Shady

Ky hesitated. She wasn’t allowed to critique Aleth. Certainly not to a noble. Certainly not in front of this many nobles. But. Well. She also damn sure didn’t want to ...

“Depends on the season — they’re more marked than they seem to be up here. Spring and fall are warm but mild. Winter is cold but also fairly mild. Summer ...

Ky nodded in agreement. “It is. Unless Makata was screwing things up for us, everyone was happy all the time. Just work and play and enjoy being a part of ...

“Fair enough.” Ky nodded. “…I’ve always been partial to Austraka. I know a lot of that is idealism that stems from childhood naivety. But gods, I was happy.”

“Luckily, neither of us has to deal with it anymore.”

Huh. Maybe he hadn’t. Okay, this was getting complicated again. “I’m from Austraka, sir. He’s from Totallisa. We, um, came up here to, um… looking for… work?”

Ky nodded in agreement. “No arguments.”

Ky winced. Ah. So he’d heard. She supposed that made it easier. Then she wouldn’t have to explain why she was here. “Yes sir, I’m afraid so.” Tadaaki had shuffled ...

“It really is,” Ky said. “They’re even worse than roosters — strutting around puffing out their chests and flogging people and adding nothing of value whatsoever to the world. They’re ...

Ky caught it. Conflict, then? Emery had seemed fond of Tomhas when he’d mentioned him a minute before. But now Tomhas wasn’t acknowledging Emery existed with anything more than a ...

“Oh, I know.” Ky rolled her eyes but about their conversation, not at Emery. “They’re all terrible.”

“That sounds lovely.” Ky nodded. “Rich people really do get so lavish with their food. It’s ridiculous sometimes… but delicious sometimes too.”

Tadaaki firmly planted his feet. There was no chance in hell he was going in there first. No. Chance. Ky wasn’t thrilled by the thought either, but forced herself to ...

“Again, take your pick. You seem fonder of Eastern food than Northern.”

Ky thought for a moment. “What’s your favorite food?”