Interlude Three

"...Kisara."

I repeated her name without thinking, enjoying how it felt on my tongue. At her giggle, heat crawled up my neck to envelope my ears. "Apologies. It is just a beautiful name."

Her cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you, your highness."

"Seth, please." I laid a hand on my chest. "I know your name. It is only fair if you know mine."

"If that is what you desire," I could see her mulling my name over. "Seth."

Her voice sent pleasant tingles up my neck.

"Since we are discussing fairness," she said, giving me a teasing smile. "In return for nearly causing me to drop her highness' water, perhaps you could escort me to her chambers? Just in case another vagabond surprises me from around a corner."

"Vagabond? Me?" I said, incredulous.

"Of course not." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I must be referring to some other tall, dark skinned prince. My mistake." Annoyance built in my chest until she began to laugh. "Relax, your highness. It was a joke."

The high, melodic sound eased the building tension, sending that entitled emotion surrying back to where it had come. "You are quite confident to play jokes on a prince."

"Not confidence." She said, though her smile remained. "I am having trouble adjusting to being in such an opulent environment. My sisters and I would play jokes on each other up until I came to be here."

"And what is it that brought you here, exactly?" I motioned for her to follow and began leading the way through the palace towards my sister's chambers. I kept my pace slow so as not to outmaneuver her.

"Politics, I am afraid." She sighed. "I am the youngest of all my sisters. All of them are set to marry well. Senators. Generals."

My heart sunk. "And yourself?"

She made a sour face. "I did not much like the idea of marriage. Father wanted to betroth me to the son of a senator, but that man is twice my age. I know I should feel honored, but I find the idea repulsive. I refused and father sent me here."

"You would give up such a high seat in Rome to work here?"

"I wanted to see the empire!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Alexandria. Athena. Macedonia. Oh! And the islands of the Mediterranian. Syracuse and Aleria!"

I chuckled. "Quite lofty goals for a palace servant."

"Do you think you and her highness would take me as an envoy if you ever traveled the empire? Once you are wed, surely her highness will want… to…" Her steps faltered. "Are you alright?"

I turned my head to look at her. "Pardon?"

"You looked upset all of a sudden. Did I anger you?"

"No." I tried to give her a calming smile. "It was not you."

The skin between her brows creased. "Is it," Her voice grew quiet, prompting me to step closer to hear. "Is it her highness?"

I looked away, ashamed. It was common among my family to intermarry. It kept our bloodline pure. It kept us in power when the Emperor could just as easily take us down and replace us. Marrying my little sister though…

"She is eleven." I said. "Father has arranged us to wed once she has her first moonblood."

"You do not want that?"

"Do not misunderstand, I do care for my sister. She is of my blood after all, but," I struggled to put the words together.

"You do not love her."

"Not in that way." I shrugged my shoulders. "Not that there is anything I can do for it. I envy you. If I could escape this place and travel the world…" I let my words trail away, ending in a deep sigh. "I would love to see Rome someday."

She was silent for the rest of our journey.

My sisters' chambers were separated from the rest of the palace by a pair of thick ornate curtains from Mesopotamia. They hung off the rod heavily, a passing breeze not being enough to move them. Only her ladies, the female servants, and the guards assigned to her protection were allowed inside.

I stepped to one side of the curtain, prepared to open them to allow her in. She stood before me, looking down into the dark interior of the jug in her arms. The troubled look on her face stilled my hand and brought it instead to the side of her face. My fingers carefully tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "What is the matter?"

She shook her head and, for the briefest moment, I thought she had leaned into my touch. She looked up at me, the ghost of a smile gracing her lips. "I would tell you a secret if you would allow it."

"To me?"

She nodded. "Come closer."

I stepped closer. When she motioned me even closer I leaned down so our heads were at equal height, my cheek scant centimeters from her own. Her breath tickled my ear. I almost pulled away when the pleasant sensation sent my blood rushing to my groin, but stilled the motion when she began to speak.

"I watch you too." She whispered. "You believe that I do not see, but the other ladies do. They tell me how you look at me."

Shame gripped my chest, turning my eyes to the ground. "I apologise. It is not in my right to-"

Her lips found my cheek, pressing firmly. It was as if my heart had stopped, that the rest of the palace had faded away and we stood alone in a void where only we existed.

An instant later she was gone. I turned to her, but she was shouldering her way through the curtain. Her eyes glanced to mine before it closed behind her and I saw the red of her face. A flush that made her cheeks, her neck, and the top of her breasts glow. Then she disappeared, leaving the gently rocking curtain in her wake..

I stared after her. Straightened and rose a hand to my cheek, feeling the skin where her lips had touched. My blood was on fire. My heart felt as if it would burst from my chest. I closed my eyes and breathed deep. The scent of her skin hovered in the air.

She smelled of cinnamon.