She hiccupped again.
"But s’okay. I like dangerous. Dangerous is way more interestin’ than the borin’ rchants an’ travelers we usually get."
Julian decided it was probably ti to end this conversation before drunk Tessa said sothing that sober Tessa would really regret tomorrow.
"You should probably get so water," he suggested. "And maybe sit down before you fall down."
"M’fine," Tessa protested, even as she swayed. "Perfec’ly... perfec’ly..."
Her eyes started to glaze over more seriously, and Julian realized she was about to either pass out or vomit. Possibly both.
"Here," he said, moving around the bar smoothly. He caught her before she could fall, supporting her weight easily.
"Whoa, you’re strong," Tessa mumbled, her head lolling against his shoulder. "Like, really strong. How’re you so strong?"
"Practice," Julian replied dryly.
He guided her to a chair behind the bar and sat her down carefully. She slumped imdiately, her head resting on the bar top.
"Jus’ gonna... close my eyes for a second..." she mumbled.
Within monts, she was snoring softly.
Julian shook his head, amused.
He moved back around the bar, picked up his glass, and took another sip of the expensive liquor. It really was excellent—he could see why it cost twelve gold.
The common room was now almost completely empty. The last few guests had departed while he’d been talking to Tessa, leaving him alone with one unconscious barmaid.
Julian considered his options. He could wake Tessa and help her to wherever the staff quarters were. He could leave her sleeping at the bar and hope soone found her. Or he could just go upstairs to his room and let the morning shift deal with it.
The choice was upon him.
He paused and looked at Tessa’s sleeping face. Her hair had co partially loose from its ponytail, falling across her freckled cheeks. She looked young and vulnerable in sleep.
He smiled to himself. "Well, sleep’s not coming either way."
Julian moved behind the bar, careful not to disturb anything. He gently gathered Tessa into his arms and realized she weighed almost nothing.
Tessa mumbled sothing but didn’t wake up.
Moving through the common room, Julian looked for the staff quarters. It took a mont of searching, but he spotted a door near the back, partially hidden behind the bar area.
He opened it carefully with one hand, keeping Tessa secure with the other.
Beyond was a narrow hallway with several doors One door was slightly open, and through it Julian could see a small, tidy space with a bed, a washstand, and a few personal belongings.
He carried her inside and laid her gently on the bed. She imdiately curled onto her side, pulling her knees up, still deeply asleep.
For a mont, he stood there, looking down at her peaceful face. She had been kind to him, warned him about Valeria and the Duke, shared information about Kraven despite the risks of speaking ill of soone with connections.
He smiled slightly. She would probably have a killer headache in the morning, but at least she would be in her own bed rather than passed out at the bar.
Julian turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He made his way back through the staff quarters, through the common room, and toward the main staircase.
The inn was completely silent now.
**
The morning arrived with a knock on the door.
Julian was still asleep when he heard one of his daughters move to answer it. Through the connecting door, he caught the voices of the sa boy and girl who had brought them hot water yesterday.
He stirred awake, rubbing his eyes lazily.
Soaking in hot water is definitely a good idea, he thought to himself.
Julian stood from his bed, stretched briefly, then moved to his daughters’ room.
Seraphine and Cassandra were still in their beds, while Lyanna stood at the door, fully dressed despite the early hour, speaking with the young boy and girl who had their arms full of buckets of steaming water.
"Good morning, my beautiful daughters," Julian said warmly, his voice still slightly rough from sleep.
All three daughters turned toward him imdiately.
"Good morning, Father!" Lyanna replied cheerfully, stepping aside to let the servants enter with their water.
"Morning," Seraphine said with a small smile, stretching her arms above her head.
Cassandra just mumbled sothing incoherent and pulled the blanket over her head.
The boy and girl entered the room and poured the hot water into the washbasin. Julian’s eyes followed them both, noting how they worked in perfect coordination, anticipating each other’s movents.
"Are you both siblings?" he asked curiously. "You stick together a lot. I noticed it yesterday as well."
The girl nodded with a bright smile.
"Yes, sir! This is my little brother, Thomas." She gestured to the boy, who looked to be about twelve or thirteen. "I’m Sarah. We’ve worked at the Silver Moon Inn together for two years now."
Thomas bobbed his head respectfully. "Mother works in the kitchens, sir. She got us both positions here when Father passed."
"We like working together," Sarah added. "Makes the days go faster, and we can look out for each other."
"That’s admirable," Julian said genuinely. "Family looking after family. That’s important."
Sarah bead at the praise, while Thomas flushed slightly and focused intently on pouring the last bucket of water.
"Will you be needing anything else, sir?" Sarah asked. "Breakfast is being prepared downstairs. It should be ready in about half an hour."
"That should be fine, thank you," Julian replied.
The siblings bowed slightly and departed, closing the door behind them with a soft click.
As soon as they were gone, Julian turned back to his daughters with a smile.
"So, I’m going to soak in hot water. After last night’s walk, I could use it."
Seraphine’s eyes sparkled with mischief imdiately. "Let us help you ease into it, Father."
The effect was instantaneous.
Lyanna’s head snapped toward her sister, her eyes wide with shock. "What?! Seraphine, what are you talking about?!"
Cassandra actually sat up in bed, the blanket falling away. "Help him... in the bath? Sister, that’s..."
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