Page 24 (1/2)

AERIN WOKE TWO DAYS later in her own bed in her father’s castle - Tor’s castle now It was turning over that woke her; her muscles were so sore and stiff that her weariness was finally less than her aches and pains, and as she rolled onto her right shoulder she ith a groan

There was an immediate rustle from somewhere just beyond the bed curtains, and the curtains theht flooded in Aerin couldn’t ihts were that wherever it was it was doubtless dangerous, and she groped vaguely for Gonturan’s hilt; instead her fingers buried theue licked her hand She tried to sit up, and a voice, attached to the hands that had just parted the curtains, said brokenly, "Oh, nized Teka first, and then realized where she was, and then Teka bent down and buried her face in the bedclothes and sobbed

"Teka," Aerin said, horrified by her tears

"My lady, I thought I should never see you again," Tekaher face, but when Aerin tentatively patted a shoulder and srey head, Teka sat back on her heels, sniffed, and said, "Well, I aain now for two and a half days, and I am very sorry to have been so silly You’ll want food and a bath"

"Two and a half days?" Aerin repeated

"Two and a half days Tor-sola is not awake yet"

Aerin s in that chair" - she nodded at a high-backed wooden chair with a pillow propped up for the waiter’s back and neck, and a cushioned footrest, and a sed on it - "the whole time"

Teka opened her eyes wide in the old way that had so terrorized the very young Aerin caught out at some misbehavior "Of course Bath or a meal first?"

Aerin considered Even the ue move and her jaw open and shut to speak and her lips smile hurt "Malak, very hot, and a very hot bath first, and then food" There was a thrashing behind her and a long pointed face poked over her shoulder "And food for this one, too She’ll skip the bath Where are the rest of them?"

Teka scowled "Wherever it pleases thee to herd them all into your rooms, lady, and the back hall; they terrify all the staff and most of the court But they won’t leave - and, well, I for one a that e them a debt, and loyalty is very admirable even in e "I do not approve of ani queen yaidely, and then a long piece of black shadow stood up from the still curtained foot of the bed, stretched hiainst the backs of Teka’s legs and began to purr and, to Aerin’s delight, a slow flush crept up Teka’s throat and face

"I’lad not everyone in my father’s house is terrified by my friends," said Aerin

"No,cat poked his head around Teka’s waist to sly at Aerin, and Aerin said, "You know,to move in with me permanently, you will have to have names If you live in a house, you are domesticated, and if you are do beside her licked her ear

Aerin began the long excruciating process of getting out of bed; she felt that she would never ain "I’ll help you, my lady," said Teka, as Aerin touched her feet to the floor and hissed involuntarily Teka was thinner than she had been when Aerin saw her last, and as Teka put out a hand to help her, Aerin saw a long bandage wrapped around her forearm under her sleeve She jerked her eyes away and looked up at Teka’s face again "Must you call me lady?" she said crossly "You never did before"

Teka looked at her oddly "I know that perfectly well," she said "If you’re up I’ll look to your bath"

The hot water helped the deeper aches but just about killed the blisters, and Aerin herself with them She padded the back of the bath with two or three towels so that she could at least lie softly; and after three cups of very strong malak she dared climb out of the bath Teka laid her down on a cushioned bench and rubbed a little ent solution (that sly of herbs) that was even worse than the hot water on blisters; Aerin shrieked

"Quiet," said Teka re on a silky pale ointent, as Aerin told her "Your adventures have made you no more polite, Aerin-sol," Teka said with asperity

"You could not possibly have hoped for so much," Aerin responded as she eased into the undershift Teka had laid out for her

"No," Teka admitted, and turned down the corners of hera smile

Aerin turned to pick up the tunic "Why a all dressed up to eat breakfast?" she inquired The tunic was new to her, blue and heavy, with a lot of gold thread worked into it

"It’s mid-afternoon," Teka said repressively "The honor of your company for an early dinner has been requested by Tor-sola"

Aerin grunted, and put the tunic on - and grunted again "He woke up, then"

"So it would appear There is nothing that can be done with your hair"

Aerin grinned and shook her head so that the fine not-quite-shoulder-length tips swung across her cheeks "Nothing at all It doesn’t seeard but convalescent, as Aerin felt she probably looked as well She’d worn Gonturan as a way of acknowledging the formality of the occasion, but the swordbelt only reminded her lad to hang it on the tall back of her chair Tor came to her at once and put his arainst each other, for a long time

He put her away froth then and looked down at her "I - " He broke off, and dropped his arms, and paced around the roo hi tomorrow They seem to think I already am, you know, but there’s a ceremony " His voice trailed off

"Yes, I know," Aerin said gently "Of course you’re king It’s what my - what Arlbeth wanted We both know that And," she said with only a little more difficulty, "it’s what the people want as well"