The main enjoyment I got was the morning hikes to the top of the dome, despite the pain from the ribs, and generally with Ellie and her girls. Seeing Sorina was always great, and Zoe seemed to try to flirt with me from a distance, giving me coy looks and such. I managed to keep a straight face. She wasn't very good at it, but she tried. Sorina wasn't trying, and the effect was better than Zoe's.

One morning Ellie and the girls didn't join us, and from up top, I could see someone riding a horse like they were barrel racing, cutting sharply. The figures were too small, but I was sure the rider was Ellie. It was the exercise field where the men-at-arms practiced, and it seemed like there was a group watching her ride her course and a smaller group that she rode back to. Her ducklings, I was sure. The other girls all rode a similar circuit, though much more slowly and unevenly. She was still working with them daily at the archery range, and now this riding. I was sure there would be complaints I would dutifully mention to Ellie, then ignore.

We had pop-up thunderstorms at lunchtime, which continued as I headed upstairs for my afternoon siesta. The cooler weather was quite welcome. I'd stripped down to my pants when I noticed movement from the balcony.

Sorina stood there, wearing her chemise, one shoulder out of it, then walked toward me.

"Sorina, what are you doing here?"

"You wanted to see me."

I hadn't called for her, especially not like this, where she could get into trouble if she were found with me. "When did I say that?"

She bit her lip, then continued. "You told me you wanted to see me when my bandages were off." She hesitated a moment, then slipped her gown off her other shoulder, letting it pool around her feet. Her arms twitched as they involuntarily tried to cover her nakedness. "They're off," she whispered hoarsely.

They definitely were, and the stitches were out. The pink slashes showed against her pale skin, the dots along each side left over from the sown threads. I knew they would fade in time, but right now, they were still a mess.

I rose, debating about somehow getting her gown back up, then pulled her to me, hugging her not too tightly. She gasped at the touch of her skin to mine, then slowly relaxed and brought her arms around me.

I rocked her slightly for a moment, then released her and walked her to my bed.

"Sit there," I said, then went to the door and quietly slid the bolt closed. When I turned back, she wasn't sitting but lying down, leaving room for me. Not what I'd said. I didn't want her like that...at least not right now. But it was right now, and it wasn't like I had naked girls hopping into my bed every day.

But I could. The way Zoe smiled at me, it probably wouldn't take much to get her there. Mara seemed not to have discovered boys yet, but still, depending on how I asked, would she be there like that?

That was the thing. Depending on how I stated it, they would be in my bed, naked and scared to death. I was the Realm. Disobey me at your peril. How much of this right now was because Sorina liked me? How much was because of my power?

I wanted to graduate college and become a psychologist. I guessed I'd be getting some practice now in this. She expected me to have sex with her, but I wanted it to be because of me, not because I said something that to her sounded like a summons. I was going to keep my pants on but needed not to be rejecting her...somehow.

She watched me as I slid in next to her. She wasn't comfortable, but she didn't seem terrified. I guessed that was good.

I touched the half-healed wounds on her ribs, and she jumped.

I pulled away. "Did that hurt?"

"A little," then shook her head. "Not really. I wasn't expecting it."

She watched as I touched her ribs again, slowly sliding my fingers lightly against the scars. She twitched slightly as I crossed her sternum.

"Okay?"

She nodded. "It feels weird. Pokes me like a thorn in spots."

I didn't have to ask if the nipple was okay. It responded before I reached her breast, where I paused, resting my hand lightly.

"Would you be here if I hadn't said something about seeing you after your stitches were out?"

I could feel her breathing quicken, then after a few seconds, "No. I wouldn't have known you wanted to see me."

"I didn't mean it in this way. I just wanted to know you were healing well. I definitely know now that you are."

She tensed. "You don't want to see me?"

"I didn't say that. I don't know if you're happy being here, but I'm glad you are."

She looked at me thoroughly, her eyebrows coming together as she tried to figure out what I was saying.

"I...I am glad I'm here," she replied, though she didn't sound confident about it.

"No matter what happens?"

"You could still drag me to the door, throw me out, and let them do whatever they wanted to me." Her voice got quiet as she spoke.

"You'd be happy with that?"

"Adrian would get me back to my room, and I'd be his wife when his squiring is over, and he's a man."

"You'd be happy with that."

"He knows I'm maimed and will still take me."

I chuckled despite myself.

"What?"

"I've got some stiff competition."

"That's mean."

"No," I replied, trying to be serious. "He'd probably be better for you. He's a better man than I am."

"So why are we talking?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want you, but we're not doing that today."

She sat up, wincing slightly, and stared at me.

I plucked at the cloth wrappings around my chest that supposedly helped my cracked ribs. Whatever herbal stuff Doina put in there probably worked better than the bandage. "This is from that last battle with those bandits, and my ribs still hurt. My head isn't anywhere near in the right place from all the fighting I've done. I know how you were that day, and there's no way you're good up here," and I rubbed her head, "or down here," and I touched her sternum lightly, mindful of the scars. "If I were to...um...do you right now, it would be for all the wrong reasons, and you'd let me for all the wrong reasons."

"So I should leave...go back out to the balcony?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. I could hear the storm picking up, so I pushed myself up and got her clothes and shoes from the balcony so they wouldn't get wet. Then I came back and got in from the other side of the bed.

"Roll facing away from me," and she did. Then I slid close to her.

"You really don't want to?"

I pushed myself against her and heard her faint, "Oh."

"I do, but it's just not a good idea. However, we can lie here like this for the next hour or so," and slid my arm around her, holding her uninjured breast, then kissed her shoulder. "This feels like a nice way to spend the next hour."