The prince stopped searching for the shaving basin and narrowed his eyes. Another interesting fact Rolland hadn’t mentioned or Eli would’ve had his entire entourage stop shaving during the sea voyage. Rolland was withholding information, and the prince needed to find out why. But now was not the time.
“What can you tell me about the people I’ll meet today?”
“I don’t know who from Qumaref will be at the negotiations. Most likely a mixture of the powerful that the sultan needs to appease and others for show. If you can remember their names, I’ll tell you what I know of them and which will be most important to getting the concessions you need.”
“I’ll make a point of it.”
“There is one man who will be there. He’s the sultan’s most favored adviser.”
“Premal, the man that sat next to the sultan last night?”
Auburn nodded.
“He said little other than to agree with the sultan.”
“Not surprising.” Auburn intertwined her fingers and stared at the floor. “He is rich, powerful, shrewd, and ruthless. You should not underestimate him. Ever.”
“And he’s angry because the sultan gifted you to me.”
Auburn stared up at him. “You noticed that?”
“He’s foolish to wear his emotions so openly.”
“Many Qumarefis do.”
Eli twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “But not all.”
“Not all can afford to.”
“Something I understand well.”
Auburn frowned. “But you’re a prince.”
“So I am, and I pay a higher price for any transgression.” Eli paused. “Something Premal should know given his position. He must want you very badly to risk the sultan’s wrath.”
“Premal loves brightly colored things, unusual things, things that flaunt his wealth and status. He hates being denied what he wants. It reminds him that there’s someone more powerful than him.”
“Premal scares you.”
Sucking in a breath, she nodded. “He is harsh with his slaves, especially those that displease him.”
“He’s the reason the guard detained you this morning?”
She studied her feet. “It’s possible he put a bounty on me. He couldn’t take me from the sultan...”
“But a foreign prince is something else.”
Auburn nodded again.
“I’m not a Knight of Valor,” Eli said, forcing his voice to stay even, “but I still won’t tolerate anyone intimidating or harassing a member of my retinue. I’ll make that clear.”
Her cheeks colored. “I don’t want to cause you trouble.”
“You didn’t cause the trouble.”
“I’ve made things more difficult. I wish there was something I could do to help.”
Eli stroked his thumb over her knuckles until she glanced up at him. He smiled and cupped her cheek. “There is something you can do for me.”
“Anything.”
He buried the list of inappropriate requests her offer sparked. “I studied the Qumarefi language before I came, but I didn’t have a lot of time. I could use your help learning it.”
Auburn gave him a genuine smile. “I can do that.”
“While I’d like to speak it, I’m most concerned with understanding what’s said.”
“I’ll say a few common phrases, and you tell me what you think I’m saying. Idioms are the hardest, and you’ll hear them a lot.”
Eli nodded and sprawled back in a chaise. Auburn surprised him when she sat on his lap and curled up against him. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been shocked given her training as a harem girl, the chill of the room, or her fear of Premal.
He should correct her, have her sit on the opposite side of the room from him, but she felt good. And he was tired of denying himself what he wanted.
He slipped an arm around her and concentrated on her lilting words.
Chapter 9
Late that morning, Sligo returned with the dagger.
After examining it, Eli showed the green-glowing blade to Auburn. “Will this do?”
“I think the sultan will be most pleased,” she said.
The prince sheathed it and wrapped the gift in gold silk.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door, and Eli bid them to enter.
Rolland eased the door open and bowed low. “The sultan is on his way, Your Highness.”
The prince narrowed his eyes at his attaché. “I’ll join you shortly.”
Once Rolland retreated, Auburn adjusted the already neat clasp on Eli’s tunic and brushed her hands over the shoulders of his coat. The touch elicited more of a reaction than Eli wanted or expected.
“You’ll get hot in this, especially later in the day. Would you allow me to get you something better suited to the Qumarefi heat?”
“If you wish.” He motioned to her dancing costume. “Get yourself something more Tamarian. I want it clear to Premal and every other Qumarefi that you’re mine.”
The words rolled through him, and his chest swelled. It was wrong, so wrong, but he’d deal with it later.
Auburn dipped her head and walked with him to the door. As she stood in the archway, he felt her gaze on him even as several attachés and a handful of bodyguards fell in around him.
Eli looked back.
Smiling, she curtsied.
His lips curved in response, and he was anxious to conclude the meetings and return to his rooms.
The prince cursed himself.
He’d never been so distracted by anyone or anything. He caged his thoughts about Auburn and forced himself to focus on the task ahead, organizing all the sultan had said and what he hadn’t the previous evening.
Eli still didn’t have a path forward.
Qumaref was eager to establish trade with Tamryn, and while Auburn had helped him understand why, Eli still had to contend with the Dragon Church. They would object to any diplomatic promises, much less trade agreements, with a nation that permitted slavery. And Qumaref wouldn’t change its slave practices to appease Tamryn’s Dragon Church.
But there had to be a way. He hadn’t spent two months on a ship to leave without an agreement. An agreement he’d make sure offered hope to people like Auburn rather than abandoning them as the Dragon Church had.
Eli quieted his thoughts and kept his face impassive as he entered the negotiation chamber. The room was large with high ceilings and tall windows. Heavy curtains framed the windows, and wooden shutters shielded the room from the desert sun.
In the center of the chamber was a long wooden table polished to a rich luster. Gold chairs circled it, and the seats at the head and foot of the table resembled miniature thrones.
The sultan walked in a moment after Eli.
The prince dipped his head to Pandhuka. “Before we begin, I have something I’d like to give to you.”
Sitting in the chair at the head of the table, the sultan waved for Eli to continue.
The prince removed the silk-wrapped dagger from his coat pocket. “A show of appreciation for your generosity.”
Stepping forward, Eli held his hands out with his palms up and the gift lying across them.
Pandhuka grinned as he took the present and unwrapped it. His eyes widened, and he traced the gold dragon on the scabbard. When the sultan unsheathed it, the green glow captured all of the Qumarefis’ attention.
Transfixed, Pandhuka stared at the dagger. “It’s magic?”
Eli nodded. “It offers its wearer protection against poison. It’s from my personal collection.”
The sultan’s grin widened. “A truly marvelous gift. Given all the food tasters I’ve gone through, a most welcome and useful one!”
Premal glared at Eli.
Eli said nothing as the sultan slid the dagger in and out of the sheath a few times then strapped it to his belt.
Pandhuka grinned at the Prince of Tamryn, then motioned for Eli to sit at the negotiating table.
Auburn had been righ
t, Eli realized, on all counts. She was proving to be a valuable member of his retinue even if she was a distraction.
If Auburn was a spy, she was a good one, but Eli didn’t think she was. She wanted to escape to Tamryn, and she’d help whomever she believed would take her there.
Rolland’s loyalties were less clear.
Prince Eli glanced at his attaché, but Rolland pretended to be busy with his notes.
Bottling his anger behind his expressionless face, Eli studied Rolland. He knew little of the other man, but people Eli trusted had spoken highly of him. Rolland was one of the few men in Tamryn that spoke the Qumarefi language and understood the customs of the desert kingdom.
Or so Eli had thought.
Either Rolland didn’t understand Qumaref’s customs, or gold, potential Tamarian citizenship, and political favor hadn’t been enough to earn Rolland’s loyalty.
Eli might never have guessed Rolland’s duplicity if not for Auburn. She may be a distraction, and taking her back to Tamryn would have a political price, but her help made it worth it. Especially if he could win a trade deal.
The meeting began, and Eli focused on the sultan’s words, but he promised himself he’d learn the truth about Rolland.
It was midday when the discussions paused and servants brought refreshments to the group. Eli avoided the spiced tea and bitter coffee. A young man brought over a tray carrying a single glass of chilled water. Eli took it, and his lips curved. He had a good idea who’d informed the palace staff of his preferences.
The prince sipped the water, and his smile died as Premal sauntered over to him. Eli ignored the usual diplomatic pleasantries and remained silent, allowing the adviser to start the conversation.
Premal licked his lips as Eli fixed his cold blue stare on the Qumarefi. “Long voyage, yes?” the adviser said.
“Very long, though I expect the journey home will be more enjoyable.”
“The ocean will be rougher in the coming months.”
Eli said nothing and sipped his water.
After several more awkward attempts at casual conversation, Premal tightened his hands around his coffee cup. “There are certain arrangements we need to make.”
Eli arched a brow. “There are?”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
The prince held up his glass of water. “Certain things may have been unexpected, but they’ve turned out quite well.”
A droplet of sweat beaded on Premal’s brow, and his coffee sloshed in the delicate porcelain. “I will speak plainly. You cannot return home with a slave, so you will need to sell the gift the sultan gave you before you leave. I will offer you a more-than-fair price.”
“She’s already spent the night in my bed.”
“My offer still stands.”
“You must be desperate to accept a wife who isn’t a virgin,” Eli said, leveraging what Auburn had told him.
Anger flushed Premal’s cheeks. “Who said I would marry her? She is a slave, to be used as I wish.”
“Most men would marry a slave that beautiful, unless they can’t afford another wife.”
Premal set down his coffee. “Of course I can afford another wife.”
“If you don’t marry her, any sons she bears you will be slaves like she is.”
“That is of no concern to me.”
Eli kept his tone uninterested as he buried his rage beneath a layer of ice. “If that’s all you’re offering her, perhaps she’d like to come back to Tamryn with me.”
“You cannot have a slave in Tamryn.”
“There are no laws against mistresses.” The prince sipped his water as he fought to hide his anger hidden under a neutral expression. “She’s proven accommodating and far less demanding than a Tamarian consort.”
“You can’t. She is a slave.”
“Of course I can. She wouldn’t be a slave in Tamryn, but there are no laws forbidding her from choosing to be my mistress. If last night is any indication, I will enjoy having her as my consort.”
Premal’s face turned crimson, and he spun around and left the room.
Eli recognized a stab of fear behind the adviser’s fury. Premal wanted Auburn, but the prince was certain there was more to it than lust.
He glanced at Pandhuka who only smiled.
Perhaps the sultan’s gift was less spontaneous than any of them knew.
Chapter 10
Auburn put away everything she’d brought from her old quarters. She then collected and measured several of the tunics, jackets, and trousers hanging in Eli’s wardrobe.
Sitting at the prince’s desk, Auburn sketched out designs that took into consideration the sharp and uncompromising appearance his Tamarian clothes helped him convey. Few embellishments. All power and control.
When her designs satisfied her, she called for the seamstress. Given Eli’s importance and people’s curiosity surrounding the foreign prince, Auburn didn’t have to wait long for the other woman to arrive.
The guards showed the seamstress in, and the older woman’s thin lips pinched together as she studied Eli’s room. The plush furnishings, rich saffron curtains, and inlaid mosaics were some of the finest in the palace, but the lack of personal effects meant the Prince of Tamryn remained a mystery.
As Auburn was sure Prince Eli intended.
Auburn waited, and when she finally had the older woman’s attention, she laid out her sketches.
“I don’t work on men’s clothes.” The seamstress rubbed the back of her neck as she studied the drawings.
“What I need is easy enough, but many say your husband has an apprentice whose skill is better than his.”
The seamstress lifted her shoulders.
“I’ve seen your work, and it’s excellent. First Wife Priyanka says it’s the best.”
“She does?” The seamstress picked up the sketches. “The fabric would have to be just so to make these work.”
Auburn showed the other woman a sample of Eli’s current garments, turning them over to display the fine hand-finished seams and precise craftsmanship.
The seamstress studied the elegant details of the deceptively simple-looking garments. “This Prince of Tamryn can’t be an easy master.”
“All the more reason I need to please him.”
The seamstress chewed her lower lip. “Not sure I should do this.”
“Should or can?”
“I can do it. Lotta work, but I can do it.”
“I worried no one in Qumaref could match this,” Auburn said. “I chose well asking you to dress the Prince of Tamryn.”
The seamstress thought for several long moments then opened her case, and the two of them examined the fabrics.
“You’re sure it has to be black?” the seamstress said.
Auburn spread her arms toward the wardrobe. “He brought almost no other color with him.”
“Not a kind color, or a forgiving one.”
“He doesn’t want or need either.”
The seamstress’s fingers stroked along the perfect seams of Prince Eli’s tunic. “I suppose not. Lots of rumors going around about him.”
“Like what?”
The seamstress glanced sideways at her. “Nothing you don’t already know.”
“You can learn a lot about a man by his wardrobe. His current clothes are all cut precisely. Clean, hard lines. Difficult to meet such exacting standards.”
The seamstress clucked her tongue. “If a Tamarian tailor can do it, I can.”
Auburn smiled, and the two spent the rest of the morning working together. After the seamstress left, Auburn sent away the clothes Eli had worn the previous day to be cleaned and his boots to be shined. When she could find nothing more to do for her new master, she examined the extensive collection of books he’d brought with him.
She thought you could tell more about a man by what he read than what he wore. If that was true, Eli was an interesting person as his books covered a variety of subjects.
She selected one
on the history of Oskelez and curled up on the bed with it.
The sun had climbed high in the sky when a soft rustling whispered over Auburn. Glancing up from her book, her eyes widened and fear squeezed her chest.
A man hid in the shadows of the room, his face contorted into an angry sneer as he glared at her. Tall and broad-shouldered, his rust-colored vest strained against his barrel chest as he fisted his hands at his sides.
But it was the curved scimitar at his belt that quickened her breathing and tightened her throat.
Auburn scurried off the bed. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”
“Neither are you.” Ajeem’s words were little more than a growl. “You’ve displeased Master Premal.”
“The sultan gave me to Prince Eli. I am his now. I belong here.”
Ajeem’s smile held no mirth. “I don’t know how you managed this. We warned Priyanka that you were craftier than a cobra. She was too soft. She should’ve beaten you more.”
Auburn said nothing as she edged away from him. She considered bolting for the door, but Ajeem stood between her and escape. She could scream for help, but she wasn’t sure who’d hear her. And screaming would fuel Ajeem’s anger.
“What does your master want from me?” Auburn said.
He stalked toward her, but Auburn danced out of his reach.
“Surely he doesn’t wish to cause an incident with the Tamryn diplomatic team.”
Ajeem’s smile widened and grew colder.
Auburn’s thoughts reeled. Why would Premal want to destroy any hope of diplomatic relations with Tamryn? Destroy any hope of trade? Did he want people to go hungry?
“I’ll save us all from this foreign meddler.” Ajeem stalked towards her and lunged.
Auburn slipped under his arm and dodged away from him. He crashed into the table behind her, shattering the vase against the wall as he sprawled across the floor.
Picking himself up, Ajeem stared at the large bed. “The foreigner defiled you.”
“I’m his slave,” Auburn said, forcing her voice to stay steady. “I’m here to serve his will.”
To Love a Prince (Knights of Valor Book 1) Page 5
