Chapter 5 #2
Glancing back at Miss Kiappa, he found her lips pinned between her teeth as if she were restraining more words from escaping.
He shrugged. His nephew’s comment was acceptable, as far as he was concerned.
Kas found he had quite a lot of empathy to spare when it came to people putting their feet in their mouths; doing so seemed to be one of his own personal fortes.
“What did you like better about it before?” Kas asked Ataht as he brought everyone to a stop at the foot of the staircase.
The prince hummed, tapping his chin with a finger, and surveying the foyer.
Kas caught Miss Kiappa’s eye. She too was stifling a smile at his nephew’s adult mannerisms.
“I liked the way it was dark. It’s too bright now, too—”
“Airy?” Miss Kiappa supplied.
“Airy,” Ataht agreed, nodding solemnly.
“So, your taste tends toward the moody and dramatic,” Kas offered.
“Exactly!” His nephew beamed.
“Well, you’ll be happy to know your room is as dark and brooding as always.”
“Ah, wonderful!” The boy clapped, so much like his father Kas couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Before I take you upstairs, I want to speak for a moment, with all of you,” Kas clarified, looking in turn at Adella, Ataht, and Miss Kiappa. He hoped the tutor recognized he wasn’t intending to lump her in with the children—all guests got the same warning.
“Let me be clear, I’m happy to have you here, for as long as need be.
I want you to make yourselves at home. My staff are happy to help with anything you need, and the grounds and house are open to you—except for two places.
Under no circumstances are any of you allowed to enter my personal study, or my apartment.
” He hit the group with a cold blast of air to emphasize how serious he was. “Do you understand?”
The twins shivered appropriately and nodded, not cowering, but showing they understood his resolve.
Miss Kiappa, however, moved to bring both hands to her hips so quickly he almost missed it before she dropped them back to her sides.
Her demeanor made him wonder if she was put out by his request to stay out of his private spaces.
Or was it his magic that had her so perturbed?
He’d have to run tests to gather additional data.
No, no. He couldn’t. She wasn’t that interesting.
“Shall we?” Kas ignored the tutor’s raised brows and gestured for everyone to proceed upstairs.
Della and Ataht raced off to their respective rooms before Kas had a chance to escort them. He tugged on the hem of his jacket as the two doors across the landing slammed closed, one right after the other.
“That was easier than I expected.”
Glancing down, he found her peering up at him, smiling softly.
“Miss Kiappa.” Finding his confidence, Kas crooked his arm as low as he could and presented it to her, hoping she would permit his escort. He couldn’t bear to look at her, in case she avoided him.
Her palm came to rest on his forearm, and even through his jacket, her touch was enough for his heart to vibrate. He longed to turn toward her, to reach out with his free hand and bring it to the back of her lovely head, tugging her near.
“Let me show you to your room,” Kas offered instead, smashing down his desire and forcing his feet to move across the landing to the opposite side of the stairs. “You will be in the Tarisden Suite.”
“Tarisden? That was my papa’s last name.”
He chuckled. “It means forest in the Old Tongue.”
“Yes, thank you for clarifying.”
“You know,” he realized aloud, recognizing the dryness in her tone.
Sniffing out a laugh, she asked, “Do you know much of the Old Tongue?”
“Ereh, hineb. Yes, some.”
She squeezed his arm, and his heart skipped a beat.
“This”—he stopped them—“is your room.” With that, Kas swung open the dark door and waited for Miss Kiappa to step inside.
She didn’t. Looking up at him, an expression of concern flitted across her face. “Are you sure?” She glanced over at Della’s closed door across the way. “Aren’t there servants’ rooms I should be in?”
“No.” His one-word response shut her up, and she stepped through the open door before taking her bag from his extended hand. “My staff will bring you your luggage shortly.”
“This is all I have.” She graced him with a tiny smile as she ever-so-slightly lifted the satchel clutched in her hand.
“Oh.” He hadn’t expected that. She was a Guest of the King. What nonsense was that? He didn’t like it one bit. She deserved more. “Well, my staff will bring you supper shortly,” he amended.
Miss Kiappa’s brows tightened, and he realized she might have thought he was expecting her to take all of her meals in the private apartment.
“I— You don’t have to eat in there.” He gestured past her.
“I, uh, thought you might prefer to rest and spend time alone after such a long journey confined with”—he searched for the right words—“my energetic niece and nephew. Little hellions.” Kas tacked on the end, forgetting he’d selected more acceptable phrasing.
She chuckled. It was different from the giggle she’d gifted Tavid at the symposium those years ago. Her laughter held depth, maturity, that hadn’t been there before.
He coughed, reminding himself she was not that interesting. “I must return to my work.”
Miss Kiappa nearly had her door closed, but she paused, swinging it open again. “Lord Kahoth?”
“Yes?”
“Eat some dinner.”
He guffawed, caught off guard by her comment. “What? Is my figure not to your liking?” Kas struck a pose. A bloody pose. What had gotten into him?
She blushed, and he saw spots. Her freckles winked up at him, begging to be brushed by his thumb. Oh no. He’d been staring at her for too long.
“You’re too skinny.”
He nearly laughed again but was overcome with a wave of stress over his looming deadline. He’d been away for far too long. “I have work to do.”
With that, Kas turned and stalked away. This new gaggle of houseguests was going to become the source of regular impositions. He could already tell.
Passing his housekeeper in the foyer, he gave her a tiny nod, then called out, “Thera, could you please have dinner sent to my study?”