The mansion had gone quiet by the time Trafalgar finally went to bed.
Aaron was sleeping in the room beside Mayla's, with a maid and one of the household healers nearby in case anything happened during the night. Trafalgar had decided to sleep alone for once, expecting nothing more complicated than several uninterrupted hours of rest.
A soft knock came sometime later.
Mayla entered before he could answer properly.
Trafalgar sat up against the headboard and watched her close the door. Something in her expression was wrong—not fear exactly, but discomfort perhaps, that had clearly been sitting in her head for longer than tonight.
"Come here. What's bothering you?"
Mayla crossed the room slowly and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I don't know if this is stupid."
"If it's bothering you enough to come here in the middle of the night, so… it probably isn't."
She looked down at her hands.
"Do you still find me attractive?"
Trafalgar stared at her for a moment.
