“Ziva,” the governor says. “It’s come to my attention that you’ve insulted my son after we’ve welcomed you into our home.”
“Erinar,” Reniver says, gently tapping his husband on the arm. “Perhaps this isn’t the best place.”
“I want this settled now. What do you have to say for yourself, blacksmith?”
“Um…” The whole receiving hall is watching. A hundred bodies stop their conversations to stare at the scene before them, and I seem to have forgotten every word I’ve ever learned.
“Did you or did you not strike my son?”
That brings me up short. “Why should I have reason to do that?”
“Asel says you were furious at the mace’s placement on the mantel. You then became enraged and attacked him.”
“I did what?”
“Governor,” Temra says, “my sister doesn’t have a violent bone in her body. I’m sure Asel is mistaken.”
“I am not,” Asel says.
“You appear perfectly fine,” Temra points out. “I see no marks. No tears in your clothing. Where exactly is my sister supposed to have struck you?”
He huffs proudly. “I don’t need to explain myself.”
“I think you do, son,” Reniver says.
“How can you doubt him?” Erinar says.
“You know how he can be. I’m worried we don’t have the full story.”
“What kind of parents would we be if we don’t believe our child? And if the blacksmith were innocent, perhaps she’d have more words to disclose.”
My face heats, and I feel wetness at the corners of my eyes as fury and fear take hold within me. Words. Find my words.
“Asel—he—” Breathe. “He made unwanted advances toward me. I may not have said the kindest things in response, but I didn’t lay a finger on him.”
Reniver nods, as though he feared that’s what happened.
“Is that true, Asel?” the governor asks.
“No, Father. I swear it happened as I said.”
Both the governor and his husband look between Asel and me. I watch as they check my knuckles. Reniver nods to himself, as though unsurprised to find unbroken skin there. The governor seems to notice for the first time the large scene he’s caused and the people all looking on.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the governor says to his guests. “It appears my husband and I need to have an important chat with our son about honesty.”
A vein stands out on Asel’s face, and the young man looks positively mortified. I become embarrassed for him instead of myself.
Reniver begins making apologies and ushering guests out. The governor takes a step toward me. More quietly, he says, “I apologize for the night being ruined and for the actions of my son. You can expect a formal apology from him in the future.”
“That’s not necessary,” I hurry to say. The last thing I need is to see Asel again, this time in my home.
But the governor doesn’t hear my response. He’s begun assisting his husband with apologizing to the other guests as they leave through the doors.
Asel stomps toward us. “This isn’t over. You’re going to regret this.”
“Go run to your fathers. Sounds like you’re about to get a scolding,” Temra says smugly.
I grab her arm so we can depart.
* * *
Our horse, Reya, is waiting for us in the stables. I breathe in the smell of her cool hide, forcing my thoughts to the here and now. To safety. Temra bought our mare a few years ago so she could ride into the city more quickly for her lessons, though I’ve seen her saddle the horse a few times at night to sneak off to meet boys, which resulted in me revoking her horse-riding privileges from time to time.
Wordlessly we saddle Reya. Temra tells the eager stable hand to leave us be as she tightens the girth. Meanwhile I strap on her bridle.
We hoist ourselves up. I let Temra take the reins and position herself up front, while I climb on behind her, wrap my arms around her waist, and lean my forehead against the back of her neck.
We trot out into the night, then adjust to a walk when the governor’s estate is far behind us.
Temra taps a finger against one of my hands. “Tell me what happened?” The question gives me room to refuse, but I want to tell her everything.
“He was so nice at first, and then he tried to…”
“To…?” she prompts.
My thoughts take a dive. I was forced to attend a party. Asel tried to kiss me. He dared to lie to his father when I refused him. He caused that big scene. There were so many eyes on me. He threatened us before we left. What more does he intend to do?
Over and over again, I see his lips puckering, his affronted look of confusion when I didn’t want to touch him. Because he expects everyone to want him. And then he pitches fits when he doesn’t get what he wants.
Just like that, I’m angry again.
“The governor said it would be a small affair. Just a dinner, not a party. I wasn’t able to properly prepare myself for that event.” My voice rises to a near shriek. “And then he has the nerve to sic his son on me! Because, what? He thinks it’ll make himself look better politically to be connected to me?”
“I think he just wanted you to meet his son. He couldn’t have anticipated that Asel would—”
“And then Asel has the nerve to try to kiss me. Just because he made me laugh. He thinks that entitles him to a reward. Well, I have news for him. He’s not as attractive as he thinks he is! In fact, his shallowness would rival a dog’s piss puddle!”
The horse nearly comes to a stop as Temra’s grip on the reins tightens. “He tried to kiss you? And what else?”
“What do you mean, what else? That’s what he did. That’s what happened. He tried to kiss me, and I told him no. Then he got angry and stormed off.”
“You’re telling me that boy made a big scene over a kiss! I thought he tried to assault you or something.”
“He did try to assault me. He tried to assault me with his lips.”
I’m staring at the back of her head. I wish I could see her expression. But when she starts shaking with laughter, I can imagine it perfectly.
“I love you, Ziva,” she says once she gets her giggling under control.
“I love you, too.”
CHAPTER
FOUR
It takes me a whole day to convince myself that Asel’s threat was empty.
Then Temra comes home from school in tears.
“What happened?” I ask.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She heads for her room upstairs without another word.
Later, I’m able to pry more out of her. I forgot that Asel is one year above her in school. I didn’t have a formal education. I only apprenticed as a smithy. The dynamics of an educational setting are completely foreign to me.
But somehow, Asel has turned all her classmates against her. Temra’s friends have shunned her. Apparently everyone has taken Asel’s side in the matter, despite the fact that Temra had nothing to do with the incident in the governor’s home.
I may hate confrontation, but I’m not about to sit by while that brat makes a mess of Temra’s school life.
“Where are you going?” Temra asks when she sees me trade my work boots for walking boots.
“To the governor’s home.”
“You can’t!”
“I absolutely can.”
“If you tattle to his parents, that’ll only make things worse for me! Please, Ziva!”
She makes me promise I won’t go, and though I tell her I won’t go today, I make no such promises not to do so in the future.
But then things get worse.
I’m working alone in the forge when five men let themselves in. At first, my mind starts whirring from the thought of having to talk to so many people at a time, but when I take a second look, I realize these boys aren’t here to talk.
They’re friends of Asel’s.
I instantly relax and raise my hammer in one hand and the fire-red tongs in the other. “You’d better think very carefully about your next move,” I say.
I’m not intimidated by any of them. They’re tiny things, really. Hardly taller than five and a half feet each. There’s not one of them I’d lose to in an arm wrestling match. Together, however, they could overpower me.