Zara sat silently on a bench in the hallway, leaning back into the shadows. She watched a trickle of counselors and dignitaries pass by, none noticing her as she sat, partially hidden by a side table and a dried flower arrangement. She was relieved that she did not have to speak to anyone. The afternoon's long meeting and treatise drafting session had left her with a headache.
To her discomfort, she realized that her hands were shaking. It was not simply the lengthy proceedings that had her hiding away in the shadows. Since he had arrived, Zara had been disquieted whenever General Tarsus was nearby. She dreaded ending up in a personal, one-on-one conversation with him, although she knew it was only a matter of time. At the moment, she felt as if she might just run the other way if confronted with such a thing.
Angry with herself, she clenched her fists against her knees, straightened her arms out, and forced her limbs to cease trembling. It was not that complicated. There was nothing between them, nor was there anything that either should be ashamed of. He had saved her from rape in the prison of Minostaur, by replacing her assailants with himself. She should be grateful for his aid, and nothing more. It had not been exactly intimate.
Yet, when he sat across from her in the counsel rooms, she found herself constantly drawn to look at him—to study his eyes, the subtle expressions he made with his mouth, the way his ebony hair fell about his neck. A few times, he had caught her watching him, glancing in her direction and meeting her eyes for one terrible second. Whenever he did this, her thoughts on the treatise-making disintegrated and she had to look blindly away, shaken.
She had to pull herself together. Zara berated herself; she had made little contribution to the discussions today. She was behaving like an idiot. Resolutely, she got to her feet and started for the stairs. The sun was already setting in a pale blush through the windows and the castle was silent, settling down for a quiet evening. She would go to sleep early, rise a few hours before talks resumed, and head out to the target range for some archery practice to clear her head.
Heading for her rooms, Zara jumped as a voice broke through her thoughts.
"Captain."
She turned. A few paces down the dim-lit hall, Tarsus emerged from a doorway. No longer in full regalia, he wore only a linen shirt and trousers. She felt a blush rising in her cheeks as she noticed where his shirt hung open at the neck, revealing a "V" of his smooth, olive chest. Shaking herself, she greeted him with cold cordiality.
"Good evening, Lord. Have you found your quarters to your liking?"
"Captain Zara, I find them perfect. I was actually about to enquire if you would like to join me for a cup of tea?" Tarsus bowed his head slightly, his polite humility surprising Zara somewhat.
"That is a pleasant offer," she replied uncertainly, hesitating. "I would be glad to," she said at last. It would be rude to refuse him. She walked with him to his chambers, both silent. Inside, she saw that the water was already hot and two mugs were waiting on a table beneath the window. Accepting the mug that he poured for her, she seated herself in one of the wooden chairs. They regarded each other across the table without speaking.
"Zara, I do not know how to speak of this," Tarsus said at last, breaking the silence. "I know your loyalties will always lie with Aenia first and foremost, and with its King. Yet, I have watched you and think you beautiful beyond compare. I have listened to you and know that you are wise. I have witnessed your kindness, felt the light you bring to those around you." He paused and Zara shifted uncomfortably, unsure if she should speak, unnerved by his compliments. "Can you begrudge me wishing?" he whispered. "Can you fault me for wanting to be close to that?" Stuttering, she began to speak, but he interrupted her, suddenly climbing out of his chair to kneel at her feet. "Zara, I am falling in love with you," he told her, almost pleadingly. "I humbly ask if you would be my wife." Zara fell back in her chair, stunned. He remained where he was. Finally, she straightened. Tarsus's face fell when he saw the look of sorrow on her face.
