Finally, they were released and Korven took her to his rooms. There was only one bed. Of course. Tired down to her bones, she wanted a shower and sleep. Judging by the way Korven dogged her steps, he was not interested in a shower nor sleep.
Showered and dressed in an enormous full robe, Adelle found a gown spread out on the bed. It was a delicate green with a deep cut bodice and tight waist. It was beautiful but so not suited for her.
She hung it on the wardrobe, sighing a bit as she fussed with the completed ties at the back.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Why am I here, Korven?”
“Because you are my mate,” he said instantly.
“No, I am not. You’re playing house and I don’t appreciate being your plaything.”
His eyes narrowed, cold and reptilian. “Why do you deny me?”
“Always use to getting your way, Prince Korven?”
“No, but I expect—”
“Expect what? Gratitude that you slummed it with common old me? Should I fall to my knees and suck your dick because you got me a pretty dress?”
“Why would you ever say such a thing!” He threw his hands in the air. “Nothing about you makes sense. When have I expressed that you must show me gratitude?”
“Why do you keep giving me things I can’t possibly repay you for?”
“When have I asked you to pay me for anything?”
Adelle grabbed the gown and tossed it to the ground. The delicate beading broke, glass beads rolling across the floor. “What else am I supposed to think when a guy like you chases after a girl like me! I won’t be your kept woman.”
“I don’t want you to be my plaything,” he growled. “I want you to be my wife!”
A chill rolled over her. “You can’t possible mean that.”
“You are capable and clever. You have the most colorful language I’ve ever encountered. You took the burn of the Fever from me, without fear. With joy. And we have the nestling. There is not one thing about you that is unworthy. I am unworthy of you.”
His words were sweet but they were words; easily broken. “You’re going to leave me. Everyone leaves me.”
In one swift motion, he swept her up and sat down on the edge of his bed with her in his lap.
“This is untrue,” he said.
“My father cut out before I was even born.” She couldn’t bear to look at him while she confessed. She buried her face in his chest. “My mother died. My uncle dumped me off at a second rate school in an old orbiter. When he couldn’t afford the tuition, which was all the time, he dragged me around the system in his clunker of a ship. Then he upped and died on me to. No one stays, Korven. No one. And if my own family can’t be bothered to stick around, why the hell will you!”
His chin rested on the top of her head and his wings wrapped around them, creating a cocoon, insulating them from the rest of the world. Within the comforting folds of his wings, it was just them. “I will always choose you, Adelle Scott.”
“But—”
“Do not interrupt me. I am decided.”
“You’ll regret it. I can’t compete with the women your family wants you to pick.”
“Do not tell me my mind, female. I chose you.”
“Because of the baby.”
“Because I want you. I wanted you from the moment I saw you shout at a bar full of drunk males. I saw your fire and knew my own was nothing compared to how brightly yours shown. You were my mate then. I declare it to you now and I will declare it to all of Wye tomorrow.”
Shit. He had all the right words, didn’t he? Adelle sucked in her breath, trying to keep her voice even. “And if your family doesn’t like it?”
“I am not marrying my family. I am marrying you.”
All the right words.
What was worse? Taking a chance on love and maybe one day getting hurt, or being too scared to try?
Adelle was tired of being scared and letting the fear take joy away from her.
Chapter Fourteen
Adelle
The morning started in a flurry of activity. Princess Searra arrived with a small army of tailors and stylists and kicked her son out of his own rooms. “We only have a few hours to prepare but I appreciate the challenge,” she said.
“Um, you’re welcome?” Adelle stood still with her arms extended as the tailor bot took measurements. The stylist held up color swatches to her face, tutted and made noises of vague disapproval, and took photographs with a hovering camera bot.
Bathed, groomed, face covered in a powdery cosmetic, and stuffed in a sleeveless dress with a fluffy white tulle skirt, the stylists declared her fit to have a luncheon with Queen Lasar.
Searra scrutinized Adelle’s appearance before they left the safety of Korven’s rooms. “You appear nervous.”
“I am nervous.” No point in fibbing or trying to put on a brave face. She was so nervous her hands shook.
The princess gave a comforting pat on Adelle’s arm. “My mother’s growl is worse than her blaze.”
A nervous laugh bubbled up. “We have a very similar expression on Earth.”
Searra’s elegant hand briefly touched the sunstone medallion resting above the stiff white bodice of Adelle’s dress. “The queen will ask questions and make demands. Only answer and agree to what you will. You are a guest of Wye, the chosen of my only nestling and precious to him.”
She really wasn’t anything special but it hardly seemed the right moment to protest.
They traveled up several flights of stairs and along twisting corridors where the floor had a gentle incline. Finally, they arrived at the top of the Celestial Mother, in the head of the dragon.
The air was dry and warm. Adelle suddenly saw reason for the sleeveless dress. A garden filled the space. Lush greenery and trees, actual trees, grew in a riot of color. Birds chirp. Insects hummed in the warm air. The garden had the feel of a fine summer day, comfortable but not sweltering.
“The fire of my mother’s reign burns below us. It is the Beacon. In addition to symbolic duty, it provides heat for the gardens,” Searra explained. “When the light leaves my mother, the flame will be extinguished. I will scrub the beacon clean and then light my own fire.”
“That is horrible and beautiful,” Adelle said without thinking. “Must you do it alone?”
“Oh yes, it symbolizes the burden of the crown.”
They set a leisurely pace through the garden along a stone path. A bright color or intriguing smell occasionally turned Adelle’s head but she did her best to focus on the princess’s words. The stone path led them to a small building exposed to the elements on three side. It strongly reminded Adelle of something she had only seen in films, a teahouse.
A table set for lunch waited in the teahouse. There was no mistaking the quality of the dishes or the expense of the furniture. Every element spoke to a refined but modest taste with extraordinary materials and craftsmanship. In short, it was the complete opposite of the Firestar’s decor.
The queen awaited on the steps. A small creature resembling a lizard with the wings of a bird, flitted around her head. Its claws tangled in her hair, touched down on her shoulders and scampered to run down her arm before taking flight again. The queen gave a cheerful laugh. Hope swelled in Adelle. Anyone who could play with those charming creatures couldn’t be so scary.
“Drac,” Searra said. “A distant cousin to the Wyer. Intelligent but evolution took a different path. You have a similar relation on Terra, yes?”
“We do but I have never seen one in person,” Adelle said, thinking of the simians she had seen in films. There was the ancient film about a planet where simians seized control and enslaved humans. Probably best to not mention that. Definitely not luncheon material.
Once seated, servants appeared with plates and beverages. Adelle sat perfectly still as three different people attended to her, setting the plate and glass and silverware just so. Once satisfied, they retreated. Adelle took her cue from Searra on whic
h spoon to use for the cold soup.
The table groaned under the weight of the food. A tureen sat in the center, filled to the brim with a thick green soup. It was more than the three women could possibly consume, forgetting about the warm bread, thin sandwiches, the stack of raw vegetables artfully arranged around a bowl of brown sauce, a cold meat that resembled chicken, a three tiered tray stuffed with delicate pastries, and two carafes of a beverage Adelle could not identify.
“I hope you find the meal to your satisfaction,” the queen said. “I prepared a light repast as the feast this evening is keeping the kitchen quite busy.”
This was a light meal? Adelle turned on her most radiant smile, the one that charmed discount prices out of tight-fisted merchants. “Everything smells and looks very tasty, Your Majesty.”
The queen returned her smile, perhaps with less enthusiasm, but it felt genuine enough. Perhaps the bad impression of the cold, distant monarch from yesterday was just that, a bad impression. Adelle accepted a cup of hot tea. At least she hoped it was tea.
“I wish to know your intentions,” the queen said.
“My intentions?” Adelle’s hand shook slightly, the fine porcelain of the cup rattling against the saucer. Her interrogator raised one eyebrow, missing nothing.
“For my grandchild. Surely you’ve thought about the nestling’s future.”
“I haven’t really thought much beyond the pregnancy.”
The queen huffed. “That I believe. Your actions do seem to indicate a lack of forethought. I, however, have thought about the child’s future.”
“And what conclusions have you drawn, Your Majesty?”
“I have no use for another male child. I have five sons and twenty-four grandsons.”
Adelle shoved one of a sandwich bites into her mouth, buying herself time to think of the correct response.
“If it is a male, you will be given a stipend. We do not abandon our progeny.”
“You just don’t have a use for them.”
“Quite. If it is female, she will remain here and be given the proper education of a princess of Wye.”
“And me, Your Majesty? Am I part of my daughter’s future?”
The queen took a sip from her cup. “A child benefits emotionally from a relationship with her parents.”
So Adelle would be tolerated at the court, if the child was female. If it was male, she would be exiled.
“Am I correct in thinking that Korven and my child will be your only female grandchild?”
“Yes. While my daughter is my heir, she has only produced a son.”
And the queen wanted her heir and a spare.
“Surely the princess is not too old to still have a child.” Adelle glanced at Princess Searra. Serene as ever, the princess gave no indication that she was offended or that Adelle spoke too freely.
“Possibly. And one of her nephews could have a daughter. That child would, of course, be more important than your…”
“Bastard?”
She frowned at the harsh word. “Illegitimate offspring.”
“My knowledge of Wyer biology is not extensive,” Adelle said.
“You seemed to be knowledgeable enough.”
Adelle bite her lip. The queen was trying to provoke her into being rude. “The biological sex of the child is not known at birth?”
“Correct. The slit opens after a year and the sex is presented.”
“So I will remain at the court for the year following the birth?”
“I won’t throw you out in the streets, if that is what you are worried about.”
“I never had that worry, Your Majesty. You have only been generous and kind to me since my arrival. And what of Korven’s wishes?”
“He will marry an appropriate female tonight. If he wishes to carry on a relationship—”
The tea turned bitter in Adelle’s mouth at the thought of Korven with another woman. Yes, that was the realistic outcome for their situation. So many barriers stood between them: social class, family, wealth, education and even her own fear of being abandoned after her rich male grew bored with his plaything.
But Korven was hers.
Adelle discovered she was a jealous woman. She would not share her man with anyone.
“I will not be his kept woman,” she said. She would be his wife. Somehow.
Another huff from the queen. “What do you want for the child?”
“I want Korven’s and my child to be healthy,” Adelle said, tone placid.
“Then we are agreed.”
Adelle met the queen’s empty smile with her own. She wanted the baby to be healthy, yes, but she wanted Korven in their child’s life. And she would fight for them tooth and nail.
***
“Walk with me,” Searra said, touching Adelle lightly on the arm.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the massive windows that were the Celestial Mother’s jeweled eyes. The fire of Queen Lasar’s reign burned below, warming the cavernous space. Fresh blossoms and the scent of good, clean earth filled the space. It really was the perfect spot for a garden. A flock of drac alighted from a bush as they approached.
“You must not let my mother upset you,” she said.
Lasar was the queen and the head of Korven’s family. Adelle couldn’t stop the powerful female from doing anything. “I’m fine.”
“You look like you’re about to fall to bits,” Searra said.
Princess Searra’s kindness painted such a stark contrast to Queen Lasar’s mercenary practicality that Adelle wondered if this was a good cop-bad cop set up. She kept her doubts to herself. Good cop or not, Searra was still Korven’s mother, the grandmother of their baby and would always be a fixture in their lives.
“My mother worries about the order of succession,” she said. “She is not cruel, you must understand, but her practically is—”
“Mercenary.” Adelle’s hands flew to cover her mouth, unable to believe she just said that.
The older woman smiled. “Just so. I think my mother would appreciate your candor once this situation is resolved but you should understand that the greatest periods of unrest in Wye history revolve around the succession. When it is not clear, my people have a nasty habit of falling into civil war.”
“I can see the appeal in avoiding that but the queen has an heir.”
Searra nodded. “Yes, but I only have the one son, and now a grandchild. I also have five brothers and two dozen nephews, not a single niece.”
“What happens if the baby is male?”
“Then I look to a female cousin or hope one of my many, many nephews has a daughter. Perhaps a nephew has married a level-headed female and I can name her my heir. It has been done. My heir does not even need to be family or Wyvern. That is how this dynasty came to power, after all.”
“Seriously? You weren’t Wyvern but you have the wings.”
“My mother’s grandmother was a well respected general. The old Queen had no heir and did not name an heir but she had three nieces. Each niece had an equal claim to the throne. The war of succession was bloody and ruthless. Finally, at the end, the military decided that all three females were unfit and they crowned the general as the queen.
“Queen Rasea married a Wyvern noble to solidify the claim and scholars have concluded that she was a just Queen who spent her reign rebuilding and putting down the occasional insurrection.”
Searra paused to admire a tall, multi blossom plant. She leaned down to the vivid pink petals and breathed deep. With a smile, she straightened and smoothed down the front of her dress. “I suspect my mother is overly-concerned with the order of succession because our dynasty’s royal blood is not from the queen but through her consort. Her opponents have tried to paint her mother and her as illegitimate. Loyalists occasionally rally around the old dynasty.”
“That had to be more than a century ago,” Adelle said.
“Memories are long in these matters.”
“If the baby were a girl, would she want a
half-human heir?” The idea of a baby, of a new life wholly dependent on her, overwhelmed her. It was beyond her thinking to imagine that the life growing inside her could one day be queen of a planet.
Searra grabbed Adelle’s hands and gave a friendly squeeze, a gesture Korven did all the time. “I will love any nestling you and my son present and I will welcome the female as my heir without hesitation.”
Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. Ugh, hormones. She thought that came letter but her mood was all over the place. She wiped away at the dampness, smiling.
“Be careful not to be too pragmatic and sensible, Adelle, or I might name you my heir.”
“Now you are just shitting me.”
The princess’s eyes darkened and drifted down to the sunstone medallion. “I have not seen that in years.”
“Oh.” Adelle stroked the stone, running her thumb over the engraving. “Korven gave this to me. I tried to give it back but he wouldn’t—”
“Do you love my son?”
Adelle nodded, heart swelling with emotion. She tried to deny it, tried to rationalize why it was foolish to feel the way she did, but there was no denying her love for Korven. “I do. I really do.”
“Good. Then we will weather whatever tricks my mother has planned for this evening.”
Korven
Adelle made his scales rattle. His intentions did not impress her. His promises made her uneasy. The only way to win her affections was to choose her. Publicly. In a way no one could deny or misconstrue.
Tonight he would prove his worth. Tonight he would choose her as his mate, consequences be damned, and no one could tell him otherwise. Prince Korven got what he wanted but he needed her, needed her in a way that was fundamental to his continued existence. The Celestial Mother blessed him the day she made him thirsty and urged him to grab a cold beer in a dingy bar.
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