More Than Meets the Eye

Chapter Twenty-One

She shivered at the hints of promise in his deep voice. "Stay here until I return?"

"Go."

She kissed him once more, then slid down from his lap and left his apartments. This time, when she reached the staircase, she didn't hesitate, but made her way above and toward the kitchens. At the threshold, she paused. Voices came from the Great Hall—it sounded as if the party might still be going on, quieter than before, but going on just the same. She moved to peer around the corner, but only saw a handful of dwarves remaining—Dori, Nori, Ori, and two she knew were of Thorin's company, but whose names she didn't know.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she turned back to the kitchens. Black dots danced wildly before her eyes, her pulse pounded through her temples, and she thought she might actually faint as she forced her feet to carry her over to where she heard Brynne and Lono talking.

They were just inside the kitchen, both seated at the long work table, a teapot and two cups on it before them. They were looking at a newspaper or book, Arielle couldn't see which. All she saw were their heads bent over something.

She cleared her throat. "Excuse me. Might I have a word?"

Both heads snapped up and Lono's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to clear the air about.. about me."

"You mean about your lying to us?" he countered, his voice coolly void of any emotion.

Arielle flinched eve as she nodded. "I mean exactly that, yes."

"There is nothing you can say that I have any interest in hearing." Lono folded the newspaper and just stared at her, his gray eyes colder than his voice.

"If I could but explain, you might not feel that way because I did not set out to lie to anyone any more than I absolutely had to."

"How noble of you."

Brynne just stared at her for a long moment, then said, "Why should we believe a word you say? You've lied to us since the very beginning, so what it one more at this point? How do we know you'll spew nothing but lies?"

That stung, although she tried to hold back her wince. Instead, she took a deep breath and just looked from one angry face to the next.

"I did it to help my brother. To keep our roof over our heads." Arielle looked from Brynne to Lono and back. "And I don't expect you to understand that because you live here and you know Thorin—that is, His Highness—will look after you and not raise your rents on a weekly basis and force you to scramble and find whatever work you can because otherwise you will be homeless. Until I came here, I didn't have that luxury of serving a benevolent master. Elen broke his hand and would be unable to serve Thorin—that is, His Highness—as a valet and that meant he'd have lost this position and the very generous wages Thorin—that is—oh forget it! The very generous wages Thorin offered. So, judge me if you wish, but I was just trying to keep my home until Elen was healed and could come and take his rightful place."

"And in addition to lying to us," Lono growled, "you also came in and found your way right into His Highness' bed. Very convenient."

Brynne gasped, but Arielle just glared at him. "Is that what you think?"

"That is what I know."

"Then you also know it is none of your concern where I sleep or with whom I sleep, don't you? And it is definitely none of your concern where your king sleeps or with whom he sleeps, either." She looked from him to Brynne. "I am sorry I lied, but I only lied about my name. My friendship, my looking out for Kusela and the rest of you was all the truth. I cannot fault you for being angry with me, but I hope you will realize why I did what I did and in time, forgive me that."