Disclaimer: The Sookie Stackhouse Series is the creation of Charlaine Harris. Don't sue me Charlaine! I love your books.

Understanding

X.

I rose at 2pm, went downstairs and had tea, forcing myself to have some toast, as well. At 3 pm I was meeting with Mr. Nikolaidis in Pythia's suite in order to review the evening's cases. I had decided I wanted as much information up front as possible. No more unpleasant surprises like Scully. I went for a brisk walk around the hotel property, just to move around a bit. I had grown so used to walking and was missing it from my daily routine. As I reentered the hotel and headed to the elevator, I encountered Mr. Nikolaidis. He seemed disturbed.

"Sookie, where are your guards? Why are you out without your guards?"

I was gratified that I had at least stopped him from calling me ma'am, Miss Stackhouse, Mrs. Northman, or the profoundly disturbing 'my liege' which is where we had started out.

"I left them upstairs. I don't need guards. Especially when it's light. But in general."

"Her Highness wanted the guards for you. She is still very concerned with your safety, especially during the adjustment phase." This was a reference to everybody adjusting to the fact that I would be in their business.

I sighed. "Mr. Nikolaidis, do you really think I need guards to keep me safe? Think about it."

We entered the elevator. He looked down on me with his intense black eyes. He was on the slender side for a half-demon but was still huge. He had a great sense of humor and I was really enjoying getting to know him.

"It could get very expensive if we had to make a lot of reparations. Look at the wall downstairs, for instance. The demons will just incinerate or slice through any threat. It might be cheaper." He could barely contain a laugh.

I laughed out loud. He really was a funny man. Pythia had a knack for finding people to work for her that had a good sense of humor, I thought to myself.

"Seriously, Sookie, I think that Her Highness is concerned that you will not be able to rest. She alluded to the fact that you have been unwell. If you allow the guards to do their job, it will allow you to relax some of the time."

I smiled ruefully and shook my head. "I can only relax when I am safe somewhere far from here, Mr. N. Really, there is no way that Pythia's guards could keep me safe from someone really determined. It will always be safest for me to be responsible for myself."

He looked troubled at that thought. It was troubling. But it was the reality.

I followed him into Pythia's suite and greeted Zelda, who I had first met last year. She was Pythia's head handmaiden, a mostly human woman in her mid-fifties, who had been sent to Pythia at age 15. Her family had been in service to the Oracle for thousands of years. Zelda was a font of knowledge, but also of opinions. She too commented on the situation with the guards.

"They told me you instructed them to remain at your door and you went out on your own. The Ancient One will not be pleased."

"It's an excellent diversion, Zelda. It would look as if I was still in my room. And really, I need time to just walk free, without being followed by fire-eyed hulks carrying daggers, swords, axes and such. I just walked on the grounds of the hotel. The worst I encountered was a Were assistant hotel manager and some distantly Fae gardener. They were not at all interested in aggression. I don't think they had any idea of who I am, in fact. I don't look important if I'm not flanked by guards. And I can take care of myself. Pythia needs to trust to that."

Zelda looked at me disapprovingly with her hands on her hips. "You don't look important? You look quite striking. You don't look entirely human with your appearance changed, even if it's subtle. You are a striking woman in a hotel with hundreds of vampires. You are obviously an asset to someone. You look as if you are something quite unique. You need to be more careful."

"Zelda, I promise you if anyone tries anything, I'll smite them in your name, okay?"

She rolled her eyes at me as if I was a frustrating child. I knew that to her, and sometimes to Pythia, I was.

I looked over at Mr. Nikolaides and the case files. I sat down next to him and looked at the schedule. There were more cases today than the previous day, but some looked very simple. Mr N. was estimating about two to two and a half hours of work. The case I was most curious about was that of a human accountant who was attempting to sue someone in the retinue of Isaiah, the King of Kentucky. It was an odd case. He was suing a female vampire for personal injury. Evidently, she had intended to turn him, but had been interrupted and he almost died. Most peculiar. I thanked Zelda for the cold bottle of Tŷ Nant water she brought me and started reading.

By 6:30 pm we were finished going through the specifics. Mr. N. seemed really pleased that I wanted to go through things in detail and look at the history of the vampires involved. I rose to go to my room and change.

I showered, brushed my hair and put on some makeup. I changed into a pair of soft gray silk slacks and a sky blue silk blouse that complimented my inner lit markings when I worked. I chose a shawl I'd woven with soft blues and smoky grays and fastened it at my shoulder with a Celtic brooch that Eithne had given me for my birthday.

I turned and looked at the now neatly folded stack of clothes with a frown and regarded Eric in the bed. It was going to raise questions if Eric was seen wearing clothes from the previous day, even on his way back to his room to change out of them. Someone would likely notice. Pythia had declared the previous year that we were bound in the Fae manner. I was concerned that Pythia's protection of me, and therefore Eric, would not be enough to protect Eric from the unpopularity of Pythia's decree that I would be deciding and enforcing cases involving vampires. In order to get rid of me, someone could easily harm him. It was better with everyone thinking that Eric and I were separated. Most people would hardly know what a fae bond involved and few vampires would be on cordial enough terms with a fairy to be able to ask about it. And it wasn't a common thing nowadays according to my grandfather. Maybe if they thought we had separated, that would be enough to keep him safe.

I found Eric's room keycard in his pants pocket and called next door to Zelda.

"Zel, can you find out what room Eric Northman is in?"

"I have a list. He shares a room with his second, Pamela, 1210. Why?"

"I have to return something."

"Take the guards. Or at least one."

"It's still light. Besides, I'll be fine." I hung up before she could argue.

I gathered up the clothes and went down to the 12th floor, and entered the room.

Pam was asleep on the bed nearest the door. I smiled at her. She was wearing flannel PJs even though it was summer. I went over to the other bed and considered the neatly folded clothes in my arms. Wholly unbelievable. I messed them up and threw them on the chair, with poor aim, so that the shirt fell to the floor. Better. Then I messed up the bed.

I quickly gathered fresh clothes. I thought about taking his toothbrush but was all too sure that Pam would notice it missing. He'd have to use mine. I glanced back at Pam. I wondered if she would detect my scent in the room. Well, too late to fix that.

I went back upstairs and set out the clothes for Eric. I looked at him in the bed. How ironic it felt to think that, after several years of the reverse, now I was in the business of trying to assure he would be safe.

It was 7:30 pm. I left my guards at the door and went back next door, to await Pythia's awakening.