To Seduce An Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)(42)
Jiandra looked over her shoulder at Yajna. “Tell them to form a line in front of the shrine, and I’ll start healing them from there.”
He nodded, then helped her out of the coach. The crowd surged toward her, but Yajna held up a hand and shouted something in Nandalan. They stopped, bowed to him, and gave Jiandra some room to get through to the shrine.
Yajna escorted her to the staircase leading up to the entrance, and she climbed a few steps so she could see over the crowd. Yajna shouted commands in Nandalan, motioning where the line would start and helping them get organized.
Jiandra held the glowing stone in her fist and closed her eyes, whispering a prayer to Zehu, then touched the mother and daughter who were first in line, focusing Healing. Color returned to the little girl’s pale face, and she cried out in joy and grabbed her mother’s hand. The woman bowed deeply to Jiandra, a huge smile on her face.
Yajna motioned them away from the sick crowd as they left, saying something in Nandalan to them, and they turned back to bow to Jiandra once more before leaving.
Jiandra held the Omaja in both hands, kissed it, and pressed it to her heart as she looked out over the crowd. It would be a long day, but a day well spent.
§
Graciella stretched her limbs under her blankets as she awoke. She’d taught Wilten how to prepare a basic breakfast of oats with cinnamon and cream a couple of days ago, so Graciella wouldn’t have to rise before dawn to start water boiling if she didn’t want to.
She’d awakened with the perfect plan for getting closer to Yavi that day. She’d ask him to teach her some of his sword skills so she could protect herself better if need be. She was pretty sure he’d agree, giving her a chance to spend a little one-on-one time with him during the day. Then, while they were together doing that, she could casually ask him if he had any other favorite dishes and try to re-create another Nandalan dinner for him that night.
She put on a plain muslin gown, slipped on her boots, and splashed water over her face. She twisted her hair on top of her head and pinned it, still remembering the scandalous sight of Yavi’s naked body from the night before. Her own body still felt all tingly from the after-effects of her inadvertent voyeurism. She practiced a couple of sexy smiles in the mirror, pinched some color into her cheeks, and headed down to check Wilten’s progress in the kitchen.
Oats were boiling in the kettle, and Wilten was slicing bread for toast from yesterday’s cinnamon-raisin bread. She put her knife down and curtsied to Graciella. “Good morning, milady.”
Graciella tied on her apron. “Good morning, my sweet little kitchen helper. How is everything coming along this morning?”
“Very good. I make oats and toast now. Tinni find many eggs; you want I cook them for breakfast?”
“Let me see how many we have.” Graciella went over to inspect the egg crate Tinni had left on the side table. “Yes, I think we can spare some of these for breakfast. Let’s save a dozen for bread-baking day tomorrow.”
Wilten studied her quizzically. “What a dozen?”
“It means twelve. Do you know twelve?”
“Yes, I know how many is twelve. Ten and two.”
“Correct.”
“Milady, I have gift for you.” Wilten reached under the worktable and retrieved a small burlap pouch.
Graciella’s eyebrows rose. “A gift for me?”
“Yes. Is from my mother’s plants.”
Graciella untied the drawstring and peeked inside. The pouch contained dried flowers and twigs. She sniffed it. It smelled a little like sage and lavender mixed together. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with it, but smiled warmly at the other girl. “Thank you, Wilten.”
“Is for Emperor Yavi.”
“Oh.” Now Graciella was confused. Hadn’t Wilten said it was a gift for her?
“You put this plant in Emperor’s food, he want to kiss you.”
Graciella looked inside the bag again. “It’s an aphrodisiac?”
“I don’t know what is aphrodishack.”
“Aphrodisiac. It means, a food or other substance that provokes—”
The kitchen door opened, and Yavi poked his head in.
Graciella quickly hid the pouch behind her back as she and Wilten curtsied to him.
“Good morning, Miss Stovy, Wilten,” he said. “Is there hot water for tea?”
“Yes, Emperor.” Graciella smiled. “Please do come in.”
He entered, looking dashing in his leather armor and boots.
Graciella stopped imagining him standing there in his towel like last night and turned to Wilten. “Would you prepare a cup of tea for the emperor while I check something in the larder?”
“Yes, milady.”
Graciella hurried to the larder, keeping the little bag of herbs out of Yavi’s line of vision, and stuffed it behind a jar of sugar on the shelf. She grabbed a jar of cinnamon and went back to the worktable.
Wilten presented a tray with a cup of steaming tea to Yavi, curtsying. He glanced at Graciella as he took the cup and saucer. “When is breakfast?”
“In half an hour, Sire.”
“Fine. Until then, Miss Stovy.” He nodded to her and left.
When the door was closed, Graciella turned back to Wilten and spoke under her breath. “Tell me more about this herb of yours.”