The Invisible Ring

pillows that they’d found in the cupboards that filled the left side wall were spread out over the floor.
    As Jared started pulling off his boots, he noticed Thera’s longing glance at the hipbath and folded screen that stood in one corner of the room. He understood the longing. He’d been wet for three days, but that didn’t mean he felt clean.
    Shaking her head, Thera picked up the kettle heating on the stove, dropped a gauze herb bag into two mugs, and filled them with hot water.
    Jared shoved his foot back into the boot and went over to her. “We could move the hipbath over near the stove for warmth,” he said quietly. “It wouldn’t take much Craft to heat the water, and the screen would give you privacy.”
    Thera didn’t look at him. Picking up a spoon, she poked at the herb bags. “Is that how it works among your people? Giving one woman an extra dollop of courtesy evens out giving another one none at all?”
    Jared’s temper flared, but he kept his voice even. “You approve of what she did today?”
    “Even good Queens sometimes have to make bitter choices.” Thera lifted the herb bags out of the mugs, set them in a small bowl, and picked up the mugs. “Step aside, Lord Jared. I want to turn in now.”
    “You’re going out to the wagon,” he said accusingly.
    Her green eyes became shadowed with something that sent a shiver up his spine, reminding him that, even when she was broken, it was wiser not to tangle with a Black Widow.
    “Are you going to try and stop me?” she asked too gently.
    Jared stepped aside. When she closed the door behind her, he let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
    A few minutes later, little Cathryn realized she was the only female in a room full of men.
    “Where’s Thera?” she asked, her eyes darting around the room as if looking for a way to escape.
    “Thera’s staying in the wagon,” Jared said soothingly. “She and the Gray Lady need to be alone tonight.”
    The men stirred, instinctively wanting to ease Cathryn’s fear while bitterly knowing there was nothing they could do without escalating that fear into full-scale panic.
    Corry worried his lower lip while he watched Cathryn. Then he pushed his mattress over until it touched hers. “It’ll be all right, Cathryn. I’ll sleep right beside you.”
    “You can’t,” Cathryn said shrilly. “You’re a boy.”
    Blaed cleared his throat. “Since Corry’s taken on the duties of an escort, it seems to me he’s entitled to claim Escort’s Privilege.”
    Cathryn looked uncertain.
    Corry looked hopeful.
    Eryk and Tomas looked envious.
    Jared closed his eyes. Sweet Darkness, please don’t let them start squabbling. Cathryn couldn’t handle it, and the rest of them wouldn’t tolerate it.
    “What’s that mean?” Cathryn finally asked.
    Blaed tugged at his collar as if it had suddenly become too tight. “Well, it means that, when a Lady is feeling a bit nervous for any reason, it’s an escort’s duty and privilege to stay nearby, especially when she’s sleeping.”
    “Really?” Cathryn said doubtfully.
    Blaed put one hand over his heart. “Really. My cousin served as an escort, and he explained it to me.”
    No one spoke. No one dared move until Cathryn lay down on the mattress and shyly smiled while Corry tucked the blanket around her.
    His eyes shining with pride and pleasure, Corry got settled on his own mattress, as close to the edge as possible.
    Jared looked away to hide his smile. He’d bet his boots that, by morning, those two would be curled up together like two puppies.
    The rest of them settled down. The candlelights that sat on a couple of small tables tucked against the walls were extinguished, but the fire in the hearth still provided enough light to see by.
    Jared pulled off his boots and set them beside his mattress. Tucking the blanket around him, he vanished the rest of his clothes and sighed with pleasure. With luck, he’d be up early enough to wash before Cathryn woke up, before Thera and the Gray Lady stirred.
    Despite his fatigue, sleep was a long time coming. The events of the day kept chasing each other, refusing to be stilled. He thought about the pride and pleasure in Corry’s eyes, thought about Thera’s remark about courtesy. No matter how he justified it, he couldn’t dismiss the knowledge that he, not Thera, should have been sleeping in the wagon tonight. He was the experienced pleasure slave. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the Gray Lady to use him without calling attention to it. And he