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‘Yes, howdoyou know that, Kitt?’ Andala put in, eyes wide and tone curious.
For some reason Oriane couldn’t make out, Kitt rolled his eyes at Andala. ‘It’s just something I know,’ he said, and spoke no more on the subject. Instead, he straightened his jacket, suddenly businesslike. ‘Right. I must be off to see the alchemist. Andala, why not take Oriane for tea at Madame Mil’s while you wait? I’ll meet you there in an hour or so.’
Andala glanced at her sidelong. ‘Is that all right with you, Oriane?’
Oriane, notmylady.
She nodded, and Kitt clapped his hands together brightly.
‘Excellent. I shall see you soon, ladies.’
Andala and Oriane walked for a while without speaking, the sounds of the city swirling around them. Oriane felt strangely nervous. She cast around for a subject to fill the silence between them.
‘Are Kitt and Hana friends?’ she asked Andala. ‘Like the two of you are?’
‘Not really. Well, I mean … she’s his friend, yes, but not exactly like I’m his friend.’ Andala paused, seeming to consider something. ‘I don’t think he’d mind me telling you. He’s in love with Hana. Has been ever since he came here. It isn’t really a secret – pretty much everybody knows, except her.’78
Oriane thought back, wondering if she’d ever seen any signs that gave Kitt’s feelings for Hana away. She supposed she would not have recognised them if she had.
‘Why has he not told her how he feels?’
Andala contemplated this. ‘How much do you know about the princess?’
Oriane thought back to her first night in the palace: her conversation with Hana, the moon reflected silver in the princess’s tired eyes. ‘Not much at all.’
Andala nodded. ‘Not many people do. Hana is … She’s not very well. She developed some sort of illness, and after the queen died, it just kept getting worse. Kitt … I think Kitt doesn’t want to burden her. He hasn’t said as much, but I think he worries that if she doesn’t return his affections, she’ll feel bad about it, on top of everything else she has to deal with.’
‘Do you think she does? Return his affections?’
‘I’m not sure. I don’t know her, but I get the impression that she can be … hard to read, at times.’
So can you,Oriane thought, but said nothing.
Even so, this was the most Andala had ever spoken to her. Usually she remained quiet as she helped Oriane dress or brought water for her bath. But whatever guard Andala had in place – for it was a guard, Oriane was sure – appeared to be lowered a little today.
The thought made her suddenly bold.
‘Will you tell me about yourself?’ she asked, before shyness could still her tongue. ‘Your family, how you came to work at the palace?’
There was another brief silence. Andala’s focus remained on the cobblestones beneath them.
‘There really isn’t much to tell,’ she said eventually. ‘I was born in a little village not too far from here. My family still lives there.’79
‘Do you see them often?’
‘No.’
Oriane wanted to ask why, but stopped herself. ‘And the palace?’ she said instead.
‘I’ve been there for about five years.’
Oriane waited, but no further insight was forthcoming. ‘That isn’t much to go on, for someone who’s trying to get to know you,’ she said lightly, trying to match the faint teasing tone she’d heard Kitt and Andala use with each other.
‘As I said,’ Andala replied, her gaze still averted. ‘There isn’t much to tell.’
Oriane’s face grew warm, a stark contrast to the coolness of Andala’s tone. She, too, dropped her eyes to the cobblestones. The sight of the city, of the woman beside her, was suddenly overwhelming.
They turned into a narrow alleyway. The city’s soundscape was quieter down here – apart from the echoing voice of a short older man standing by the wall up ahead. He wore a plain black doublet bisected by a sky-blue sash, and he was waving a stack of papers, calling out to everyone who walked past. The passers-by were all doing their best to ignore him. Oriane couldn’t quite make out what he was saying.
