The three daytime guards and the three servants were eating dinner after their shift. A few Yarb soldiers joined them. “He’s practically got a harem. He’s been married three times,” one said. “Yeah, but two are dead,” another pointed out. “So, Queen Stilla is too.” “He’s just on his best behavior because he’s here. We’ll send him a gift tonight.” “No one will be joining King Emeton tonight,” Merton said guessing who they were talking about. “He sleeps with his wife or he sleeps alone.” One of the Yarbs nodded. “He’s in a foreign kingdom. It would be poor security.” Skwen rolled his eyes. “The prince is probably too much of a simpleton to know what to do with a woman. Did you hear him talk?” The guard asked. “Isn’t he married?” A third Yarb asked. “He is,” Miklin confirmed. “And he knows exactly how to make his wife happy.” “You think the dragon would want company?” The second guard asked. “He’d probably eat her,” the first said. “Dragons don’t eat people,” Solvnor insisted. “They don’t?” “Why would Emeton have them living in his palace if they did?” Prish pointed out. “You think he’d like a woman?” The second Yarb asked. “He’s pledged,” Miklin said. “But not married,” the Yarb eyed his companions. “Dragons never sleep around. One woman and one woman, only,” Merton told him. “Really? They live thousands of years and they spend it all with the same woman?” “You can’t imagine how close they are,” Solvnor told him. “What about you all? You’ve all been on your best behavior. You want company tonight?” “We’re sharing a room,” Merton pointed out. “So, we’ll send you a few, and you can share.” The thought turned Miklin stomach. “No. We’re under orders.” “You sure you don’t prefer each other’s company?” Miklin almost spit out his coffee. “We follow our orders. Most of us are either married or pledged to be married. I don’t know what that means here, but in Menthanla, our word means something, and we honor our wives and pledges by keeping that word rather than sleeping around. And we also don’t make baseless accusations, unlike some people.” “Are you talking about us?” “You just claimed we were sleeping together. The last time I was in Yarba, meeting with the captain of the guard, I was first and be accused of being a spy and then sleeping with my cousin.” “If that was you, I heard you weren’t cousins. Elves can’t intermarry.” “My great-great-uncle took in his mom when she was at the college. He was made her legal guardian because she was underage.” “So, there isn’t a blood relation?” “No, and I told them that, and they checked our room, and proceeded to spy on us that night. And I have a written promise from your king that I wouldn’t be harassed again. Now, are you going to honor your king’s word and let us in peace?” As Milkin took another sip of his coffee, he realized his sense of being followed was active. Someone was watching them and they had been for most of the conversation. He stood. “We’re done.” His fellow guards glanced at each other. Tohan looked confused, but he followed the lead of the others when they joined Miklin as he hurried back to the suite they were using. The feeling grew stronger. Miklin could hear Merton explaining to Tohan what was going on. They reached the suite just as Emeton, Bacna, and the other guards entered Nim’s room. There, they found Nim on his knees, being held at sword point by several guards. Kamlia’s advisor held a copper collar. He was trying to put on Nim. He was the source of Miklin’s feeling. Miklin noticed he wore gloves to handle the collar.