This scene falls between chapters 24 and 25. 

     Luka slapped the cloth down and scrubbed the table, taking out his frustration on the mess. He wanted his anger gone before he went home. It had been three days since his mother forced her way into Bronwyn's celebration dinner for him and Lara after the ceremony. She had complained the whole time that all they talked about was Luka's supposed bravery and why Lara should continue training to be a physician.

     She'd brought it all up again this morning, exacerbating the headache he'd woken up with. Lara had given him herbs to take with his coffee, and as soon as he felt better, he left to run errands before work.

     At least it was quiet as Luka cleaned, mainly because Shiloh was in the kitchen. It was that time of day when the tavern was mostly empty: after the dinner rush but at least an hour before the nightly regulars would begin to show up. As soon as he finished his chores, Luka could leave, though he toyed with the idea of staying later and drinking.

     Five minutes later the door opened, and Luka looked over to see a messenger from the palace.

     “Can I help you?” he asked.

     The woman nodded. “Is Miss Yew in? I have a note for her.”

     “I think she's upstairs,” Luka replied. “I can take it up to her and leave it under her door if she's not.”

     “I'd appreciate it,” the messenger told him. “It's from her brother and it's time sensitive.”

     Luka took the note and tipped the woman before jogging up the stairs. He wasn't sure if Una was there or not; she could have left from the roof. If Lieutenant Yew had sent the note via messenger, it had to be something important.

     The door swung open a minute after his knock, and Una glared at him. “This better be good. I'm in the middle of writing a very important scene.”

     Luka couldn't ignore the fact that Una was fanning her flushed face and had barely closed her robe over the shift she wore. Obviously, she had no plans to leave her room.

     “Your brother sent a note by official messenger.” Luka held it out. “I won't bother you anymore, good luck on the writing. The tip's on me.”

     “I appreciate it,” Una told him. She eyed him for a second. “Luka?”

     “Yeah?”

     She leaned against the door frame and the robe slid down her shoulder. “Have you had a proper hero's welcome since you got back? My door's open if you'd like one. You deserve it, after all.”

     Luka cleared his throat. Tried to stay focused on her face. “Um... thanks but I'll pass. Besides, I have to get back to work before Shiloh yells at me for leaving the front unattended.”

     She pursed her full lips and rolled her eyes. “Men! I didn't mean right this second.”

     Luka couldn't remember the last time he had been asked so blatantly. But what he did not need was to have his name and personal business plastered in her next book.

     “I'm good, really. Besides, I'm more of a commitment guy. No offense.”

     “None taken.” She opened the envelope. “No harm, no foul?”

     Luka smiled and tamped down the flush still crawling up his skin. “We're good, Una.”

“I'm here if you change your mind.”

     It wasn't that Luka didn't find her, or her offer, appealing; it was the reasons behind it that made him hesitate. She would never have offered on any normal day. She was only asking because he was now important, the talk of the entire kingdom. The last thing Luka wanted to do was abuse his unwelcome position.

     “Damn it, Luka wait!”

     He turned. “What?”

     “It's Daniel,” she told him. “He's showing up in about a half hour to have dinner with me. He's bringing a couple of friends, and he wants you to join us.”

     “Wait what? Why me?”

     “I don't know,” Una said. “He didn't go into details, didn't even say who was coming along. Just to ask you to stay after your shift.”

     “Luka!” Shiloh's voice boomed. “Where are you?”

     Luka cringed. “I gotta go, but I'll stay for dinner. At least I don't have other plans.”

     He hurried down the stairs, thoughts whirling through his mind. Why did Daniel want to have dinner with him, and who was he bringing? Never mind that, how did Daniel even know his work schedule?

     “I'm sorry,” he said as he moved to grab his abandoned cloth. “I had to take something up to Una. Besides, I'm off in like ten minutes.”

     “I don't want to hear excuses,” Shiloh grumped. “Just warn me next time.”

     “Yes sir.” Luka put his head down and got back to work.

     Once he was done, Luka signed out and ducked into the washroom. He didn't have any clean clothes to change into, so he washed up as best he could. He splashed water on his face and gripped the sink.

     I'm here if you change your mind.

     Had it really been that long that he was actually considering... Luka shook his head. He wouldn't think about that. Besides, he had another woman on his mind. He could have lied and told Una he was seeing someone, but then she would have pushed until he admitted the truth. Romance writers were gossip-mongers.

     He came out of the washroom to see Colonel Drugan Rhyolite sitting at the bar, talking to Shiloh. When both trolls looked over at him, Luka flinched.

     “Mr. Briarwood.”

     “Sir... um, I mean, Colonel?” Why was he here? Luka didn't think he was in trouble; Drugan wasn't in uniform.

     “Daniel will be along in a minute,” Drugan said. “I'm gonna stay here at the bar, but pull an extra chair up to the staff booth.”

     Luka was so confused. “All right...” He grabbed a chair and sat down at the end of the table. Daniel was apparently bringing two friends plus Una, given this arrangement.

     “And Luka – no titles,” Drugan added. “No 'Lieutenant' or 'Colonel' or whatever. Got it?”

     “Yes sir. No titles.”

     “That's gonna be harder than wrestling a griffin,” Shiloh said as he wiped his face. “You could have given us more warning.”

     “I only got an hour warning from Yew,” Drugan said. “Besides, she gets what she wants.”

     “I don't doubt it,” Shiloh replied. “And she wants to have dinner with...”

     “With her friends,” the colonel said pointedly.

     The door opened and two women, dressed in tunics and leggings, walked in. Daniel followed them.

     Drugan turned to eye Luka. “Best behavior, young man.”

     Luka shifted nervously. “Yes sir.”

     He didn't recognize the blonde girl, but she was chatting happily to her friend. The second woman had her face turned away from him, hidden even more by the shadow of her wide-brimmed hat.

     She looked over at him and took it off. “Hello Luka.”

     Luka scrambled to his feet, shock barely contained. “Tana?”

     Her smile was a welcome sight, bright and lovely as she watched him with amusement. “I told you he'd be surprised.”

    “It is more fun this way,” the other girl said.

     “I'm having dinner with you...?”

     “Two Yews, actually,” Daniel said, grinning. “Or did you mean her?”

     Luka flushed bright red.

     “He is cute,” the unknown girl said.

     Tana shoved her.

     Shiloh muttered something unintelligible and Drugan snorted.

     “Luka, this is Skye,” Tana said tightly. “She's staying with me for a few days.”

     “It's nice to meet you,” Luka said as he shook her hand.

     “You as well,” she replied. “I've heard so much about you.”

     “Good things, I hope.” Luka was still trying to wrap his mind around the situation. “Um... would you two like to sit?”

     Skye slid into the booth first, which meant Tana was next to him.

     Luka sunk into his chair and then looked around. “Wait... where'd Daniel go?”

     “Upstairs to get his sister,” Drugan told him. “Pay attention to your surroundings, Mr. Briarwood.”

     “But he was paying attention,” Skye said slyly.

     It was Tana who turned red this time.

     “So... you two seem to be close,” Luka said.

     “Like sisters,” Tana told him through a rictus of teeth. “She acts the way you've described Lara.”

     Luka nodded in understanding. A friend for life who you sometimes wanted to throttle. But then something hit him.

“Wait, you said Skye was staying with you?”

     Tana nodded. “For a few days.”

     Luka studied the girl again and noticed something off about her. Skye was plain in a way he couldn't describe, although she was lovely. Tana seemed brighter in comparison, her presence stronger and more sharp.

Realization hit him.“Is she... I mean are you from the Garden? You're human?”

     Skye eyed him. “You say it like it's a dirty word.”

     “I'm just surprised, is all. I knew Tana grew up there, but I didn't put it together that her friends would be human.” He felt like an idiot, saying something so obvious out loud.

     “Tana...” Skye shook her head. “It's hard to get used to the new name. I've known 'Lynn' since we were like three, four?”

     Tana snorted. “It's hard for you?”

     “I still wish I was a princess,” Skye whispered.

     “And I still say you shouldn't want it,” Tana whispered back, staring at the table.

     Luka suddenly felt awkward. “Do you want something to drink?”

     “Coffee for me, please,” Skye said.

     “Red wine,” Tana told him. “And a water.”

     Luka got up to go order their drinks, as well as one for himself, giving the two some privacy. The girls learned in close, whispering to each other. He was glad Tana had a close friend she could confide in, but if Skye was human, she was going to age.

     In thirty years she'd grow feeble and physically old while Tana would still look as she did now. Luka wondered if Tana even realized that yet, or if she still had a human mindset. Either way, Tana would face a difficult situation in the future, and there weren't many people who could sympathize with her.

     He knew Tana felt alone in many ways, so he hoped she could keep the friendship with Skye for as long as possible. Not many humans visited Evernesta; they stuck out like a sore thumb once they reached a certain age.

     Daniel and Una came down while he was at the bar waiting for the drinks. Una and Tana began talking like friends. Of course she would have met the guards' families.

     Shiloh slid him a tray with the four drinks, and Luka returned to the table.

     “Where's mine?” Una asked.

     Luka glanced at her, glad to see she was fully dressed. “I'm not a mind reader. And I'm usually in the back when you come down for lunch, so I don't know your go-to.”

     Una shook her head. “Excuses excuses.”

     “I was told you write dirty books,” Skye said, leaning in.

     Luka and Daniel exchanged a look that proved neither of them read Una's novels.

     “It brings in the money,” she replied casually. “And I'm good at it.”

     “Here's your menus,” Shiloh said as he came over. “What can get you two Yews to drink?”

     “That must be so confusing to have as a surname,” Skye said after they ordered.

     Drugan raised his glass. “That's why we call him 'It.' ”

     Daniel rolled his eyes. “And that grates on me more than it ought to. I should be used to the teasing by now.”

     “Because you've been a guard for so long?” Skye asked.

     Daniel shook his head. “No. Because I have three older sisters.”

     Una smiled. “Little baby Danny. We could almost get away with pretending he was another girl.”

     Luka focused on Tana. “So, what brings you here tonight?”

     She shifted. “I wanted to get out of the palace. It's so stifling, and I still don't completely trust the staff. And then there's the elementals. By the way, I'm sorry about the other day.”

     Luka cocked his head. “Sorry about what?”

     “I wanted to talk to you, after the ceremony, but I got waylaid.” She stared into her water glass, looking guilty. “After that... I realized I was just too drained to talk to anyone.”

     “There's no need to be sorry about that.” She wanted to talk to me? “Besides, you could have sent a letter.”

     “ 'Apologizing in person is important,' ” she said wryly, “ 'even if it wasn't my fault.' ”

     Luka acknowledged his own apology on her lips with a nod. It seemed like they were finding more and more common ground, though he wished they could bond over something good for a change. “Still... you could have gone anywhere to have dinner.”

     Tana's eyes filled with sadness. “I don't have many friends, Luka. And two of you spend most of your time in this building.”

     Una cocked her head at Luka, studying him before she nodded. He swallowed thickly. Just what had she realized? Daniel elbowed him in the side.

     Talk to her, idiot. Luka took Tana's hand. Squeezed it. “Then come as often as you'd like. This can be your haven.”

     “Thank you.” She squeezed his hand back. “You don't know what that means to me.”

     “As long as you feel safe and happy here, that's what matters.”

***