14. Kazrith

"Sir?"

Looking up from my documents, I spot Corin standing at the doorway of my study. He bows low before straightening himself up again.

"Shall we send dinner straight to the human's room?"

"Her name is Hanna, and you will address her as such," I reply simply. Leaning back in my seat, I glare at my servant. "She is my wife. Have you forgotten that?"

"I… Forgive me, sir. I didn"t mean to offend but…" Corin hesitates before continuing. "She's only been here for a week. And you haven't been seen regularly with her. I only assumed—"

"Exactly." I rise from my seat loudly, rounding the desk to stand closer to Corin. He clears his throat and bows his head. "You assumed, but you're wrong. Have you not seen how busy I've been since my return?"

"Forgive me, sir," he whispers.

"I have made sure that my wife is well taken care of, have I not? Does it really matter if I haven't seen her frequently when I've hardly seen anyone at all? I'm working." A shadow extension emerges from my back and reaches out for his chin, forcing him to look me in the eyes. "My work is what ensures you have a steady income."

"Indeed, sir." Corin's gaze falters briefly. "Forgive me. I meant no disrespect."

Hearing the sincerity of his words, I roll my eyes and return to my desk. "Make sure Hanna is well fed with whatever meal she desires. Bring her some flowers from the gardens and tell her they're from me. Thank you, Corin. You may go."

Corin bows before leaving, shutting the double doors behind him. I slump in my seat, letting out a long sigh as I cover my tired face with my hands.

"These bastards don't believe me," I whisper, the realization dawning upon me. "They don't believe Hanna's my wife. How am I supposed to fool the world when I can't even fool the ones in my own home?"

In fact, Corin brought up a good point. I've been so immersed in my work that I've forgotten to seek out Hanna at times. What an awful look.

That doesn't mean I haven't thought about her, though. Hanna has been ever-present within the confines of my mind, but I can't really prove that to my servants.

As I take my work in hand, I vow to do a better job at being a husband for Hanna. A fake husband. Only then might we be able to return to New Solas together.

Speaking of which, a certain letter lies on my desk. I reach out for it, recognizing the signature and the stamp.

The spy I've hired must have found more information about Zathex, which pleases me. I open the letter and take in the words quickly, hoping that our chance to avenge Hanna's lost dream can come soon.

Hanna's lost dream? Zathex wronged you, too. She isn't the only reason you're willing to eliminate the xaphan bastard.

My mind tries to reason with me. As much as I want to ignore the truth, it's becoming harder to deny. Hanna has given me a new purpose in life.

The human woman never seems to leave my thoughts these days. I'm starting to think that I miss her more than I'm willing to admit.

"Thank you,"Hanna says as we walk through my gardens. She trails her fingertips along one of the dark blue kyip blossoms as we pass. "I was starting to get a bit lonely."

"Sorry about that." My posture remains stiff, so it's a conscious effort to remember to relax a bit. Especially around my servants, who aren't too convinced by my act. "I hope you've been enjoying the flowers and meals I've been sending you."

"Absolutely, they're great. And the servants have been nice to me."

"They need to be," I reply brusquely. "Or else they'll lose their hands."

"Oh, don't be like that." Hanna lightly swats at my arm, shaking her head. "They have good reasons to not trust me. I came out of nowhere, and you plopped me into your home as if I've been here forever."

"Subordinance isn't something I take lightly, Hanna. If they're disrespecting you, then they're disrespecting me."

Hanna glances at me with a quizzical expression before turning away and nodding. "Yeah. Okay."

I clench my jaw, realizing that she's just looking for an easy conversation. I'm making things a little too intense.

One of my shadows extends from my back to reach a pink flower resting at the very top of an ujil tree nearby. I pluck it off its stem and bring it down, presenting it in front of Hanna. She smiles sweetly and takes it from my hands.

"You're becoming a romantic, Kazrith."

"No, I'm not. But I should be," I say, reminding myself that I'll have to take Hanna outside of my estate sometime soon. Our plan will backfire miserably if I can't act the part of a doting husband.

Doting husband? You're stooping to the lowest of lows for a human woman, of all things.

That critical voice at the back of my head nearly gives me pause, but then I remember all the profits that will come my way once my patrons see that I have a human woman to call a wife. The spectacle will make everything worth it.

Once Hanna and I make it to the end of our walk, she dips her head and thanks me again for the flower. "You really made my day by doing this with me, you know."

She's lonely. I can see it in her gaze. She spends most of her time in her bedroom, but I've already given her permission to wander around the estate. Do the servants intimidate her?

Do I intimidate her still?

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again, Hanna," I say.

Smiling wide, Hanna looks the prettiest she has since she snuck onto my carriage back in New Solas. The wind swiftly passes through her dark hair as she tucks the pink flower behind her ear. I don't reciprocate the grin. I just stare, trying to make sense of the emotions flowing through me.

"See you later, Kazrith."

As much as I want to follow her, I stay put and watch as she disappears through the double doors that lead to the dining room. Why am I feeling this way? Why are these strange thoughts about her passing through my mind?

Shaking my head, I make my way back to my study, ready to dive into another evening of work to take my mind off of things.

I stareat the documents in front of me. My eyes skim the words over and over, unable to focus properly. Something keeps tugging my attention away.

Eventually, I organize the papers neatly on the table and push them to the other side of my desk. I sigh, rubbing a hand along my face as I try to make sense of what's going on.

It's quite simple, really. I can't stop thinking about Hanna and the way she looked a few days ago in the garden. Her green eyes stared up at me with so much emotion that I have yet to decipher fully. Her dark hair flowed nicely with the pink flower tucked behind her ear.

Since then, I've made more attempts to see her in the mornings whenever she wakes up. I'm up at strange hours for the sake of my business operations, so it gives me the opportunity to see her before I get the day started. For some reason, my mood is immediately lifted whenever my eyes land on her small form.

"Sir?"

Corin stands at the doorway with a tray in his right hand, balanced nicely upon his fingertips. His other hand rests behind his back.

"This is the kaffo you wanted, sir," he says as if to remind me.

After blinking a few times, I clear my throat and beckon him forward. Corin nods and obeys, setting the tray on the desk. He pours the dark liquid into my cup and hands it to me.

"How's my wife?" I ask, staring directly into his eyes as I take a sip of the steaming hot liquid. The bitterness laces my tongue upon contact, a taste I've grown thoroughly accustomed to. "I assume you all have been taking good care of her, yes?"

"Indeed, sir. We delivered some of the dresses you picked out for her directly to her closet. And she's been taking more walks through the gardens. She's even shown an interest in the library."

"Good." Leaning back into my seat, I let out a sigh. She's getting more comfortable, which is a promising sign. This is her home, after all.

For now, at least.

"Would you like anything else, sir?"

"Yes, I do," I reply, setting aside my cup. "I would like you to tell the kitchen that I'm organizing a dinner for my wife and me tonight. I want them to make the best dishes possible."

"Of course, sir. Any special requests?"

"Make everything. Absolutely everything. My wife isn't from Ikoth, as you know, so I want to introduce her to the best dishes our culture has to provide."

Corin smiles slightly. "Wonderful idea, sir. I believe your wife has truly been immersing herself in our culture and this will help even more."

I give a self-satisfied hum. "Go on, then."

"Yes, sir." Corin dips low before hurrying out of the study with the empty tray in his hand.

Once he's gone, I start imagining Hanna in a nice dress as we dine together. I imagine her expressions and her mannerisms as she tries some of my favorite dishes. I already see myself making the cooks start all over on new dishes if she doesn't like what she's presented with.

Any good husband would cater to their wives in such a way. Why shouldn't I go along with the process?