“Cyndace, my lady.”
“Call me Elainya.”
She shivered as if the suggestion frightened her. Her eyes were wide as she looked around my room. She seemed eager to explore. “My father made sure your pots are of the highest quality. Can I help you unpack them?”
“And stay and enjoy tea. You can tell me about life in the village.”
So it was that the three of us spent a pleasant morning setting up my herb shelves and chatting about romance among the peasants and the nobility.
“You love the idea of a courtly life, don’t you, Cyndace?” I asked curiously.
“Oh, yes. All the ladies dress so beautifully. Everyone seems so happy.”
“Appearances can be deceiving, never forget that.”
She nodded. “Do you enjoy making matches?”
“It is one of the more pleasant aspects of my life. What do you wish for in
