Chapter 11: Visitors

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The unreality of the goan board is that the players can see every move being made.

—Tobias Silverman

Lily sat on a stool and stared at Nirih's dress. After she came back from lunch, she had hopes of finishing at least the foundation of the outfit, but for the last few hours, she had been staring at the fabric but not seeing anything but Hasan and Mindil.

Guilt filled her, a violent twisting in her stomach that sent ripples of tension along her back and arms. Mindil had no idea that Hasan wanted Lily. The cheerful blonde had only kind words for Lily, with no mention of kudame. There was a grace in how she danced around the topic, not even hinting that Lily was anything but a good friend.

Through the meal, Hasan never stopped staring at Lily or pressing his thigh against her. Between talking to Mindil and eating, Lily kept thinking about having a dinner alone with Hasan. She could barely control herself in the carriage when he kissed her, how could she do the same over dinner? The heat and lust filtered through the guilt, driving the sharp edge of despair further into her heart.

She reached out for the bottle of blush wine but only held the stem. It was from before lunch and had suffocated from being left out too long. She almost picked it up, but then rested her knuckles against the warm glass as she tried to find the words to tell Hasan that it wasn't going to work.

Someone tapped on the door. It was Nondei, so she ignored it. The tapping grew louder as someone steadily rapped against the door. It was almost the beat of a clock, precise and rhythmic.

Dejected with her own thoughts, Lily released the glass and stood up. Her bare feet scuffed against the wooden floor as she strolled through the door into the store front.

She didn't see anything until she reached the door. Then she realized there was a single man standing at the entrance, his black suit shadowed by the first oranges of a sunset. He wore a Martin crest on his chest and a silver bracelet danced on his left wrist.

Images of Kendrick running flashed through her mind. She didn't know if the man in front of her was one of them that Kendrick splashed with blood and wine, but she couldn't let him stand out the door. Despite her fear, it was impolite.

Heart beating faster, she pulled open the door. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, Dame Kasin, could I take a few minutes of your time?" It was already obvious that he didn't know if she was bedame, tadame, or kudame. She was simply a dame to the stranger. For a heartbeat, she wondered if he knew and chose to use the generic term.

Lily nodded and stepped back, holding the door open.

The man, who had gray hair, bowed his head and stepped inside. He looked tense as he glanced at the dresses pinned to the walls and the books of designs scattered on the small tables.

"May I help you, Tasire Martin?"

He turned to her and bowed again, one hand on his side where a sword would have been sheathed. "Please forgive me. I am Relik da Martin ne Golid." The Martin families owned the next coastal town to the east, but the Golids were from the south, away from the ocean.

"I am... Kudame Lily dea Kasin, the proprietress of this store. How may I help you, tasire?"

He held his hands in front of him and bowed again, a trickle of sweat beating on his forehead. "Please forgive me for this, but members of my other family suggested that you may be aware of a Kasin who goes by the name of Kendrick."

Despite his nervous attitude, she could see a hardness in his eyes.

Lily's stomach clenched. She considered lying, but she knew it wouldn't help. She nodded once.

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