Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
But the young Taurian male who left his family behind because they didn’t understand why he felt the need to do something other than farming? He knows just what she means.
“I’m going to help you pass,” I tell her. “You don’t have to worry about that. We’ll make it happen.”
“I would appreciate it.” Her voice is soft again. “My mother’s still working in the kitchens, and it’s getting harder and harder on her. I’d love for her to come here and join me, but I can’t afford it. Not yet.”
“And your father?”
“Never met him. Just a visiting lord who thought he could do whatever he wanted with a servant.”
I digest that, and decide it makes me angry. “If you ever find out who it is, let me know and I’ll cram my big Taurian fist down his throat.”
She laughs. “You’re eager to punch some throats.”
“I really am.” But more than that, I like her laughter. I like making her smile, because it feels like I’ve done something important to earn that instead of her tartness. I finish her braid, and when she hands me a pin, I tuck it into the end to anchor the tail of her hair underneath the plait so it doesn’t show. “All done.”
Gwenna touches it carefully and then tilts her head back to smile at me. “You did an excellent job.”
“Like I said, three sisters.” I offer her a hand to stand up, and she takes it. I study her expression carefully. “You don’t have to go to the wedding with me if you don’t feel up to it. I noticed you cried yesterday.”
“Oh.” She manages a fainter smile and pulls her hand from mine, crossing the room. “Those were just…emotional tears. A lot has been on my mind lately, and one worry was taken off my plate, so to speak.”
A worry off her plate? That’s suspicious. I keep my voice casual, even though my senses are on alert. “And do you have a lot of worries?”
“You have no idea.” She says the words cheerfully, but it feels forced. It also mucking pisses me off, because the more she says shit like that, the more I worry she’s the thief after all. She’s too likeable to be the piece of shit that the guild’s been trying to catch, but she’s also making me wonder what’s going on.
“You wanna try me?” I give her a teasing smile. “I can be a really good listener.”
“They’re not your problems.” She smooths a hand down the front of her dress. “And this is all I have to wear that’s suitable for a wedding. I don’t have to go if I’ll embarrass you. I really do understand.”
I eye her, with her round, pink cheeks and her black, glossy hair pulled into an unadorned braid-crown. Her clothing is plain and clearly mended more than once if you look closely. Her skirt is a dark shade of blue with no adornment, and her bodice is a deep brown with only a frayed ribbon sewn along the scooped neck as a nod to fanciness. She wears no jewelry, but to me, she’s stunningly beautiful. Her magnificent cleavage is shown off by the bodice that plumps her breasts and reveals a nipped waist. She’s short and curvy, but it’s the sparkle in her eye that I can’t look away from.
If she’s the thief, it’s smart for me to get in close and learn all her secrets. Seduce her to find out information. Become her confidant. But if she is the thief, it’ll absolutely gut me.
I hold my hand out to her. “I would be honored to have such a lovely date for the wedding.”
Gwenna puts her hand in mine with a smile.
Fourteen
Gwenna
Even period cramps and intermittently heading to the necessary to check the thick, absorbent cloth I have pinned into my drawers doesn’t ruin the fun of the day for me. Raptor is an utterly charming date. He’s attentive and considerate and talks me up to everyone we meet. I don’t know anyone at the wedding other than Hawk and Sparrow, but after a short time it becomes clear that it doesn’t matter—Raptor knows everyone, and he’s excellent at smoothing the way.
The wedding ceremony itself is brief, with Head Guild Master Rooster presiding over the two men’s union in the main guild hall. Then everyone heads to the King’s Onion, which has been rented out for the party. I get stressed every time we head into the streets, waiting to feel the unpleasant buzzing of the dead, but it never happens. We make it to the tavern with no incident. Floral garlands festoon the otherwise bland wooden walls, and a white cloth decorates the long bar. Drinks and food cover a trestle table along the back, and the front of the room has been cleared for dancing, with a fiddler situated in the corner. It’s incredibly crowded, but there’s a mix of both men and women squeezed into the tavern, and so it doesn’t feel as oppressive as the guild-only ceremonies, when I stand out for being female.