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“You're back just in time,” Shallan said, looking up from the bed where she sat in a nest of papers, blankets, and precariously balanced cups of tea. Adolin was just coming through the door, hair disheveled, sweat stains on his shirt from the practice grounds. He'd been training new Radiants with Zahel.
“I am?” He asked, crossing the room in a few quick strides and trying to ease gingerly onto the edge of the bed but with one look from Shallan he sighed and sat in the chair next to the bed.
“Yes,” she said, searching through her papers. “I just finished a detailed drawing of the layout of all the air ducts and vents in Urithiru and I need you to--” she stopped, looking up and covering her mouth with her safehand and giggling.
“Stormfather, the look on your face! Like you’d just bitten into a unripe kheel fruit.” She burst into more laughter. “I'm joking, Adolin.”
“I would have looked at whatever you wanted,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Even the vents. Although I draw the line at ducts.”
“Deal,” Shallan said quickly. “They are the most dull of all forms of ventilation. It would be a terrible shame to waste our night off like that.”
“I thought you had some sort of scholarly seminar... thing.”
“Canceled,” Shallan said, shifting her weight to gather her papers. Adolin stood just in time to save the cup of tea. “Apparently Jasnah's not feeling well.”
“Again? How long have they been married now--Six months? Do you think she's…” Adolin trailed off.
“You can just say ‘expecting’ instead of doing a long pause every time.” Shallan said tartly. “People are going to start thinking that you don't know how babies are made.” She stood and placed the papers on the table at the middle of the room. They only had one room, but it was large, and Shallan had hung curtains around so that the space felt homier.
She turned back to find Adolin next to her, grinning.
“I could always use a refresher,” he said, running his hand through her hair. Shallan grinned back.
“My anatomy drawings are getting better. If you let me get some charcoal…” Adolin put his hands on her waist and in one smooth movement hoisted her on the table.
“I was thinking something more practical,” he said, sliding a hand up under her skirts to her knee.
“It was Elene Sa’Kawar who once said that the only way to learn anatomy…” Shallan trailed off as Adolin moved his hand higher. A second later she let out a small gasp.
“You make a...persuasive argument,” she managed to say, a flush rising in her cheeks. She put her hands on his hips and pulled Adolin closer. “And I do believe that I just cleared off the bed.”
“We won't need that quite yet,” Adolin murmured, ducking down under her skirt. “I--”
“Shallan! Shallan!” There was a series of raps on the door and then muffled swearing as a surprised Adolin smacked his head on the table. Shallan covered her mouth with both her hands to stifle a laugh as Adolin stood, red-faced and rubbing his head.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered.
“Maybe they'll go away?” he asked hopefully but Shallan had already hopped off the table and was straightening her skirts.
“Shallan? Are you there?”
“One moment,” she called out. “It's Jushu,” she mouthed to Adolin, looking apologetic. “I thought you had practice tonight and I told him he could come by and show me what he'd been working on with the ardents.”
“Fine,” Adolin growled “but you're going to have to get the door.” He looked down.
“It is an undignified look,” said Shallan with a smirk. “I promise this won't take long.” Adolin sat at the table and pulled some papers towards him as Shallan stalled at the door.
“Hi Adolin,” Jushu said, seeming blissfully unaware of what he had interrupted and holding an enormous portfolio of papers that made Adolin sigh. Jushu saw Shallan’s research scattered in front of Adolin and cocked his head to one side.
“Are you learning to read like Brightlord Kholin? It's the most amazing thing. You really should.”
“I'm not sure it's for me,” Adolin said, looking askance at the papers on front of him.
“It's not too difficult,” Jushu continued, “if you have a good teacher like Shallan.”
“She’s good at a lot of things,” Adolin said wistfully “when given the chance.” Shallan rolled her eyes at him and shepherded Jushu into an overstuffed armchair on the other side of the room where she talked to him intently. When she finally ushered him out the door about ten minutes later, Adolin pretended to be engrossed in the fashion folio he was observing.
“Have you seen the new havah’s from Jah Keved?” he said as he heard the door shut.
“Oh, so we’re talking fashion now? Should I keep this on so we can analyze it?” Shallan asked, her fingers pausing over the buttons of her havah.
“Definitely not,” Adolin said, standing and stripping off his shirt, “my current favorite havah on you is no havah.” He stretched and fell onto the bed. “Come over here and let me help you with those buttons. I believe that’s what husbands are good for.” Shallan pulled off her underskirt and safehand glove. Adolin whistled as she bounced into bed with a smile, turning her back to him and lifting her hair.
Adolin’s hands were deft, and he had most of the buttons undone by the time the door banged open.
“Sorry,” Renarin said, wincing. “I thought it would be heavier than it was.” He turned to pull the door closed and Adolin had enough time to glare at Shallan.
“You had one job!” he whispered. “One job! And it was to lock that thrice-cursed door!”
“Heralds save us from voidbringers and brothers” Shallan muttered, trying to look as apologetic as possible while also rising hastily from the bed, hiding her safehand in the folds of her skirt and holding the back of her havah closed with her other hand.
“Don’t worry,” Renarin said, misinterpreting the looks on their faces. “I’ve seen Adolin with his shirt off more times than I can count. He went through this phase for a while too where he slept naked…” Renarin trailed off, finally taking in the underskirt on the floor, the rumpled bed, and Shallan’s half-done havah. He blushed red to the roots of his hair and almost dropped the stack of papers he’d been holding.
“I’m sorry,” he spluttered, “Jushu told me you were here and I figured since the door was unlocked--”
“Please stay,” Shallan said gently. “I was just getting ready for bed and Adolin was helping me with these cursed buttons.”
“And I just got back from practice,” Adolin said, “and I needed to talk to you anyways about Jasnahs’ new plans for quartering troops jointly with Aladar.” He rose from the bed and gave Shallan as rueful wink as she slipped behind the curtain that served as her changing room. She debated for a moment whether she really should change, but when she heard Renarin started running sums on a sheet of paper, she sighed and exchanged her havah for her warmest nightdress. She braided her hair and pulled on a dressing gown. Renarin was family now, but she wasn’t going to prance around in front of him in just her nightdress.
It was a full hour before Renarin left and Adolin walked him to the door, deliberately rattling the lock as he turned it and then leaned against the door.
“That was,” he said, yawning, “a very thoroughly un-arousing topic. Maybe we should just go to bed?”
“After all this waiting?” Shallan said. “Absolutely not. I’ll have my way with you yet.” She patted the bed next to her. “It’s too late for any more visitors--”
Even as the words left her mouth there was another knock at the door.
“Ash’s Eyes,” Adolin groaned under his breath, “why would you say something like that?” He gestured for Shallan to keep quiet. “Maybe they’ll think we’re already asleep,” he mouthed to Shallan, who shrugged.
“Uncle Adolin?” a tiny voice came through the door. “Are you there?” Shallan laughed and walked over to Adolin, who shook his head and grinned as he pulled the door open and Gavinor bounced in, carrying a bundle of clothes and a wooden sword that was taller than him.
“Brightlord, Brightness Radiant, I’m sorry to bother you at such an hour,” said an apologetic nursemaid standing at the door, “but the Queen isn’t feeling well, and she thought that it might be best if Gavinor stayed with you for a few days.”
“It looks like he’s already made himself at home,” Adolin said, glancing at the boy who was jumping on their bed. “It’s no problem for us. He and Shallan can have the bed and I’ve got a comfortable cot.” The nursemaid bobbed a goodnight curtsy and then Shallan shut the door firmly. Adolin slipped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head as they watched Gavinor stabbing pillows.
“That’s not what a shardblade is for soldier!” Adolin said, squeezing Shallan’s arm and then walking to the chest at the foot of their bed and pulling out two other wooden swords, carved to look like famous shardblades. He tossed one to Shallan, who caught it deftly and fell easily into smokestance. Adolin’s smile widened as he saw her at the ready and he fell into vinestance.
Gavinor jumped to the floor and slowly found his way into stonestance.
“Good!” Adolin said approvingly. “Now--”
“Two on one isn’t fair,” Gavinor protested, looking from Adolin to Shallan.
“Who said I’m with Adolin?” Shallan asked, crossing the room in a few quick steps to stand next to Gavinor.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Watch me,” Shallan grinned as she and Gavinor moved in for the attack. She caught Adolin’s eye and smiled, right before she tried to slice his knees off.
She was happy to be with Adolin, no matter what they were doing.