The matter should have ended with the collar.

Unfortunately, nothing ever ended with the collar.

Three servants had witnessed Lady Elowen adjusting Steward Kael's attire.

By midday, seven more had heard about it.

By evening, the entire estate had developed opinions.

Most of them inaccurate.

Some of them imaginative.

One was detailed enough to require diagrams.

Elowen discovered this when entering the breakfast room to find absolute silence.

Forks stopped moving.

Eyes widened.

A maid dropped a spoon.

The steward calmly continued reading correspondence.

"My lady."

"Kael."

The dragonborn looked up.

"Something appears to be troubling the staff."

"They think we're having an affair." Elowen chuckles.

The dragonborn stays silent.

Three days later, an invitation arrived from Lord Ashcombe of Stonewatch Hall.

A winter gala.

Nobles.

Merchants.

Politics.

Everything Elowen hated.

Naturally, attendance was mandatory.

"You're coming with me."

Kael glanced up from his ledgers.

"My lady, I am a steward."

"Correct."

"Stewards generally remain with estates."

"Not this steward."

"I fear precedent is against us."

Elowen folded her arms.

"I require administrative support."

"For a party?"

"For diplomacy."

"Ah."

The dragonborn nodded.

"Party administration."

"Exactly."

Neither acknowledged that the invitation had explicitly been addressed to Lady Elowen alone.

The journey to Stonewatch took two days by carriage.

The first day passed peacefully.

The second proved more challenging.

Specifically because the rear axle snapped.

Violently.

The carriage lurched.

Elowen yelped.

Kael caught her before she could tumble from her seat.

For a moment neither moved.

"My lady."

"Yes?"

"You are sitting on my tail."

She immediately jumped away.

The dragonborn winced.

"My apologies."

"It is quite alright."

"It is not."

"It has survived worse."

Elowen stared.

"Worse than what?"

Kael smiled.

"I am choosing not to answer that."

The remainder of the afternoon passed in awkward silence.

Mostly because Elowen could not stop wondering what he meant.

They reached an inn shortly after sunset.

The proprietor looked nervous.

Very nervous.

"My deepest apologies," he said.

"A problem?" Elowen asked.

"A small one."

The innkeeper smiled the way people smile when the problem is not small.

"We only have one room remaining."

Silence.

The innkeeper continued sweating.

Elowen blinked.

Kael blinked.

The innkeeper blinked.

Finally,

"There are two beds," the man said quickly.

"Good," said Elowen.

"Excellent," said Kael.

The innkeeper hesitated.

"Technically."

Both turned.

"Technically?" asked Elowen.

"Well..."

The innkeeper swallowed.

"The second bed is considerably smaller."

Kael sighed.

The innkeeper looked relieved.

Which was odd.

Because somehow that sigh sounded less like disappointment...

...and more like resignation.