Ashni sucked her teeth. “Spending time with her stupid spouse.” She sighed. “I suppose I could go find someone to play with. Surely there are many maidens whose blood is boiling for me after that fight, even if it was days ago.” The very idea put a smile on her face and she tingled a little.
Nakia’s forehead scrunched up. “What do you mean?”
Ashni considered telling her, just to see her reaction, but there were only so many times she could watch Nakia be revolted over something Nakia didn’t comprehend, thanks to her weird culture. Why the hell does Nakia have a problem with people being with people? The West seemed to have a lot of sexual taboos Ashni didn’t understand. Besides, Ashni wasn’t in the mood to send for physical entertainment. She had plenty of entertainment here.
“I’m going to teach you to play Bones,” Ashni said. That could prove fun, especially if it frustrated Nakia enough.
Nakia’s face scrunched up, her mouth pulling to one side. “Bones?”
“It’s a dice game.”
“Like the one you played at that party?”
“Exactly the one.” Ashni clapped her hands together. Soldiers tended to play the game to pass the time and she often lost at it, going broke on some occasions if there was too much downtime. She didn’t mind. It helped her stay close to her army and they all needed that connection, that bond.
Nakia’s face remained twisted. “But, isn’t dice a game for commoners? Are you so much of a savage?”
Ashni chuckled. “You have no idea.”
Nakia’s face managed to scrunch up even more as she studied Ashni. Ashni had a feeling this would be fun, so she sent for the dice and proceeded to corrupt the foreign princess. Seven dice were delivered along with two wooden cups. Servants set up a couple of pillows, wine, fruits, nuts, and other snacks in a small room off the side of the throne room. It wouldn’t do to gamble in the throne room. Ashni flopped down on one pillow and motioned for Nakia to take the other. Once Nakia was sitting, the lessons began. Ashni had cake as she explained the game and they played a few practice rounds.
“This is the most confusing game ever created!” Nakia huffed several minutes later as she threw four of the dice. They clattered as they hit the wall and then settled on the floor.
Ashni brightened. “Hey, you won.” She pointed to the dice.
Nakia’s frown vanished as she focused on the dice. Leaning closer, her face scrunched up like before as she examined the dice. Her brow furrowed as she turned to Ashni, eyes screaming “how?” Ashni tried to explain, but Nakia’s face twisted more and more. It was a little adorable.
“You throw better when you’re angry, kitten.” Ashni bumped Nakia with her shoulder.
Nakia shook her head and rubbed her face with both hands. “This game is stupid.”
“No, you’re doing good.” Ashni shook her head and patted Nakia on the wrist. “Come on, throw again. Let’s see what you got.” Ashni gathered up the dice and passed them back to Nakia.
“I shouldn't be doing this…” Nakia sighed, her shoulders slumping. Her mouth fell into a bit of a pout.
“Why? Because it’s not proper? It’s not what upper class women should be doing?” Ashni snorted. “Stop being a prude, kitten. We both know you’re a hellion, so stop pretending to be anything but.”
Nakia scowled at her. “I’m not a hellion. I’m a Lady. I’m sure a beast like you just doesn’t know what one looks like.”
Ashni chuckled. You have no idea, kitten. “I think a beast like me knows plenty of what a lady looks like.” She clicked her tongue as a wicked idea formed in her mind. “What if we played properly by adding a little wager to it?”
Nakia’s eyes narrowed as she studied Ashni. “What do you want to wager?”
“If you win, you can dress me how you think a proper lady should dress and force me to act as such for the whole day,” Ashni replied and Nakia’s eyebrows raised. “But, if you lose, I get to dress you as a ‘barbarian.’” A shiver raced down her spine at the thought of Nakia in traditional Roshan clothing. She shook it off. Don’t be a fool. This girl is worth a kingdom of gold.
Nakia eyed her for a long moment and then turned her attention to the dice. She studied them for several seconds before picking them up, all seven of them, and weighed them in her hands. Then, she picked up one of the two small wooden cups sometimes used to throw the dice. Loading the dice inside, she rolled the cup between both hands.
“You’re going to cheat, aren’t you?” Nakia said as if it was a stone cold fact. The accusation wasn’t off base. Maybe Nakia knew Ashni better than she pretended to.
Ashni smiled, trying her best to seem innocent, but the expression felt way too predatory. “Oh, my dear hellcat, you don’t know me at all. I have no reason to cheat.” Not to say, I won’t do it if it’s necessary. “I wouldn’t begin to know where to cheat.” Again, not to say I wouldn’t.
Nakia’s gaze narrowed. “Until I win and you change the rules.”
Ashni waved the worry off. “Come on. You know the rules and how the game is played at this point, so I can’t change the rules.” Nakia didn’t have a great grasp of how the game was played, but Ashni was certain the insane man who invented this game half a century ago didn’t have a good grasp on how to play it. Ashni’s father taught her how to play and he seemed to know less about how it worked than Nakia did.
Sniffing, in a rather loud, unladylike manner, Nakia left the dice in the cup. Ashni watched and waited. After a few seconds, Nakia poured the dice into her hand and took out three. She had been doing better with fewer dice as she learned the game than with all seven. She shook the dice in both hands rather than using the cups and let them fly. Their crashing against the wall echoed through the room.
Ashni’s eyes watched Nakia rather than the dice. She leaned forward as she let the dice go and watched them intently. Her eyes widened as the dice hit the wall and she leaned over so far she almost fell off her pillow. The dice rattled as they landed. Her face fell, her jaw practically on the floor.
“Looks like I win, like always.” Ashni tittered. I don’t get to say that often when it comes to this stupid game.
Growling, Nakia folded her arms across her chest. “You weren’t winning when you whined for your sister to throw for you at that party.”
Oh, she remembered and she had fire. Ashni felt a frisson again, but managed to keep herself under control. Before the game continued and she got to see more of Nakia’s beautiful fire, a servant rushed in. He was out of breath, hands on his knees, huffing and puffing. This isn’t going to be good.
“Highness!” He panted, staring at her with wide, panicked eyes.
Ashni arched an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Lord Amal. At the gate.” He flung his arm out, roughly motioning in the direction he came.
A loud, agonized groan escaped Ashni and she slid down onto her pillow. “He comes earlier and earlier every year.” It’s like a punishment from the gods. Father, tell me, what have I done to offend you so? She sat back up and rolled her shoulders and rubbed her eyes with one hand. “Fine. Clean this up.” She waved toward the snacks and game.
Ashni jumped to her feet, bangles and jewels ringing as she did so. She waved Nakia up and marched back to the throne room. Nakia jogged to keep up, her sandals echoing as they slapped against the floor. Ashni adjusted her robes and settled her diadem properly on her head before settling onto the throne. Nakia stood on the dais as usual, standing off to the left.
“Did you know this clown was arriving today?” Adira stormed into the throne room, voice loud and arms flapping. She had been working so that Ashni didn’t have to, but there was no way she would stick around the palace with Amal there. Ashni wished she had that option.
Ashni sucked her teeth. “Yes, I knew he would show up exactly today, which is why I’ve been totally preparing for this.” Please, if I knew when this idiot was going to show up, I’d figure out excuses for all of us to leave.
Adira glowered at her li
ke this was all her fault. “Your sarcasm doesn’t help. I’m not putting up with him, so you might as well get Princess here to do this work because I’m going home.”
Ashni’s upper lip curled. “Hopefully to get laid so you can stop whining.”
Adira’s nostrils flared and pointed at her. “I’m doing you a favor.”
“No, doing me a favor would be sitting around and playing chess with Amal for the rest of his life…or killing me. Whichever.” Killing me might be the better option. I wouldn’t have to deal with him ever again. There’s no way we’re going to the same afterlife.
“Oh, please.” Adira folded her arms across her chest. “So, the Empress can have a pike shoved through my chest and I get to die a slow death, rotting in the sun and being pecked by vultures?”
“That’s why it’s called a favor. You’d be taking one for the team.”
Throwing her head to the side, Adira snorted. “I think I’ve given enough for the empire.” She motioned to her eye.
Ashni’s brow furrowed as she scowled. “Oh, please. The empire gave you Saniyah, so shut up.”
“I don’t care. I’m not staying here with him around. End of discussion.” Adira made a chopping motion with her hand.
“I’m not asking you to entertain him. You keep working and you know I’ll handle the entertainment. Unless, of course, you want to do me that favor.” She flashed Adira a huge smile.
Adira sucked her teeth. “Not for all the territories in all the world.”
Ashni groaned and rubbed her face with both hands. “Okay, can you at least keep working? The kingdom has to go on and we all know you like all the paperwork and bureaucracy for some weird reason.”
“Perhaps you need to learn to like it. One of us is queen, after all.”
“I can handle it, but I would just rather do other things when I can. Besides, you eat up administrative work like it was actual nourishment.”
Adira didn’t give an inch. “Flatter me all you like, but I can work from home.”
Ashni grunted. “The hell you can. We both know the second you go home and Saniyah’s there, you’re not going to get anything done. She’ll be in your lap, then you’ll be in her, and everything else loses all importance. Use your office. There’s a reason I gave you one. Get some stuff done and then go home. You don’t even have to see him.” If only I could be so lucky.
Adira eyed her for a second, which turned out to be a second too long. The announcement of “Lord Amal” echoed through the palace and Adira groaned. If Ashni could have thrown herself out a window, she would have. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time for that. Amal’s grand entourage appeared in the entrance hall. Adira groaned again and put her hand over her face.
“He gets worse and worse every year,” Ashni grumbled. It was embarrassing.
***
Nakia watched as a parade of people marched into the throne room after servants announced the arrival of Lord Amal. This was quite different than when she came with the General weeks ago. There weren’t hordes of people to see the arrival of whoever this was. The Grand Hall emptied. Officials and nobles waiting to see the Queen suddenly disappeared. Servants even made themselves scarce. Not being around seemed to be more important than being available for the Queen.
Nakia wasn’t sure why everything was so lacking in pomp and ceremony for this arrival, but it obviously had something to do with this dreaded and loathed Amal person. The entrance was lavish with richly dressed people marching in, but Nakia didn’t recognize them as any of the Queen’s people. There were long lines of people and the last person sprinkled white flower petals near the dais. The Queen frowned at the flowers.
“Lord Amal,” a servant announced. Then came a closed palanquin, which was carried to the foot of the throne. The Queen rested her chin in her hand while making a show of rolling her eyes.
Nakia’s eyebrows knitted close together and she moved a little closer to see who would emerge. Who is this? It was obvious the Queen didn’t want to be bothered, but she allowed whoever this was into her presence. It was strange. The Queen seemed like she’d never allow someone into her orbit if she didn’t want them there, which explained why Layla’s husband didn’t spend much time around the palace. Is this person different? Special?
“Sister, I have told your slaves time and time again that it is King Amal.” A bronze hand pushed back the purple curtain of the palanquin while the Queen rolled her eyes yet again. If she wasn’t careful, she was liable to lose them.
Two legs covered in the wide-legged pants of the Roshan Empire swung out of the litter. A servant placed a step beside the palanquin and then helped a slender man out, standing on the scattered flower petals.
He was dressed in robes that were infinitely more fabulous than the Queen’s clothing. His robes were dazzling green and yellow with decorative gems and jewelry and spoke loudly and clear of his status. His face was clean and his dark hair was done in long braids with dangling feathers.
“What are you king of?” the Queen asked, rubbing her eyes.
Nakia wondered this as well. How could he be a king if his sister was already the ruler? But, then again, why was the Queen called ‘queen’ if the Roshan was an empire? Why was she not the empress? Some backward barbarian logic? Nakia shook her head, disliking the fact that she was even curious of these details.
A frown cut across his face. “I am King of all Amalia and soon to be Emperor of the Roshan Empire. You know that very well.”
“Right. Amalia.” The Queen deadpanned. “The kingdom with much better weather during this time of year and yet you’re here.”
“Isn’t it best to celebrate the Festival of the Moon with family?” he said with a grin. It seemed like he wanted the expression to be charming, but there was something crooked about it.
“Yes, but most people would think you would make this holiday trip to be with our mother, yet you always spend this time with me.” It sounded as if the Queen was accusing him of something, but Nakia couldn’t be sure what.
He continued to smile. “Because we’re so close.”
The Queen waved his words off. “You have a twin. I swore there was no closer bond.”
“Yes, but I want to be close to all of my siblings, especially my sister.”
The Queen sighed and rubbed her forehead with two fingers, as if fighting off a headache. “I’ll have servants prepare your usual apartments. Of course, Amal, had I known you would be here almost two weeks before the festival, I might have…” She didn’t finish the sentence.
Nakia suspected the Queen had nothing good to say.
“I’ll go supervise then and see you soon,” Amal said. He slid back into the palanquin before the Queen could say a word.
And just as quickly as they appeared, the parade vanished. The Queen sighed, scowling in the direction her brother had disappeared. She shifted on the throne and turned her attention back to the General.
“Office,” the Queen said.
“Today. We’ll have to see about the rest. You know I have little desire to be around while he’s here.” The General turned and marched out. The Queen said nothing. This was interesting.
***
The next morning wasn’t what Ashni expected, even though she should have. Nothing ever went right after Amal showed up. How the hell did Mom actually manage to have more children after giving birth to that breathing disaster?
Adira hadn’t shown up to do the paperwork, so it was left to Ashni. It wasn’t so much work that she was swamped or annoyed by it, but she had hoped Adira would finish it. Instead, Adira sent word that she was needed at home, which was utter bullshit, but for now, Ashni would leave Adira alone. No one wanted to be around Amal. If only I could use the excuse that I’m needed at home.
Ashni ate breakfast and went to work. The servants knew what mood she was in and brought plenty of sweet cakes for breakfast. Anything that honey or cinnamon could be added to, had it that morning. There were several pastries with baked fruits insid
e of them, too. It was little comfort, knowing what lay ahead of her, but she pressed on. Time wouldn’t stop just because an annoyance had arrived at her door.
Nakia stood off to the left behind Ashni, yawning. Raising her cup, Ashni gave Nakia something to do. Her timing proved right because as soon as the cup was full, Amal entered the throne room. She would need more wine than usual if he stuck around. She picked up a small cake and took a bite.
“Good morning, dear sister.” Amal beamed as he stood before her. Right before her. On the dais, practically at her feet. He reached over and plucked some fruit from her tray.
“Good morning, Amal,” she said without bothering to look at him. If he dipped his fruit in her personal bowl of honey, they would have a problem. No, no, no. Mom would not be happy if you stabbed Amal, especially since she knows he’s here for the Festival of the Moon. Damn.
He continued to grin before biting the apple slice. “It would be even better if we got a chance to play chess.”
“I’m working.” She motioned to the papers in front of her. Then, she had to brush cake crumbs from them. Maybe I should stick to the fruit until I’m done. It was just as sweet, but less messy.
Blowing out a breath, Amal rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to work all day. Besides, there are people who can do that for you. Come on. It’s about time I beat you.”
Ashni sucked her teeth. “Since when do you beat me?” They had been playing chess, or games like it, since she was three and he was five. He had yet to beat her as far as she could recall. In fact, he had yet to beat her in anything if memory served her correctly.
He chuckled and darkness danced in his golden eyes. “You afraid to lose in front of your little barbarian princess?”
Her head shot up and she glared at him. What the hell is he playing at? Before she could say anything, Nakia stepped forward. Ashni’s eyes cut to Nakia.
Nakia glowered at him with her eyes ablaze. “I’m not a barbarian. Don’t confuse me with you.”
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