“Rijal Hassan. I believe the king would prefer you to join this meeting,” Karim interrupted. When I glanced in his direction, he had a frown on his face that said he wasn’t happy. I wasn’t sure if that frown was because of my rejection of the knight or the knight’s actions. I hoped I hadn’t done something to offend them. “I will send someone to escortour king’s gueststo the gardens and take care of them.”
A flash of what looked like annoyance crossed the knight’s face, but he didn’t argue, taking a step back and giving me a small bow. “Of course. I hope to see you again soon, beautiful one. Perhaps I can show you around our fair city. I know a few places that would stir all a man’s senses.”
It was suggestive and incredibly forward, and I was glad I had the two barbarians beside me because it made me feeluneasy. I wasn’t sure I liked that kind of blatant attention. I preferred Orthorr’s subtle affection, making me feel warm and wanted without making me want to squirm and hide.
“Rijal Hassan,” Karim hissed.
The knight smirked, turning on his heel to join the group heading inside. I glanced at Orthorr who looked ready to murder the man, but when he looked back at me, his expression softened. He tipped his head, silently asking me if I was okay, and I nodded shakily to reassure him.
One of the barbarian guards beside me set a hand on my shoulder in a supportive gesture, speaking in the barbarian language clearly enough for me to understand him. “We will watch over him, clan leader. He will not be left alone.”
A few weeks ago, that comment would have scared me. The growly way he said it alone would have been frightening. But after knowing these barbarians for a few weeks, I saw it for what it was. They weren’t holding me captive. They were protective. They saw how uncomfortable I was and immediately stepped up to support me. I breathed a sigh of relief at their determination, and my smile was a little more natural when Orthorr looked at me again. He nodded once, then followed the knight and the steward into the castle, leaving me and the barbarians alone. I let the stiffness in my posture relax when they left, slumping a little.
“You safe,” the smaller of the two reassured me, clapping me on the shoulder, his words simple so I could understand. I stumbled, he was a lot sturdier than I was, but he didn’t hurt me.
The bigger one, who was shaped like an upside down triangle, scowled in the direction of where the knight had disappeared. He said something rapidly in his language I didn’t catch and was elbowed by his companion who gave him a look and tipped his head at me.
“Slower. He is learning.”
The bigger barbarian grimaced. “Apologies. I forgot.”
Smiling, I shook my head. “It’s okay. My language is… not good. But I try.”
The smaller one shrugged. “You are a beginner. His common tongue is worse. I am Saneth. That is Tavik, my bondmate.” He jerked his thumb at the big barbarian, who had looked offended at the comment about his abilities with the common tongue, but immediately softened when Saneth used the term bondmate. I had no idea that barbarians could bond with each other. I’d only ever encountered barbarians bonded with townspeople.
“Happy to greet you,” I attempted, then blushed. “That was bad, right?”
Saneth snorted. “It was fine.” He looked around with a frown. “Where do we go?”
Tavik looked around with a frown. “I do not know. They said someone new would come.”
It felt a little awkward to just be standing by the front steps. I didn’t want anyone showing up who didn’t know we were supposed to be there thinking we were some kind of threat. I was going to suggest going into the city to wait and coming back later, but before we could, the sound of footsteps on tile floors drew our attention. It sounded like they were running.
A door near the entrance of the gardens the knight had pointed out before flew open and someone darted out, skidding on the dirt and flailing their arms. They’d been moving too fast, and I winced sympathetically when they yelped and their feet went out from under them. I wasn’t the only one, either. Tavik and Saneth both visibly flinched and moved to help the man to his feet a moment later.
“Are you alright?” I asked as Saneth started smacking the dirt off the smaller man’s clothes. He was as small as Finn, and each smack knocked him around a little, causing him to crashinto Tavik. I caught Saneth’s hand, shaking my head at him and speaking in the barbarian language. “You hurting him.”
Saneth looked abashed, making a face. “Sorry.”
The smaller man finally stood on his own power, looking between us with a bewildered expression for a long moment before he jumped, like he’d just remembered something important, speaking in the common tongue.
“You are king’s guests? I am Jamal. I am to escort you to the gardens for refreshments.” He beamed up at us, waving a hand emphatically toward the direction he’d come. “This way!”
Well, he was a little bundle of energy. I liked him a lot better than the knight. He practically bounced as he led us to the gardens, arms moving animatedly as he gestured to statues and parts of the garden, giving us a tour. Or, at least, that’s what I assumed he was doing. He at one point switched to speaking Erabi, and I didn’t get to practice as much with the Al Nuzem language as I did with the barbarian language. I could only pick out a few words at a time. He was speaking too fast for me to catch more.
Tavik and Saneth looked just as confused as I felt, and when we were led to a smaller garden pavilion that looked less like a royal garden and more casual, they seemed to stiffen. I could understand their reaction. Was the change in location a slight or a miscommunication?
Jamal must have noticed the looks because he spun around, pointing to the roof above us. Thankfully, he switched to the common tongue while explaining so I could follow along and translate for my companions. “Queen’s garden is open. Sun too hot. This is better, I promise.”
“Ohh…” That made sense. Jamal wasn’t trying to insult us. He was trying to spare us from the heat by avoiding the more formal garden. Turning to Tavik and Saneth, I explained as best I could in the barbarian language, not sure how much theyunderstood of the common tongue. “He said garden is hot. No…” I didn’t know the word for roof, so I pointed helplessly and said, “covering? This is better.”
Thankfully, neither teased me for my poor conversational skills, and they seemed to understand what I was getting at. Their shoulders came down, and when Jamal brought out food fit for a king, they relaxed completely, sitting on the fluffy pillows scattered around the space in front of a low table.
Jamal looked between me and the barbarians, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. “You not speak Erabi?”
My face twisted into an apologetic frown and I shook my head. “Still learning. Sorry.”
He shrugged, unfazed. “My common tongue okay. I am learning, too.”