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It all started with sweets.
Nothing too noticeable, at least not at first. A piece of chocolate perhaps, or maybe some toffee left in the center of her pillow. The gifts came irregularly, appearing at random every few days.
Then the gifts began to grow.
Inej would arrive home only to find that her room had been bombarded with sweets. A bag of lemon drops. A package of peppermints. On one memorable occasion, she found a whole tin of treacle by her window. But the spiced pumpkin toffee from Novyi Zem had become her favorite.
The offerings from her unknown admirer quickly became Nina’s favorite topic of conversation. After almost half a year of the constant flow of candy, Inej just happened to mention that the pumpkin toffee had been much appreciated.
From then on, the toffees appeared much more often.
That wasn’t the only strange thing Inej began to notice.
Whenever she walked through the streets, one of the many musicians performing would start to play her favorite song, an inspiring piece with its origins among her far-flung people.
The first time, she was pleasantly surprised. The second time, she dismissed it as a coincidence. But after the third time it happened, she began to suspect that it was the work of her mysterious suitor.
When she walked into the Slat that night, deep in thought, she failed to notice the look that Kaz gave her.
Then the flowers began to appear.
Every night upon retiring to her room, Inej would invariably find a small bunch of wild geraniums waiting upon her bed.
And every night, she would feel Kaz’s gaze upon her retreating back as she walked up the stairs.
There was almost no doubt in her mind, not after this had gone on for so long.
Kaz Brekker was trying to win her over with gifts.
She almost laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.
Her father’s words came back to her as she lay awake in her cramped quarters, mulling over the entirely improbable affair in her head.
"Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you’ll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he’s too poor to give you any of them, it won’t matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart."
Kaz had had her heart long before he earned it.
But she still hadn’t done anything to earn his.
Idly twirling one of the flowers between her fingers, Inej wondered how Kaz had managed to find all of the things she liked, all of the things she missed. He knew everything, that was true, but usually she was his source of information.
She felt a wave of guilt crash over her. It had been almost two years, but Inej still knew virtually nothing about Kaz. He was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. And he always made sure to keep it that way.
She began to pay more attention to his careful habits and precise actions. After more than a week, she still knew disappointingly little.
But she had made one major breakthrough.
Kaz had a sweet tooth.
It was both surprising and somehow expected, and Inej took careful note of it.
The chocolates began to appear on Kaz’s desk the very next day.