Bowing deeply, he said in a booming voice, “Good morning, mistress. Master cannot be here this morning, so he’s sent me in his stead. I am Giles, and you may call me such.”
She blinked, unnerved by him a little. Apart from Rumpel, he was the first male she’d encountered here. Rubbing her upper arm, she dipped her head. “Giles. You may call me Shayera.”
His smile was short and neat. “I think I should stick to mistress for now. Are you ready to eat, ma’am?”
It was dizzying how smoothly he’d shifted conversations. Grabbing hold of her stomach, she grimaced. “I suppose I could eat a little.”
“If you don’t mind my saying”—he quirked a brow—“you appear a little peaked this morning. I could perhaps forgo the rich meats and cheeses and offer you a soothing tonic instead?”
Giles didn’t at all act like he was going above and beyond what he normally would for anyone else, which helped settle her frazzled nerves. Giving him a flicker of her lips, she nodded. “That would be nice. I didn’t have the best night.”
Suddenly it dawned on her that maybe Rumpel’s absence might have nothing to do with her being here but rather what she’d done to him. Feeling more alarmed than she cared to admit, she took a half step forward. “Giles, where is your master this morning?”
He had his back to her and was shaking a silver tumbler in his hand, adding fruit and other things she could not name every once in a while. “Out by the garden, mistress. He’d like to see you once you’ve broken fast.”
She frowned. “There’s a garden here? But we’re on a cloud?”
Pouring the rose-pink concoction into a glass, he turned and handed it to her. Without thinking, she took a sip and immediately moaned in delight at the sweet tartness of raspberry and the refreshing hint of mint, but there was something sharp in there too, different, unlike anything she’d tasted.
“Delicious! But what’s that spicy flavor?”
“Chinese five spice. The master has a taste for the unique. It’s a favorite of his and he swears it helps cure any ails. How do you feel now, mistress?”
She was still chugging her drink and smiled when she realized the ache she’d woken up with was not only gone but she was definitely more energized and not quite so exhausted. Though she wished never to go through what she’d gone through last night again, this was wonderful. “I feel fine.”
“Drink up then, and once you’re done, I’ll take you to the master.”
That brought her up cold. “Actually, Giles, I’d much rather walk around and explore today. Is there a library in this castle?”
“There is.” He nodded but looked serious. “But I’ve orders to take you to the master and—”
“You’ll get in trouble if you don’t comply, correct?”
He gave a slight shrug. “Something like that.”
Rolling her eyes, she sighed. “He’s not a god you know. You’re free to not do as ordered, there are other options for employment.”
His face went absolutely still. “I understand that within your realm that may be how it is, but he is a royal and my sovereign. I’ve given him my oath to obey him in all I do and I am duty bound by it.”
“And if you don’t, do you die?” She smiled, finishing up the last of the yummy drink, wishing she had a bit more.
He looked affronted by her question. “A demone does not fear death so much as dishonor. A man is nothing without his word.”
Feeling slightly dumb, she wrinkled her nose. It had been meant as a joke; she hadn’t expected him to take it so seriously. “I’m sorry, Giles, please forgive me.”
Sighing, he shook his head. “No, forgive me, mistress. I’m sure you meant no offense.”
“In truth, I know very little of your kind. I mean, of course, I’ve heard of Delerium and the demone, but you’re transplants to Kingdom, correct?” She wiggled her glass with a sad, little frown before finally handing it to Giles.
Nodding, he took the glass and set it down on the buffet before stepping to the side. “If you’ll follow me, we can talk along the way.”
Even though she was beginning to feel more comfortable in his presence, she still kept a safe enough distance from him.
Back in the hall of treasures, Giles began, “Yes, we are not natural-born denizens of this realm, ’tis true enough. We hail from beneath the under, from a completely separate galaxy in fact.”
Frowning, she shook her head. “I didn’t know that. I thought Delerium was somewhere here in Kingdom.”
“The doorway to it is, aye.” He nodded.
Very curious about Rumpelstiltskin, she asked, “So what is Delerium like?”