Burning for Love (Kindred Tales)

And that, Dear Reader, is all I have to report at present. As always, keep watching for the next issue of Breadcrumbs if you wish to keep abreast of the latest Court news.

I remain your humble and obedient servant,

Lady TittleTattle.

Rissa gave a sigh of relief as she finished the scandal rag and her cloud bun at the same time. Thank goodness Lady TittleTattle hadn’t found fault with her having James as her new Companion! Had she communicated even a whiff of impropriety to the Court, Rissa would have been in danger of losing her good reputation. But as it was, the mysterious Lady TittleTattle seemed to be on her side—at least for now.

“What are you reading?” James asked her. “Whatever it is, it seems to have made you happy. You’re smiling, which is usually an indication of positive emotions.”

“Oh, it is the latest copy of the Breadcrumbs,” Rissa told him, and explained about the scandal sheet and how it was published every few days to the simultaneous delight and horror of the Court.

He nodded.

“Yes, Commander Sylvan gave me a copy of one issue to read when he was explaining your situation and my mission. What does this issue say?”

“Would you like to read it?” Rissa asked, offering it to him across the table.

“Yes, thank you.” He took it and the metal scope on the right side of his head extended and covered his right eye. Rissa watched with interest as a red light projected from the scope onto the paper. In what seemed like only a second, James was handing the paper back to her and the scope was resuming its place at his right temple.

“You read it that quickly?” Rissa asked, awed.

He nodded and shrugged.

“It seems to have mostly complimentary things to say about both of us, which I take to be a good thing for your reputation?”

“Yes, very good.” Rissa nodded and took a sip of her thistledown tea. “Though no one knows who she is, Lady TittleTattle has the power to ruin reputations. In fact, Duke Grabbington was much more accepted in the highest social circles before she exposed him for ruining poor Prunella Ascott. Now he is rather looked down upon, despite his grand title. I heard that he was refused an invitation to Lady Isolde’s Mid-Summer ball only the other week.”

James nodded.

“Then I assume Duke Grabbington will not be pleased with this issue.” He frowned. “And neither will Lady Mildew, I suspect.”

Rissa sighed unhappily.

“I am afraid you are right. I wish Lady TittleTattle hadn’t tweaked her tail! She’s already mad about being replaced as my Companion—it doesn’t do any good to rub her nose in it!”

“Do you think she’ll try to take some kind of vengeance on you?” James frowned threateningly. “She had better not.”

“I doubt she’d try an assassination attempt, if that’s what you mean,” Rissa said, feeling troubled. “Unless it was a character assassination,” she added.

“She had better not try any kind of assassination.” James’s voice dropped to a low, protective growl. “I won’t let her hurt you, Princess. I swear it on my life as a Kindred warrior.”

“Well…thank you, James, but if Lady Mildew wants to start a rumor about me, there’s nothing you can really do about it. It’s not like she’s a man and you could call her out for a duel.”

“A duel?” he frowned. “Explain, please.”

“Oh, it is a contest of honor. When a man feels another man has offended him or the lady he is protecting, he calls the other man out to fight at dawn. They choose weapons and attempt to kill each other.” She shuddered. “It is quite a barbaric practice, actually, and the Steward has attempted to outlaw it, but the gentlemen just won’t stop.” She shook her head.

“Speaking of ‘gentlemen’ what does er, Lady TittleTattle mean when she talks about there being rumors against the Steward if he doesn’t approve some new suitors for you soon?” James raised an eyebrow at her. “And why has he not approved any to date, since you appear to need one to control your Heat Cycle?”

“Oh, he has.” Rissa sighed. “But both of the suitors he approved were so very inappropriate. One was old enough to be my grandfather and the other was more like a little brother than a man I would wish to marry.”

She explained in more detail about the two disastrous suitors and how she’d had to turn them both down.

“Lady Mildew was angry and disapproving, of course,” she added. “She said that either one would have made an excellent Royal Consort, but I disagreed.”

“Because of their ages?” James asked.

“Well, that and…” Rissa picked apart another cloud bun, letting the pieces fall to her plate. “That and the fact that I did not wish to let either of them touch me or…or kiss me,” she admitted, keeping her eyes on the bun. “The idea quite turned my stomach, though I know I shouldn’t be so picky. Whoever I choose as my Consort must…must slake my Heat. And even though I’m not sure what that entails, I am certain I don’t want a man I am not attracted to doing it to me—whatever it is.”