She shrugged. ‘Just in case we need them.’
‘We?’ He lifted an eyebrow. ‘I thought you were on Stephen’s side.’
‘It’s not a question of sides. Just because I’ve sworn allegiance to Stephen doesn’t mean I want him to attack us.’
‘It might mean you get your castle back.’
‘Until the next siege, you mean.’
He sat down in a chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. There was no answer to that. The way the fortunes of this seemingly endless war veered back and forth he couldn’t exactly argue.
‘Finished in the armoury already?’
She tipped her head to one side and he smiled. He was starting to recognise her mannerisms.
‘There wasn’t much for me to do. You put the Empress’s armourers to shame, my lady.’
‘Is that permitted?’ Her tone sharpened like a dagger itself. ‘Since I’m not allowed to fight, am I allowed to keep and clean weapons instead?’
He made a face. ‘I told you, my refusal to fight wasn’t meant as an insult.’
‘It still felt like one.’
‘I don’t fight women.’
‘Not even if they ask you to?’
‘Not even then.’
Her eyes flashed. ‘What if the Empress asked you to?’
‘For a start, she’d have to order me. Then I suppose I’d have to let her attack me.’
‘You wouldn’t defend yourself?’
‘No.’
She put down the piece of material she was folding. ‘You didn’t object to your soldier sparring with me.’
‘I didn’t like it, but I’d no right to stop you.’
She frowned slightly, as if trying to gauge whether or not he was telling the truth. ‘In that case...what did you think?’
‘About?’
‘About my sword skills? Was I any good?’
‘Better than that.’
Her frown lifted and her lips twitched before she broke into a broad smile. ‘So if we fought—not that we would—do you think I might win?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
She laughed before her expression clouded suddenly.
‘What happened to your hand?’
‘What?’ It took him a moment to understand the question. The sound of her laughter seemed to have actually stunned him. ‘Oh, nothing. Just a scratch.’