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came out of the bathroom to see Issul lounging on the bed. “Was having us hike here naked part of his fun?” She had to ask Issul, Zeering was hiding from her irritation.
    “It was necessary. Getting the priests to provide appropriate clothing for us would have taken longer than you would have liked. Your hair covered most of you.” His lips were twitching with amusement.
    She lifted a hank and scowled at the pink locks. “How stupid does it look?”
    “It looks lovely. I especially like that Zeering matched the rest of you to the pink.”
    She glanced down and her blush fired again as she caught his meaning.
    Sebena sighed and began rummaging through the wardrobes that lined the wall. The men’s clothing was all neatly arranged, but there was nothing designed for someone of her frame, so she took one of the shirts and pulled it over her head. It fell to her knees and she rolled up the sleeves until she could see her hands.
    “Why get dressed?”
    “Because it makes me feel better. I am not a fan of public nudity, especially if it centres around me.” She returned to the bathroom and looked for the bottle that she had used as soap.
    She emerged from the bathroom and looked him up and down. “Issul, did someone remove the bottle of bath soap? The one that poisoned me is missing.”
    “Not that I am aware of. They are under orders to only enter these chambers for personal attendance and housekeeping. Neither of those were needed in the last two days.”
    That shocked her. “Two days?”
    “Time moves differently when you are with Zeering. He is not focussed on anything but making sure that every cell recognizes him.” Issul got to his feet and opened a set of doors that let the sunset stream through the room.
    “So, we were in there and together for two days? Why aren’t I sore?”
    He laughed. “There are a few advantages to being an Avatar. Being impervious to damage is one of them.”
    “So, if I had been poisoned after the change, there wouldn’t have been any problem?” She quirked a brow. “Why would they have bothered to poison you if they knew you were impervious to damage?”
    “I am not sure that they knew. Zeering has never shared my vulnerabilities with the Reeban or the lack of them for that matter. They never asked. They simply decided that they would rather have one of their own on the throne.” He shrugged.
    A knock on the door startled them both.
    Issul wandered casually to the door and opened one side.
    Sebena heard him speaking and a lighter feminine voice replied, but she couldn’t make out their words.
    “Sebena, this is Karri. She has volunteered to be your maid and dresser.” Issul opened the door wide and a young Reeban woman stood there, her black feathers lying flat against her skull.
    Sebena chuckled. “Get some pants on, Issul, and let her in.”
    As the timid, young woman came in, her backpack bulging, Sebena wondered how many times in the next few years that she would have to utter that exact sentence. He seemed completely at ease in his skin and having had a portion of him inside her, she had to admit that he had reason for pride.
    “Welcome, Karri.”
    The young woman gave her a surprised look. “Thank you, Avatar Sebena. I was supposed to be here two days ago, but you were…busy.”
    Laughing, Sebena led the young woman to a sitting area near the balcony. “Do you think you can work with my hair? I know it isn’t feathers, but I like it.”
    Karri nodded shyly. “I have had training as a groomer, Avatar Sebena. I can also offer you a massage and nail treatments. The clothing that I selected was based on your measurements when you arrived. I hope it will be suitable.”
    “Let’s start with just getting a brush for my hair. The changes Zeering made created a much softer and lighter substance than I am used to.”
    Karri opened her backpack and pulled out swaths of silk. “This is a lounging robe. It may be more comfortable than Avatar Issul’s