Ben’s duties took him to the kitchens—to fetch a meal for Lord Aren, who had taken a shine to him.

  He wasn’t sure what possessed the general to ask Lady Therien for his direct services, but since the message had been sent, almost all of his duties centered around the general. What little time he had to spare was spent running messages for other military men, most of them sergeants, who he supposed treated him well enough. The dy seemed content with his newfound pcement. Seemed to take it as a badge of honor that he would be chosen so early in his career for such a high honor.

  He had no illusions about her retionship to Lord Aren. He had long believed the two detested each other, even before he had been tasked with these duties.

  But that was of little concern to him. The dealings of Shadovane’s elites were far and away not his business, until they entailed who was fucking the dy and where. But Lord Aren had no interest in her. If his friend on the Council of Liam was entranced by her, so be it. What could a servant do about any of it.

  He waited for his turn in a pass situated some way back from that window where the servants dished up. Ariana was there, adding garnishes to ptes before they were fitted with domed lids and passed to the couriers who would take them where they needed to go.

  His number came up, and he approached the window.

  “Fancy seeing you here.” She grinned.

  He returned the gesture. “New duties. I’m likin’ them so far.”

  “Oh really now.”

  “Lord Aren asked for me to be his personal servant. Most of what I’m doing now is just bringing messages back and forth.”

  “I love it.” She said. “He’s not a dick, is he?”

  Ben shook his head.

  “How are things with Lance?” she asked.

  “To be honest, I haven’t seen much of him. We’re on opposite schedules, though. I guess it makes sense. I was hopin’ we could get together, soon, though. Maybe in the evening before he goes to the furnaces.”

  “Has he been acting weird?” she asked.

  “Maybe. I don’t know. This is all still so new.”

  “I mean he’s not acting like he lost interest, right? He talks about you a lot.”

  “Nothin’ like that.”

  “It’s just…Peter went up to the Teacher’s Tower with him. He said something about a hazing thing. I guess the furnace workers do that to the new guys. She shrugged. “I can’t judge. We do that shit here. But he’s been acting like a little bitch since then. Moping around. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s depressed. But he won’t talk to me about it.”

  “I’m sure it’ll pass.”

  “Lance isn’t being weird like that, though?” there was a kind of pleading in her gaze, an almost desperate need.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. Like I said, I haven’t seen much of him. I can ask him what’s goin’ on.”

  “If you see him, please do.”

  “Wait.” He took his tray from her. “You haven’t seen him?”

  “Not in a few days.”

  “Maybe I should be worried then.”

  “Just let me know if you find anything out from him.”

  “I will. But you do the same, okay? I don’t want to think he’s been suffering in silence and I’ve been too much of an ass to notice.”

  “Okay.” She tried on a smile.

  He said his goodbyes, and left with Lord Aren’s meal.