Once inside my little home, I excuse myself to go boil water for tea.

The stove is already hot after Momma cooked breakfast, so it is only a matter of pouring water from a bucket into a pan.

A large part of me is grateful for a moment alone to decompress. I’m beginning to adore Jenny, but my lord, she has the energy of a hundred dust bunnies. Ever seen such creatures bounding from one trail of dust to another? The little creatures the size of my finger with large ears are fast and energetic, the bane of the palace maids' existence.

And I think many commoners secretly cherish the little things for keeping the town shoppes and inns and taverns slightly clean without the need for dusting every nook and cranny.

This water needs to come to a boil soon before I have to go greet our guests. Sitting here watching the water… I may love alone time, but this is getting slightly ridiculous. I pull a few split logs from a caddy beside the washbasin, about singeing my eyebrows off when I open the hot belly of the stove.

Now then… to wait some more. How long does it take water to boil?

“Aria,” Momma calls.

I stick my head out of the kitchen, seeing Sir and Lady Hans seated at our modest table—I have to gulp back the insecurities our humble abode brings when faced with nobles here. I love my little home and how it has provided for us… but after being a guest in their home and now bringing them here—I might be slightly regretting the latter.

Jack burps. I glare at my brother, about to berate him for his inconsiderate behavior in front of our guests, when Hans burps louder, the sound better suiting a bear than a man.

Jack raises his eyes, appraising the knight in worn armor with his greying hair tied in a tight knot at the back of his head.

“Will, dear, could we dispense the macho displays for now?” Jenny says, softly, sipping her water as if it were a dainty teacup.

When I hear the third sound, I almost fall over.

Ran perks her head up from her worn rug by the fire. I thought I was the master of such things. I’m impressed.

“Oh, dear. Please excuse me. Some beans I ate this morning have not set well with me, you see.” Her pursed lips and furrowed brow speak of contrition; but the twinkle in her eye speaks of silent laughter.

Jill giggles behind her hand, trying not to laugh at the lady from her place on the couch piled high with soft furs. She’s been terribly nervous about all this since I told her of the palace healer… but now there’s mirth in her eyes and her shoulders aren’t as stiff.

Momma and Jack flat out laugh, her shoulders quacking in her mirth while Jack almost falls off his chair.

“Aria, Lady Hans was about to tell us how you met Hans. I figured you might wish to join.” What she does not say is to be nice to our houseguests and quit hiding in the kitchen.

“Erm—“ I say, my mind going dreadfully blank.

“Don’t be shy, Guardian. It was quite the meeting.” Sir Hans has hidden mirth in his deep voice.

I groan, coming to sit on a stool beside the table at Momma's pointed look to be polite and not ignore our guests.

“Fine, just get it over with. Quickly, please.”

“Don’t listen to her, sir. We want all the details. And I mean all,” Momma says with another straight look in my direction.

I put my head in my hands, wishing this was already over. I gave Momma the gist… but she knows I didn’t tell her the entire tale.

Sir Hans grins, white, straight teeth flashing beneath his greying beard. His voice deepens into the tones of a bard, and I want to groan again. Just my luck. “The day started as normal as any other. Tasks to be completed, paperwork filed, all manner of people to see.” He winks at Jack. “You see son, Knighthood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s months of boredom followed by a few moments of heart-pounding adventure, with little time for thinking and time for action alone. This was my day."

Jack leans forward. "Your day? For adventure and sword fights? Blood and dead bodies?" he asks, almost hopping with excitement.

I lean forward and tug Jack back into his seat, hard. Jack grunts and glares as his behind makes a mighty thwack.

Sir Hans coughs into his hand, continuing, "Lo and behold, my son was kidnapped.” Momma gasps, her hand going to her throat. “Yes ma’am, it was a terrible day. No trace after hours of searching, the trail growing cold. The panic in my breast was increasing. I had almost followed the last dead end when there he was! Right before me, waving his hands above his head to get the attention of me and my brothers in arms. There, he told me of the lass who saved him, but was still in grave danger herself.” He takes a breath, drinking from the wooden tankard before him.

“What happened next? What had Aria done? Was she almost dead?” Jack… is just Jack.

My head thumps the table as I drop it to keep my burning cheeks from showing. I would block my ears if I think it would keep Hans’ deep voice from reaching them.

“Patience, lad. There I was, racing down the back streets of Risia, hoping against hope to make it in time. She was quite the demoness, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.”

“That’s not true!” I say, indignant. I killed no one that day.

“Hush, dear. Let him get it out of his system.”

“Yeah, we wanna hear the rest!”

“Please, do go on, sir,” Momma says, flashing me an impish look that would better belong on my face. Am I the only mature one here?

Most likely. Now shut up so I can hear the rest. I only saw snippets myself, Ran says, her tail wagging in glee and her lynx ears perked.

Hans leans forward, and I can’t help but watch him. He’s a storyteller. Who knew.

“There we were. Must’ve been thirty men surrounding her. She had fought hard, but eventually, they overwhelmed her with numbers alone.” His voice lowers into a whisper. “Until…” My entire family leans forward, even Ran and Jill from the living area.

“Bam!” His hand strikes the table, and we all jump. Ran growls. Jenny mumbles under her breath, the only one to not react to Hans' tale. "We drew our swords and charged the criminals. They scattered before our might, but they left behind a small, red-cloaked figure huddled on the ground. The one who had saved my son, prepared to give her life to rescue a stranger. Soon after, Ran came to take her home, and by chance I found her again in an alleyway and asked her—"

“Liar,” I cough into my hands.

He raises a brow at me, and I just shrug.

“By chance,” he looks me dead in the eye, and I roll mine.

“Hans, quit lying to my family. You searched high and low until you found me, then just about made me stab you when I thought I was being kidnapped!”

“William,” Jenny says, her face a serene mask of indifference. “Is this true?”

Hans looks anywhere but his wife, and when he meets my eyes, I wink, mouthing, “Payback.”

He glares at me. My grin grows. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

“Darling—“ Hans begins.

“We will speak of this later.” Jenny smiles, her expression kind except for the eyes. Those are hard and flinty as ice as she stares at her husband.

“Yes, dear.”

“Do I smell something burning?” Jack says, sniffing the air.

I grow still as a rabbit before a dragon, sure I was supposed to be doing something before I come in here. I jump to my feet; the stool clatters as it falls behind me. “Oh, shoot fire. The water!”

Jack’s laughter follows me into the kitchen. “Only you could burn water, sweet sister of mine,” he shouts.

“Watch it, squirt!” I shout back, biting back a curse I learned in the taverns as I take in the blackened pan, almost burning myself when I get the smoking thing off the stove. Who knew you could actually burn water?

“Aria, the healer is here,” Momma says, the humor gone from her voice.

Grand. Just grand.