Emeton and Tylan dropped Remmy off with the other kids. Then he took her to a sitting room. “I should apologize. I’ve propose to several times and I never spoke with your parents. Would you be willing to tell me who they are so I can ask permission to court you?” “I don’t have any parents.” “Tylan…” Emeton frowned. That wasn’t to claim just in order to avoid him talking to them. “I mean it.” Tylan insisted. “My family died when I was little. I grew up in the orphanage here. That’s why I’m good with kids. I used to help with the younger ones there.” “I’m sorry. Do you have any family I should talk to?” She shook her head. “There’s no one.” “So, it’s only you I have to convince.” “We are not getting married.” She insisted. “Why not?” “Because you don’t love me.” “Do you love me?” He asked. “That doesn’t matter.” She looked away. The statement disturbed him. “If you love me, why can’t I love you?” “It’s not that you can’t but you don’t. You love what we did.” “You didn’t enjoy that?” “I did, but that’s not a reason to get married. I’ll tell you what, if you promise to stop proposing, I’ll stay for the next month. I’ll help the nurse with the kids during the day and spend nights with you.” Emeton frowned. “Prostitution is illegal.” “I’m not asking to be paid.” “You’re going to go a month without pay?” “I’ve got some money saved up. I can go without work for some time.” She shrugged. “What will you get out of this?” She shrugged. “Companionship.” He stared at her. “Wouldn’t marriage do that?” She shook her head. “Maybe for bit, but it wouldn’t last. At least this way, I’ll know when it’ll end and won’t expect more.” “Who hurt you so bad?” He asked. “Does it matter?” “Yes. All your actions scream it. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize it sooner. You may not believe I love you, but you believe at least I care. Help me understand. Please, tell me.” She sighed. “There was a boy at the orphanage. We fell in love, or so I thought we did. He turned nineteen so is time for him to leave. He had a cousin in Thager who was going to help him get a job. He asked me to come with so I did. The job didn’t pay enough for both of us to live on. Because I was under age and didn’t have parents, there weren’t many ways for me to earn money. Nobody would hire an illiterate kid, except for the night. I’d gotten good at sneaking in and out of the orphanage so I started stealing. It wasn’t a lot but enough to help us get by. “He talked about us getting married. He said he didn’t care that I couldn’t have kids, that we’d adopt. We both knew there were plenty to adopt. We just needed to wait until I was of age. For two years he told me we’d get married when I came of age. Two weeks before my nineteenth birthday I came home from a job to find him in bed with some other woman. I’d seen her around where he worked. It turned out he’d been sleeping with her almost the whole time. He said I…” Her voice broke. Emeton pulled her close, holding her. He felt terrible. He could see how was jumping from marriage to marriage must look. It didn’t matter they were dead. It was only a few months after Trilla had died that he had married Nadal and she hadn’t been dead a month before he was sleeping with a virtual stranger. Tylan cried for a while. “I’m sorry,” he said when she was done. “I’m sorry for what he did and I’m sorry for the way I behaved.” “I don’t want your pity.” “It’s not pity. It’s remorse and regret and anger.” She looked at him. He wiped a tear from her cheek. “I grew up around dragons.” He told her. “They’re quite protective of children and loved ones. It rubs off. Part of me wants to have Tolin hunt this man down and thrown in prison.” “Prison?” She frowned. “He took you from your home and he had sex with you when you were under age. He also encouraged you to become a thief. That’s all against the law.” Emeton looked in her eyes. “But I can see you rather forget about him than do that. I’m a wrong?” She shook her head. “I never want to see him again. But he’s right. I’m a worthless, broken down tramp.” “Worthless?” Emeton was shocked she could think that. “Ask Remmy how worthless you are. That kid is smart. He sees everything. He’ll figure out you’re the one Bacna’s smiling for. He’s never smiled. We didn’t think he ever would. We didn’t know if he had enough mind left to smile. He went so long without breathing. “I owe you an explanation. Trilla and I got married as soon as we are old enough. We’d been together for a few years. My dad was dying and I was scared. I was nineteen and going to be king. I wasn’t supposed to be king. Tolin was. He’s the oldest. But Dad named me heir. Tolin was happy about that, but I felt unprepared. So, we got married as soon as possible so I would have someone at my side. “Trilla got pregnant quickly and Remmy was born. A short time later, she got pregnant again. The pregnancy was terrible. She had so many problems. They’d had to induce labor quite early. Once Bacna was born, she wouldn’t even look at him. Nobody thought he’d survive. She didn’t even want us to try to save him. Even after Shunati came up with a treatment plan, she wanted to let him die. It broke my heart to see her treat our son so. She made sure she got pregnant again quickly. She thought another child would make me forget him. Three pregnancies in that short of the time, especially with what she experience with Bacna, was too hard on her. She got sick and died. “By this time, my father had also died and I’d been crowned king. Here I was, a twenty-two-year-old single father of three children two and under and a kingdom to rule. I was a mess. Tolin stepped in as regent for a while but there was talk of a revolt so I came back. “The northern cities, Resdelk, Paosij and Yotiuy, were causing trouble, threatening to secede. We arranged my marriage to Nadal, the daughter of the governor of Paosij. He figured if there was a family tie, we’d help them with the trolls. They always fear we’ll abandon them to the trolls. “I figured if I didn’t love my wife, she couldn’t hurt me like Trilla had. And perhaps, I’d fall in love with her eventually. I never got the chance. She got pregnant on our wedding night and died nine months later giving birth. I said no more. But that pickled dragon you call a friend didn’t listen and brought you here.” She looked at him in surprise. “Kith was trying to get us together?” “You didn’t realize this? This is long as he’s stayed in ages and he volunteered to. He’s been on his best behavior, staying sober too. He’s never brought friends here before. He wants us together. “I know you think I don’t love you, but I do. Your thoughts, your feelings that first night in the garden, they mirrored my own in a way I thought could only happen to the bonded. I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t love you. I’m not supposed to be sleeping around. There are laws. Everything you’ve done since, the way you care for the kids and helped Tolin and dealt with Governor Borat, it’s all made me love you more. Kith was right. We do make a good pair.” She didn’t say anything. He still had his arms around her. She laid her head on his shoulder. “How about a counterproposal? You stay. Help the nursery if you want. Sleep alone. Let me show you my love. After a month, if you still aren’t convinced, you can go.” “Just let me go now.” “You can go anytime you want. I’m not keeping you here.” He let go of her. “No, you’re keeping Kith here.” Emeton shook his head. “I am not. He volunteered to stay.” “He told me...” Emeton laughed. “I told you he’s trying to set us up.” Tylan smiled too. “I’ll tell him to take you back.” Emeton offered. Tylan shook her head. “No. If he takes me home, he won’t come back. He doesn’t see his family like he should. We were going to stay the week, we will.” “At least he’s staying sober.” Emeton reasoned. “That too.” She agreed. “He was interested in someone, wasn’t he?” Tylan nodded. “Star. Or Darina, rather, is her real name. She’s a mage for hire. Her clients call her Star.” “That didn’t work out?” “I guess not. He won’t talk about it. I know she was unhappy with how much he drinks. Maybe that was it.” “Maybe he’s staying sober for her?” “No. He got drunk the night before we came.” “How does he not get hung over?” “He does. He hides it well. He says the pain in his heart overshadows any in his head.” “I wonder if he’d be happier if he were to find his parents and go live there.” “I thought that too, but he has no idea where they are. Besides, he be an outsider there too. He’s been gone too long.” **** Kith sat on the balcony of his uncle’s receiving room again. He’d finished his work for the day and wanted something to drink. He would prefer something stronger than juice but he was determined to stay sober this trip. Tolin joined them. “Want company?” He asked, sitting down. Kith shrugged. “I want to apologize for yesterday. Tylan seems like a decent lady. She would make a fine companion for my brother.” “Elos approved of her, I take it.” Kith guessed. “Not exactly. He said she was teachable. But, I’ve been watching her. She’s good with the kids and she’s good with Emeton. Shades, she’s even got you staying sober.” “And that’s a feat.” Kith laughed. Tolin smiled. “Pt’this likes her too. He’s willing to overlook her past.” “That’s good to know. I figured he’d hate her just because I brought her.” “He doesn’t think that poorly of you.” Tolin assured them. “I will always be a disappointment to him.” “Perhaps if you stopped drinking.” “I started drinking because I was a disappointment.” Emeton came out. “May I join you?” He asked. “Your palace.” Kith shrugged. “Kith.” The palace was his, but he wasn’t the only one to call it home. He felt rooms allotted to nobles or servants should be treated as if they belonged to the resident. “Pull up a chair. The more the merrier.” Kith smiled. He knew how Emeton felt. Emeton brought out a chair from the receiving room. “I had a talk with Tylan this afternoon,” He said. “And?” Kith prompted. “And, I’m going to back off.” “Why?” Tolin frowned. “Because that’s what she needs.” “She told you about Ceeba, didn’t she?” Kith guessed. “She didn’t tell his name.” “It Ceeba.” Kith assured him. “Now that she’s told you about him, let me tell you what really happened.” “I believe this is personal.” Tolin stood. “I’ll let you two talk privately.” With that, he left. “The girl Tylan found him with wasn’t the only one he’d slept with. There were several. He also messed with her head. He made her think no one would want her, that she was no good. Where do you think she got the idea she was a worthless broken down tramp? He was subtle about it too. Star and I didn’t even see it at first. By the time we did, the damage was done.” “Why? Why would he do that?” “To keep her around. She was a good thief and made plenty of money. He was a lazy cur that squandered most of what he made. “She told you he didn’t make enough to support them? He did but he spent at least half of what he made on women. He always had on nice clothes while she’s scrounged at secondhand shops.” Emeton was frowning. “You said his name was Ceeba? He was brought up at the orphanage here?” Kith nodded. “You’re thinking of arresting him? Don’t. Tylan would never forgive you.” “But…” Emeton started. “She doesn’t see all he did. Besides, Star and I took care of him.” “What did you do?” Emeton asked cautiously. “Don’t tell Tylan this but Star got Tylan out of town a few days, to keep her out of it. I planted some of the goods she had stolen in his home and then reported seeing the stuff there to the guard. I waited until he was with another girl who was underage before I did. He’s not going to be hurting anyone else for a while.” “Good.” Emeton nodded. “Though I don’t know that I like you framing someone.” “Once they saw him in bed with that girl, they all but forgot about the thefts.” Kith assured him. “But, I don’t think you should give up on Tylan either.” “Shades, I said I wasn’t going to get married again. Besides, it’s too soon for that.” “I know. I was worried about her. She was getting worse, lowering her standards. I didn’t expect you to move so fast. But, you grew up around Pt’this. I should’ve known better.” “Not your doing. I chose to sleep with her.” “Is she wanting to leave?” “No. She wants to give you a chance to visit with your aunt and uncle.” Kith smiled. “She’s giving you a chance to prove her wrong.” Emeton raised an eyebrow. “You really think that?” “Yes. She loves you. That, I can tell.” Emeton shook his head. “I’m done pushing. She’s not ready. I’ll try to visit Thager.” Kith nodded but didn’t say anything.