“I neglected to give the servants instructions regarding you,” he says. “My fetching of you was unplanned, so they were not expecting your presence, and they did not recognize your importance to the competition. This oversight will not be repeated.” It’s almost an apology. “Shall I follow Teagan to the East Wing?” I ask. “It would make sense for you to be near the women you’ll be treating,” he muses. “And yet I do not want you interacting too closely with them after hours, lest you become partial to certain contestants. No, I think I will place you elsewhere.”
