Fade by Viola Grace

younger maids giggled.
    Amy tried to distract them as they dressed her. “So, you are all herbalists?”
    Teriki grinned. “He is truly sharing much with you. Yes. The younger ladies are apprentices to be herbal healers. It is an honour to be chosen to serve and learn at the palace. Our duties are light, so most of our time is spent in the gardens.”
    They were on the fourth robe now, tugging and smoothing the fabric.
    Lord Akutan came in and he sat comfortably near her desk, serving himself tea. “We will be going into the village today, so wrap her a little less tightly than yesterday. She does need to breathe.”
    The young maids giggled, and Porali looked up from the tray with the hairbrushes. Her smile had a secret sort of component, and it made Amy wonder, but she was too polite to ask.
    Once she was dressed, wrapped and the outer robe had been draped over the superlight silks underneath, Porali had her sit and combed out her hair.
    Akutan watched her hair being brushed out, and there was an expression on his face that surprised her. She had seen that expression twice now, and both times had been just before he thrust into her.
    Porali took extra care with the pins and the loops she created within Amy’s hair. When she finally stood back, Amy didn’t need to use the mirror. Akutan’s eyes were almost glowing.
    “Thank you, Porali. You have out done yourself.”
    “Thank you, lady. You give me plenty to work with. I shall prepare to accompany you to the village.”
    Akutan shook his head. “That will not be necessary. I will act as her chaperone and guard.”
    The maids were shocked, so Amy intervened. “Perhaps Porali would be a good choice as a companion, just in case you are distracted by business.”
    He shook his head. “No. You and I will travel down the hill together where we will speak with the magistrate and make some other arrangements.”
    Understanding was in Porali’s eyes, and she made a slight nod.
    “Very well, thank you for your offer of a trip to the village. I look forward to seeing it again.”
    He got to his feet and took her by the hand, leading her to the morning room.
    The servants delivered dish after dish. Amy had a hard time keeping up with the steady stream of food, but she was rather hungry.
    She tried to be polite. “What takes you into the village today?”
    He smiled enigmatically. “A little of this, a little of that.”
    That was the only answer she got out of him as he boosted her sideways onto a flat pad behind his saddle, mounted in front of her and clicked Vedu down the hillside path. She was forced to wrap her arms around him to keep herself balanced.
    He kept the effu to a steady pace, and when they arrived in the village proper, he guided Vedu down the streets until they arrived at a stable.
    Akutan dismounted and gripped her waist to guide her gently to the ground.
    The stable boy came out, bowed low and led Vedu to the water fountain where the beasts were gathered.
    Akutan took her hand, and they began a slow promenade through the village.
    They stopped at every shop, and Lord Akutan made introductions for her in every shop. He also bought something small at each shop, ordering it to be delivered to the palace by nightfall.
    Amy didn’t know what was going on, but it did involve a lot of tiny things. He paused at the magistrate’s offices and handed over the scroll that he had worked on the night before. The man nearly fell over himself in an effort to agree to whatever Lord Akutan asked.
    Once they had left the grovelling presence of the magistrate, he squeezed her hand. “You will enjoy the next visitation.”
    The seamstress’s shop was filled with half a dozen young women of varying social standings, all gossiping. The gossip froze as the proprietor saw Akutan, and the women turned, bowed and filed out. The shop was now a private showroom.
    “Mistress Keeku, this is Lady Amethyst. We require that you use your skills to create a Guardian uniform for her.