“It's not magic,” Dal said and laughed again. “There's a system of pulleys and chains and... I don't know what exactly. It's all very tedious, I'm sure, but it's a machine, not magic, Ravyn. Relax.”
“Fuck me flying,” I whispered as the room stopped moving and the panel opened on another place entirely. I walked out warily, peering around the circular space he'd taken me to.
“You keep using that exclamation, and I'll take it as an invitation,” Dal purred in my ear as he stepped past me. “This way, Consort.”
I followed him to the right, gawking at the vaulted ceiling with its glass panels that let in the late afternoon sunlight. All around me were amazing pieces of art—statues carved from precious stones and metals, paintings taller than me, and curtains worth more than I made in a year. I suddenly felt dirty and coarse. My shoulders began to hunch in as if the opulence were pressing down on me.
Dal kept walking right out of the room. I stumbled through a doorway after him, then jerked back when open sky greeted me. We were out on one of the walkways I'd spotted from the carriage. I wasn't afraid of heights, I just hadn't been prepared to encounter them right that second. I glanced at the garden far below, then across the bridge to the tower Dal was heading to. The walkway looked solid enough, with a stone railing to either side. I stepped out further and then took a good look around. I only made it halfway before I stopped completely, leaned against the railing, and stared at Kestria. That feeling of being dirty and coarse? It vanished and all I felt was damn lucky.
“It's lovely, isn't it?” Dal was suddenly beside me. He leaned his forearms on the railing next to mine and stared at the city with me. “It's been a long time since I've seen it.”
“It's...” I leaned my shoulder against his. “It's the most beautiful place I've ever been. Thank you for bringing me here.”
The Hawk Lord's arm slid around me, and he pulled me in against his side. “It's more beautiful when I have someone to share it with. Thank you for coming home with me, Ravyn.”
“As if I had a choice,” I teased and nudged his chin with my cheek.
Dalsharan turned to look at me with surprise, then frowned. “You always have a choice, Ravyn. I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise.”
“No, I know.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “It's just this thing with meeting your king—that wasn't optional, was it?”
He grimaced. “No, I suppose not. You could have said no, but it would have made things difficult and truly would have been to your detriment anyway. You need training. You need to be here. And, honestly, now that we're home, I'm glad for it. I feel as if I can breathe for the first time in years.” He gazed down at me and brushed a kiss over my forehead. “No battles to plan. No soldiers to look after. Just you and me and the whole of Kestria to explore.”
“Sounds amazing,” I whispered as I stared at him.
“Come on.” He took my hand and pulled me across the bridge. “I want to show you your rooms.”
“I have more than one room?”
Dal took me through another doorway, across a grand dining room, a library, and a sitting room before we reached a bedroom. The space was massive, circular, and centered around a black and gold bed that was also circular. Swaths of black silk hung from a gold hook in the vaulted ceiling and swept out to drape across golden posts that bordered the bed. Embroidered on the silk were golden hawks, glittering in the light that fell from panels of glass in the ceiling.
Masculine furniture dotted the room and dark rugs covered the pale floor. A fireplace stuck out from one curved wall and a fire flared to life within it as Dalsharan passed by. Two armchairs sat in front of the fireplace, one to either side, and a chessboard waited on a table between them. But Dal kept walking. He stepped through another doorway and across yet another walkway.
This one took us to a smaller tower. There was no library or dining room or even a sitting room in this one, just another circular room with a round bed in its center. The bed wasn't draped, but was still impressive, swathed in white with a golden base. The room continued this color theme with gilded furniture upholstered in pale fabric and a fireplace bordered by swans stretching their long necks and holding their wings up. I walked across the thick rug, looked out at the curving balcony, and peered into a golden bathroom before I turned to face him.
“This is a woman's room, isn't it?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
Dalsharan burst out laughing. “It's meant to be a neutral palette, but you may change it in whatever ways you wish.”
I grinned and lowered my arms. “Nah, it's fine. I kinda like the white. I don't know how long it will stay this clean around me, but I like it.”
“You will not be training in the mud here, Ravyn.” He stepped past me to a door I hadn't noticed. “You will be at the Academy.”
“I'm going to school?” I asked in surprise.
“Who else would teach you except a teacher?” Dal shot back. “And besides, you don't have to worry about keeping this room clean. It will be cleaned for you.”
“Nice.” I whistled as I followed him through the hidden door. Then I stopped short. “Now this is more like it.”
He'd taken me into a dressing room done in warm mahogany with gold clothing racks running down the longer walls and a rectangular chest of drawers in the center. A huge mirror in a golden frame leaned against the far wall, reflecting the racks of pants, tunics, jackets, and cloaks. I pulled out some drawers to find folded underwear in the softest cotton I'd ever felt and the finest silk. Belts, chains, and cloak clasps filled another drawer. Then there were lines of boots and dress shoes set out on low shelves beneath the racks. A padded bench waited at the end of the chest of drawers. Dal sat down on it and watched me.
“Try something on.” He waved a hand at the clothes. “We need to make sure they fit.”
I smiled as I started to strip. His eyes followed every movement. I was hard by the time I was naked, but he merely nodded toward the clothes. So, I turned away and picked a pair of pants. They were black suede, embroidered with a golden design up the sides, and they felt like heaven against my skin. I sighed as I buttoned them.
“Perfect,” Dalsharan murmured.
“They're a little tight,” I argued, peering at the way they stretched over my ass.
“As I said, perfect.” He grinned.
“I've never worn anything this nice before.”
“You will wear something far nicer tonight when I take you to the palace.”
“I'm a little nervous,” I admitted.
“Come here,” he whispered.