would simply have to figure it out on her own.

The next day, Thalia stood with her companions in the company's shipyard. The huge vessel that would carry them to Balbadd dwarfed her. It's primary purpose was as a shipping vessel, but it looked as though they would be hitching a ride on this delivery to cut costs for the company. Around them, the shouts of men unloading cargo echoed, giving the place a bustling atmosphere.

"Are you ready?" Hinahoho's cheerful voice addressed her.

Thalia looked up at the blue-haired giant and nodded. She certainly hoped she was. She hadn't known what to pack for a journey like this, and so she'd brought whatever she thought she might need— clothing, toiletries, and a small book.

Picking up her bag, she took a deep breath and took the first tentative step onto the wooden ramp, flinching as it shifted underneath her weight. Was this ramp safe? It didn't seem safe.

"Come on," Sinbad chided, striding past her with ease. "This isn't your first time on a ship."

He was right. She had been riding ships her entire life, but only once had she boarded a cargo ship, and at that time, she had been the cargo. Maybe what she was afraid of wasn't the wobbly ramp, but that once she'd reached the other end, she'd end up with the boxes, below deck.

"Thalia!" Sinbad stood at the top, the wind whipping his hair, his hand stretched out for her. Suddenly, Thalia felt brave. No one would hurt her. Sinbad was there, and he would never let that happen.

She bounded toward him, closing the rest of the distance between herself and the deck with ease. She was met with encouraging praise from the three boys accompanying her, although what she had done was hardly an accomplishment. Sinbad and Ja'far began discussing the course the captain was taking, and Thalia set down her luggage. Craning her neck to look around, she watched the crew busily securing ropes and moving cargo. Dread grew in her chest as she realized that not a single woman was among them. Was she really going to be stuck on a ship with a bunch of strange men for the next week?

She shuffled closer to Sinbad, seeking his protection. She didn't intend to let herself out of his sight until they reached Balbadd.

"What the hell is this?" Thalia jumped when a gruff voice rang out over the other sounds of the shipyard. Barreling toward them was a gruff, middle aged man. He appeared to have a limp, but it certainly didn't hobble him. He shoved his way between her friends, reaching out for her. Thalia recoiled, but the man didn't reach her. Hinahoho had blocked his path, and Ja'far had a knife pointed to his throat.

Sinbad stood with his arms crossed and smiled diplomatically, a deceptively cheerful smile crossing his face. "Captain Reis, I presume?"

"Aye, that I am." The man stumbled back a few steps away from Ja'far's knife, scowling. "Call off yer dogs and get that she-witch off me ship! Nobody said nothin' 'bout her comin' along!"

"Thalia was a last-minute addition to our party," Sinbad explained calmly. "We've already paid for her passage."

The captain's beard quivered with anger, his already ruddy face turning violet. "I don't care if ye paid! We can't take off until the lass is off this ship."

This kind of treatment wouldn't have been unusual back in Attica, but this was the first time she'd seen it in Reim. She leaned over to look past Hinahoho and squinted at the man, attempting to make out any Attican features under all the wrinkles and wiry hair. Perhaps he was a refugee going by a false name.

"What the hell?" Ja'far interrupted her concentration with an uncharacteristic outburst. "Don't forget who pays your salary, you dolt. You work for the Sindria Trading Company, and when we tell you to transport one of our employees, you need to fuckin' do it or we won't renew your contract."

"Look around ye, lad!" Spittle flew from his cracked lips, splattering poor Ja'far. "Do you see any women? I ain't never lost a ship because I don't allow harpies on board, and I don't intend to start!"

Thalia resisted the urge to return the insult and instead tried to engage calmly with this man. Attican superstitions were no more real than the goddess. If she could reason with him, he might see that as well.

"I don't follow, sir. How would my presence cause a shipwreck?"

He looked at her incredulously. "T'would anger the gods, of course!"

Of course. Thalia sighed, having little patience for those who would use religion to discriminate, but feigning it anyway. "I've been on many ships throughout my life, and the water god has always granted me safe passage."

"What do ye know about the gods, Missy?" He hocked out a wad of spit onto the plank floor. "'Sides, even if yer presence doesn't bother the water god, if I let ye on here, me men will be fightin' over ye. If there's one thing that causes strife among men, it's a pretty lass."

By now, Thalia was thoroughly convinced he was, indeed, one of her citizens, and a stubborn one at that. She picked up her bag, resigning herself to the fact that she wouldn't be coming along for this trip.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Sinbad countered. "None of your crew will dare touch her."

"T'will hardly stop them from trying," the captain grumbled. Thalia shuddered. She was quickly becoming less certain about coming on this trip.

"Then we'll pay double for her fare." Sinbad took out his coin purse and began to count out several farsu.

The captain shook his head. "Sorry, boy. The gods can't be bought."

"Triple," Sinbad tried again. "Plus, we'll replace your ship with a better one in the event that it gets damaged."

"Sin, we were trying to save money," Ja'far hissed. "This is way over budget."

Captain Reis stroked his silver streaked beard in thought. "Fine, fine. But she better not start any trouble or it's the plank for 'er."

Giving Thalia one last warning glare, Captain Reis wandered off, barking orders at the crew. Hinahoho turned to Thalia and smiled at her apologetically.

"Ignore him," he advised her. "Old fogies like him cling to their superstitions, but most of the crew are younger and more open minded. They won't give you a hard time. And if they do, just let me know. I'll take care of it." To emphasize his strength, he flexed his giant arms.

Thalia giggled, finding his cheerful demeanor infectious. "Believe it or not, that mindset is common in my homeland. I'm more worried that you got scammed. Was it really okay to offer him so much?"

"No," Hinahoho and Ja'far responded in unison.

Sinbad scowled. "It's fine. The company could afford it, and we don't have time to find another ship." He looked to Thalia, and his expression softened. "I'm sorry you had to hear him talk like that. I promise, the crew won't be nearly as bad as Captain Reis makes them out to be."

"Why don't we let Thalia set her things down," Ja'far suggested, his eyes locked on her warily. "That bag's probably heavy, right?"

Thalia decided to dismiss Ja'far's strange expression as concern. Her bag was a bit heavy, and he had always been polite. Her discomfort must have been visible on her face. Why else would he be giving her that look? She hadn't done anything wrong, had she?

Motioning for her to follow him, Hinahoho said, "Come on, Thalia. We'll show you where we'll be sleeping." He led her to a door in the front of the ship, stooping through it. On the other side, two sailors sat on boxes, chewing beans. They looked up, sizing up Sinbad's motley crew as they shuffled in. They seemed not to know whether to stare at Thalia or Hinahoho.

"A woman and a giant," the red-head muttered, his eyes wide. "Do you think he'd crush me if I docked in her for a bit?"

Thalia frowned. She'd had many crude comments like that directed at her over the years, and they weren't nearly as charming or original as the people who made them seemed to think.

The boy next to the red-head giggled nervously at the joke, shinking away from Hinahoho's glare.

"No one's to touch Thalia." Ja'far crossed his arms, his expression grim. "She's a valuable employee and if we catch wind any of you are treating her with anything but the utmost respect…"

"You'll have to deal with me," Sinbad stepped forward, brandishing his scimitar.

The two boys looked at him, their faces remaining statically unimpressed.

"Who are you, exactly?" the red-head asked. "Some spoiled rich kid, it looks like."

"I'm Sinbad, your boss." Sinbad resheathed his sword and crossed his arms.

The boy who had not yet spoken straightened. "The Sinbad? Like, Sinbad of the Seven Seas? That Sinbad?"

The other boy spit out his bean. "No way. Lady Killer of the Seven Seas Sinbad? Then is she your—"

"I'm not anyone's anything," Thalia interrupted. "Lady Killer of the Seven Seas? What the hell does that mean? Did someone murder a bunch of women and frame you, Sin?"

Hinahoho cleared his throat. "It's an expression. You've never heard anyone called a lady killer?"

The sailors watched her, threatening to burst out with laughter. "How sheltered is this chick?"

Thalia could tell she'd said something wrong and brought her hands to her burning cheeks.

"You've never even come across that term in one of your books, Thalia?" Ja'far asked her, awestruck.

"No. Why would I?"

"She mostly reads boring books about dead people," Sinbad explained. "I doubt she has."

"History isn't boring," Thalia quipped. "Modern novels are boring. What can I learn from them that I can't learn by leaving the house?"

"Apparently what the term "lady killer" means," the red-haired boy mumbled.

"Well, then. Educate me. What does it mean?"

"It means he's good at charming the ladies," Ja'far explained.

"Charming them into bed," expanded the red-haired boy. "He fucks them."

Fuck… like when a man and a woman… Thalia remembered the night she'd imagined him looking at her as though he wanted to do exactly that. But that had been her imagination. The lamps had been running out of oil, and it had been dark, and it hadn't really happened.

Thalia felt a familiar churning in her stomach, something she'd long grown used to ignoring. It was something she hadn't experienced in years and something she wasn't willing to acknowledge even now. Sinbad was polite. He never touched her without permission, and certainly not the way a pervert would. Clearly, he'd never been inappropriate with a woman. There was no way he was a world renown lecher.

"Well," she huffed. "He's always been a perfect gentleman to me." She looked up to Sinbad, whose face was colored a bright crimson. That was not the face of a man who'd bedded hundreds of women, it was the face of an embarrassed boy. "It sounds like a bunch of unfounded rumors to me. There's no way Sinbad would sleep around like that, right guys?"

Thalia waited for Sinbad to respond, but he refused to even meet her eyes. She looked to Ja'far, but he appeared equally uncomfortable, inspecting the ceiling nervously. Even Hinahoho was shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously.

"Guys?"

Sinbad sighed. "No offense, Thalia, but I really don't want to talk about my sex life with you. Just pick your bed." He gestured to the rows of bunk beds lining either side of the room.

Sex life. He talked as though he had one. The nauseous feeling in her stomach grew stronger, and suddenly she was angry with him— angry for taking that step into adulthood so soon, angry for not living up to her ideal, angry because right now, all she could think about was how what had been done to her, he'd done with someone else. She was furious.

Ignoring the red-haired boy's howling laughter, Thalia silently tossed her bag onto a random top bunk, thinking if someone tried to assault her in the middle of the night, she would wake up from the sound of them climbing the ladder and have time to kick them in the face.

"Good choice." Sinbad threw his things on the bunk below hers, and Thalia calmed down a little. Maybe he was the person everyone had said he was, but he was still Sinbad. He still wouldn't touch her without her permission, and he still made her feel safe.

Ja'far took a bed adjacent to them and Hinahoho looked at the tiny bunks wistfully.

"Guess I'll be sleeping on the deck, huh?"

This brought another round of laughter, this time from both the crew members.

"Nasha! Ravi! Get over here, ya lazy scoundrels or ye'll be walkin' the plank!" Captain Reis's voice carried in from outside.

"Shit!" the red-head cried. "He noticed we're gone."

The other boy nodded, and they both scrambled outside.

Even on the first day, life on the ship was already becoming monotonous. The sailors and her friends dealt with it by drinking heavily, but she hated the smell, and hated being around them. The book she had brought was small, but particularly dense. She could only stomach a little at a time before it gave her a headache.

So, instead, she entertained herself by leaning on the rail of the boat, watching the sun dip below the sea. She'd loved to watch the sunset from her room back in Attica, and that love was one of the few things in her life that had stayed consistent.

"Thalia~" Sinbad drawled her name, coming up from behind. She'd been aware he was approaching. She could smell him before he'd even spoken. He'd been drinking.

"Sin~" she mimicked playfully.

He chuckled. "Do I really sound that bad?"

"You do."

He grinned mischievously, leaning in toward her. "Good, that means I can say anything and you can't get mad at me."

Thalia pursed her lips. "I don't know about that."

"Has…" He hiccuped. "Has anyone told you you're the most beautiful girl on this ship?"

Her lips twitched in amusement at his feeble attempt at a compliment. "I think that goes without saying, since I'm the only girl on the ship."

"Exactly," he asserted. "Most beautiful."

"Is that what you had to get drunk to tell me?" She rolled her eyes. The joke was cute enough, but she wasn't particularly fond of seeing him like this. It reminded her too much of her drunkard mother and some of the more handsy patrons. Still, she was growing used to it. Though she wouldn't call him a responsible drinker, he seemed to have his habits under control and kept his touches respectful.

"Why would I have to get drunk to tell you that?" He leaned on the deck rail, and Thalia grabbed onto his wrist with both hands, worried he'd topple over in his current state.

Tugging him upright, she asked, "Did you want something, Sin?"

He smiled, cupping his large hand over one of hers. "No, you just looked lonely over here by yourself."

"I'm not lonely. You know I don't like to be around drunk people."

He snorted. "Ja'far's not drinking. Come over and keep him company."

She glanced over to Ja'far, who quickly looked away. He had been watching. It seemed like he was always watching Sinbad, and as of this morning, he'd been watching her as well. He didn't look at her the way he looked at Sinbad, though. The expression he wore when he looked at her was more like he expected to catch her doing something wrong. She'd explained it away this morning, but by now she couldn't ignore it. He didn't trust her anymore, and she couldn't understand why.

"If you're that concerned, you can watch the sunset with me. Otherwise..." She turned back to the horizon pointedly, removing her hands from his wrist.

"Hey," Sinbad suddenly sounded very sober. It was uncanny how quickly he could rebound when he wanted to. He held up a flask to her eye level. "At least drink some grog."

Her grimace made him chuckle.

"What's the matter, Princess? You're too spoiled to drink watered down wine?"

"It tastes terrible." But, aside from the first sip she'd had earlier, she hadn't had anything to drink today. Admittedly, she was thirsty.

Grabbing the flask from him, she choked its contents down. Fresh water would have gone bad by the time they reached Balbadd, so the grog was her only option to stay hydrated. Still, with every swill it became harder to stomach.

"Welcome to the life of an adventurer," he told her. "Not very glamorous, is it?"

She laughed indignantly. She hadn't known glamor in years. "It's not so bad. At least we're free."

"You're right," he agreed.

Thalia stared at the planks next to Sinbad's feet, pondering the missteps and sacrifices it had taken to get to this point. Her pleasant mood began to sink under the weight of her guilt. Her family, her people, her country… everything that had happened was her fault.

Sinbad must have noticed she was getting lost in her own thoughts, because he quickly changed the subject.

"The sunset is beautiful, don't you think?"

She scoffed. "You're not even looking."

"I don't have to."

Crossing her arms in front of her, she turned her attention to the saturated skyline. He was right. It was beautiful, as it had been every other time she'd seen it, but somehow, with him by her side, the colors seemed brighter, more alive.

She looked back to her friend, who was leaning over the rail, the last rays of light dancing in his golden eyes. His chiseled chin, his full lips, his long flowing hair… he was more breathtaking than any sunset. How hadn't she noticed it before? He was…

"Is something wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She'd been staring, and he'd noticed.

She couldn't tell him the real reason she'd been staring, that she had been admiring his perfect visage. He would definitely get the wrong idea and tease her. He didn't think about her that way, and she didn't think about him like that either. They were friends. They would always be friends.

Friendship was safe.

"No, I just… you have something on your face." She reached up and stroked his cheek with her thumb, pretending to wipe something away. "There we go." Bringing her hand to her lips, she pretended to blow an eyelash out to sea. "All gone."

He was quiet for a moment, apparently mulling something over.

"You know," His mouth twitched up into a lopsided grin. "I'm either drunk or there wasn't anything there. Thalia, did you just flirt with me?"

"Me? Flirt? With you?"Thalia forced out an awkward laugh, punching him in the arm. She hadn't been flirting. Of course she wouldn't flirt, not with him. "Sinbad, you're definitely drunk. Maybe you need to sit down."

He scratched his neck sheepishly, taking a step back. "You're right. I should go sit down." Her turned, heading toward the cabin.

"Sin?" she called after him, a gust of wind sweeping her cry out to sea.

Her call must have reached him anyway, because he turned around. "It's getting dark. I'm going inside."

Thalia hadn't even noticed, but the sun was almost completely beneath the waves. Now Sinbad had left her alone with nothing but the desolate darkness to keep her company. Thalia glanced around at the others on deck, rugged men many of whom were nearly double her size. It occurred to her that she didn't feel safe by herself. Feeling a chill creep up her spine, she scampered after Sinbad, seeking safety at his side.

By day two, Thalia realized that talking to the same three people every day would become old fast. For the sake of her sanity, she set aside her apprehensions and tried to branch out and talk to the crew members. She caught Ravi, the quiet sailor from the first day, reading a book. He was closer to her size than any other member of the crew, and seemed the least threatening. Sitting on the crate next to him, she peered over his shoulder curiously.

"What are you reading?"

"The Adventures of Sinbad," he told her enthusiastically, holding up the cover of the book for her to see.

Thalia gave a sideways glance to her friend, who was playing card games over a few beers. He slapped Hinahoho on the back in a congratulatory manner. Apparently the Imuchakk had just played a decent round. "Someone wrote a book about him?"

"Several." Ravi gave her a heart-warming smile. "He wrote them himself. I'm on the third book, but I've read them all at least five times."

"I didn't know he was a writer," she mused, inspecting the hard cover of the book. "Can I borrow the first one? I might throw myself overboard if I don't find something to do."

He nodded, the braid framing the side of his face swaying with the movement.

"You really seem to look up to him," she added. "Why don't you go up and talk to him for a bit? He's really nice, I swear."

Ravi lowered his book, his hazel eyes clouding over. "No way. Thanks to Nasha, I made a horrible first impression. He hates me. I know it."

"Sinbad hates one kind of people: manipulative ones." Like Lady Maader. "You seem earnest, and I think he'll see that in you and appreciate it," Thalia encouraged him.

"Will you introduce us?" Ravi scratched his tawny hair shyly. "I want him to sign my copy of his book."

Thalia stood, pumping her fists enthusiastically. She was about to make this boy's day.

"Yes! Let's do it right now." Marching in Sinbad's direction, she motioned for Ravi to follow.

"Are you sure?" she heard him protest from behind her. "He looks busy."

Thalia waved away his concerns. Sinbad could make time for his biggest fan, couldn't he? Besides, he wasn't that busy. He appeared to be in the final rounds of a poker game, the only remaining opponent being Nasha, the red haired boy from yesterday. Sinbad announced which cards he was playing, but his dead eyes betrayed him again.

Without looking at his cards, Thalia immediately called his bluff.

He threw his hand down and rose to his feet. "Thalia? What the hell? Why are you helping him? That's cheating."

"You're busy," she shrugged. "I need you unbusy."

"Fine. I fold." He passed the winnings over to Nasha, who was cackling hysterically and howling something about Sinbad being whipped. "What is it? Is someone bothering you?"

"No, actually I've been getting to know one of the crew members." She smiled, gesturing for Ravi to join her. "Ravi here has been wanting to talk to you. He's a big fan of yours."

Sinbad looked at the lanky teen and smiled generously. "Hello, Ravi. Would you like to pull up a seat and ask questions? Or we can just talk about whatever you're interested in."

"Sorry Nasha is an asshole," Ravi blurted.

Nasha stopped laughing and pursed his lips, unable to deny the allegation.

Sinbad laughed heartily as Thalia brought over a chair for Ravi.

"Before you two get too carried away, can I go ahead and borrow that book?" Thalia asked.

"Sure," Ravi replied. "It's in the chest at the foot of my bunk."

"What book?" Sinbad asked, leaning forward.

Thalia answered before Ravi could. "Just some boring autobiography."

Sinbad leaned back, apparently satisfied with her answer. Ravi looked at her curiously before apprehension dawned on his face. His gaze oscillated back and forth between Thalia and Sinbad until it settled on her.

Thalia's eyebrows knitted at his strange reaction, but she said nothing. So long as he kept her secret, she wouldn't pry into what was going on in his head.

Thalia dug the book out of his trunk, burying her nose in it. She hadn't realized before how little she'd known about her friend— that his father had been killed in one of Parthevia's endless wars, that his mother had died of illness while he captured the famed first dungeon. She wiped a few tears from her eyes after reading those parts. It wasn't just that Sinbad was so important to her, though that was doubtless a huge part of it. He had a way with words that kept her enthralled with the story's twists and turns.

She couldn't put the book down, so she started carrying it around with her. Anxious about what her friends would think if they found out what she was reading, she was careful not to let anyone see the cover. She ignored Sinbad's increasingly grand attempts to get her attention, in favor of getting to know the part of him within the books pages that she'd never been allowed to see. He would still be around after she finished reading.

As she sat stuffing a snack of nuts in her mouth, engrossed by one of the tales within the pages, Sinbad's patience finally broke.

"You've been reading that book for three days straight," he groused.

She nodded in acknowledgement. Actually, she'd only been reading this one since yesterday . She'd finished the first book and was now on the second.

"What could possibly be more interesting than your friends?" He grabbed the book from her hands and held it out of her reach, a victorious expression written on his face.

She panicked. What if when he saw that she was reading the book he'd authored, he thought she was some kind of stalker?

"Give it back!" she fumed, futilely hopping to grab at the book. She cursed her short stature now more than ever.

The smile dropped from his face as he saw how furious he'd made her. "Your face is really red. What are you reading that you're so ashamed of? Smut?"

"Yes," she huffed. "Now give it back."

His eyes widened. He hadn't expected an answer like that.

"No way. Not you." He glanced at the pages, reading them aloud under his breath. "What the hell, Thalia? I wrote this. It's not smut."

She quoted a passage from a few pages earlier. "'The slumbering form of the queen of Artemyra was radiant in the moonlight, her breasts-'"

Now it was his turn to blush. "That was- the readers like that stuff, okay? But you… you're embarrassed because you were reading my book?"

He handed the bound pages back to her, and she clutched them protectively to her stomach.

"Don't get the wrong idea," she muttered, looking at the planks instead of his face. "You're a good writer."

He ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'm glad you think so. There's no need to be so shy about it."

She suddenly felt guilty for having been so afraid of his reaction to her reading his stories. Of course he wouldn't mind if she read them. He'd published them for the world to see. She didn't understand why she'd been so afraid of him finding out. Somehow the idea of him thinking she had an interest in him terrified her.

Because that was definitely not the case.

"Did you learn anything?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"You said there wasn't anything in modern novels you couldn't learn by stepping outside," he reminded her. "Did you learn anything?"

"Yeah," she smiled at him, the weight of his tragic life now coloring the way she saw him. "I learned a lot."