"Oh, I certainly wouldn't mind keeping the boy company for a bit longer--"
"Zahir!"
Damn. The djinn closed his eyes, gave a long suffering sigh, and turned to see Lapis hurrying along the hallway toward them, breathing a little heavily and scowling at him. "Lapis, dearest, did you need something?"
"Oh, don't you start with me." Evidently she didn't notice the young princeling and his maid--she never would have been so outspoken around strangers. "What were you thinking?! I turned around and you were just gone, I had no idea where you went--"
Finally, she seemed to actually see the two people in front of him and snapped her mouth shut, eyes going wide. "Ah...excuse me, forgive my companion. He hasn't been bothering you, has he?"