Lion Head Mesa save the queen of paradise if she ever stumbles by

She nodded, acquiescing, and would make a note to herself to find something to eat when her work was finished; for Nazli that could've been minutes or hours, and most likely she would find other tasks to complete so that she'd put it off effectively for the whole day. Tavina need not know that.

Her next question brought to mind the scent of incense and the too-close staring of a certain hem in training.

In an alcove, she lied, perhaps poorly. The impulse to lie had never come to Nazli before so she was not good at it, but neither would it be expected of her. The princess dismissed me after the festivities, and it was very late.

Why bother with the falsehood? Maybe Nazli did not yet want to face that she'd slept in a bed not her own, or that there might be something taboo about the priest's quarters.