Kumra’s words—which at the time I had thought born out of meanness—came back to me in a rush. He has killed every woman he had ever chosen. His concubines are all dead. My heart trembled with foreboding. I took a quick step back. “I am still a maiden. I do not belong here.” “The High Lord’s orders, my lady.” Leena respectfully gestured me forward and led me to a chamber larger than Kumra’s. This, unlike the rest of the hall, had been thoroughly cleaned. A sprawling bed covered with pelts and satin dominated the room. I had to step over silk pillows that littered the floor and saw more piled high on the giant wooden chest at the end of the bed. Flames danced in the small fireplace. Spending the night by its warmth seemed an unimaginable luxury. When I spotted a small alcove with a tub of steaming water, my entire body thrilled, all my worries fading momentarily. I knew I would pay for all this, pay dearly and probably with more than I was willing to give, but for a moment, a shameless joy stole into me at the sight of all that heat.I shed the cloak that had protected me from the worst of the long journey and untied my charm belt, careful with the few bunches of herbs that hung from it—my only friends in a strange place.The two servant girls who entered after us eyed my treasure with mistrust and even agitation, although I could not fathom why.
