Mushira handed her a goblet of purple, sweet-tasting liquid and a piece of bread to take away the taste. She would have preferred something to take away the feeling of the fish squirming around in her stomach. Boiling water hadn’t killed it; would stomach acid?
Adrienne beckoned behind her for Mushira. The woman stepped forward and Adrienne whispered, “Make sure the cook never ever serves that ever.” She couldn’t emphasize her distaste of it enough. Mushira understood and sent Nimat scurrying to the kitchen with Adrienne’s message.
Malik smiled in Adrienne’s direction. He dabbed at his lips with his napkin, then asked, “How does it feel to have given your first edict as queen, my lady?”
“I didn’t…” She stopped. Her gaze went to the door Nimat had used, then back to Malik. “That wasn’t a special Ulanian dish, was it?”
“No. The fish are abundant and easily caught. The dish is considered to be for poorer people. I am sure it was all the family could make.”
“Oh,” she whispered. Adrienne felt like a heel. She turned back to Mushira. “Make sure someone is taking down all the names of the people who brought presents and what they brought. I want to be able to send out thank you letters later.”
Mushira nodded. She didn’t get the chance to send anyone, as Saj left to see the deed done himself. Nimat returned moments later.
Malik noted, “You were born to give orders, Adrienne. I do not know why you were so worried.”
Adrienne didn’t say anything to that. She took a spoonful of the next dish and barely kept herself from spitting it back out—it had more salt than taste. The food tasters could have warned her. She forced a smile for the presenter and thanked them, then emptied the contents of her goblet three times before she could feel her tongue again. She hoped the drink didn’t have alcohol in it. Though being drunk might make the latter part of the evening easier.
A male voice rang out over the crowd. “Very brave of you, Queen Adrienne, to sample the simple fare. You are no Queen Dione, that is for sure. Verily, I remember Queen Dione sent many dishes to the servants rather than sample them herself. A smart move on her part, based on the faces you’re making.” He laughed.
It wasn’t hard for Adrienne to spot the man. Not only was he the only person laughing in a room gone deafeningly silent, but his table companions started moving their chairs as far away from his as they could. His attire denoted him a noble of Ulan.
The man stopped laughing when he noticed no one joined him.
Malik lowered the fork that was halfway to his mouth. Everyone turned and stared at him. He stood, looking pointedly at the man who had spoken. “Lord Yuan, I know you have only recently returned from the Kingdom of Delu, and probably have yet to be apprised of what happened to the last nobles who insulted my bride. They too compared her unfavorably to my departed mother.” He raised his hand. “It is only fair that you meet with the same punishment as them.” Malik made a backhanding motion.
Lord Yuan flew out of his chair. His back hit the floor and he slid across the tile for a good five feet before stopping. The man remained sprawled with tears running freely down his cheeks. He blubbered out apology after apology for his stupidity and indelicate manner.
Adrienne looked from the man on the ground to Malik. She remembered the screams she heard after her first dinner with the court, and the subdued attitudes of the people upon the next dinner. Her guess was right—the screams were of people in pain. Malik had waited until she left the dining hall to discipline the people who verbally attacked her.
Malik looked calm, but Adrienne knew that was an illusion. She could feel his anger. While not as hot as the first time she witnessed it, it still burned.
Why was she so surprised? The same man had killed two men without a second thought or a bit of remorse. Had Malik enjoyed what he did to her attackers? Did he enjoy what he did to Lord Yuan? His people feared him, not loved, and it looked like he wanted it that way.
Her attention shifted to Lord Yuan, who stayed on his back like a flipped turtle. No one stepped forward to help him. To Adrienne’s eyes it seemed like everyone pretended not to see him.
That was the last straw. This was her wedding day. She may not have wanted this wedding, but Adrienne wouldn’t let violence ruin it. She stood and touched Malik’s arm. The heat of his anger dulled when she touched him. She was happy for that.
With her free hand, Adrienne pointed at an attendant who stared at the royal couple in thinly veiled fear. The man flinched back.
“You there,” she said with more authority than she felt, “pick Lord Yuan up and put him back in his seat.”
The attendant bowed and quickly went to help. Lord Yuan continued crying. Adrienne’d had enough. “Lord Yuan, stop crying. You’re a noble, act like it.”
The man startled as though she had smacked him again. He stared in astonishment at Adrienne. She stared back and dared him to say anything.
Next came Malik.
Adrienne couldn’t command him, but she could request. She moved her hand from his arm and touched his cheek lightly. “There isn’t a door to muffle the sound this time. Even if there was, this is our wedding day,” she whispered. She could tell her words shocked him. In that moment, she knew Malik hadn’t realized she heard the screaming.
He whispered back, “I did not think… You were not supposed to hear that.” He cupped her hand where it rested on his cheek. “I am sorry, my Adrienne. You are right.”
Malik’s anger abated to be replaced with a sense of peace. Someone was weaving a calming spell around him. He cast out with his power to find out who in his palace would dare. To his surprise, the spell came from Adrienne. He looked at her with amazement.
He searched her eyes and could see nothing there that indicated she even knew she had cast a spell. He gave into it and sat. Adrienne smiled at him as she resumed her own seat. Her hand left his cheek and the spell rescinded.
The people in the dining hall witnessed the calming of the beast and didn’t quite believe it. Everyone knew their new queen saved them—if not quite how she saved them.
Chancellor Valah stood and raised his glass. Many others followed suit. “To King Malik and Queen Adrienne, and to the peace their joint reign shall bring,” he said in a booming voice.
Everyone in the hall cheered their concurrence with the toast. Adrienne knew Valah hadn’t meant peace from the threat of King Hollace and Kakra banging on the doors. He almost blatantly thanked her for the way she’d handled Malik and his temper.
In the same breath, he had charged her to continue in the endeavor every moment thereafter. She hoped she was up to the task. Malik had said so himself—he had ruled alone for years and gotten his way for too long. Adrienne hoped Malik would continue wanting to keep her from the rougher side of his temper for many, many years.
The atmosphere of the room turned back to a more jovial one. People laughed, made jokes and tossed comments up to the royal couple, who either responded with a raised eyebrow or a witty retort.
Adrienne continued to sample everything presented to her until she couldn’t eat anymore. She didn’t want to be full. Being full meant her wedding night was next.
Her anxiety returned in earnest. Around her the people talked in high, excited tones. No one seemed aware of their queen’s new mood. She didn’t want to spend the night with a man she knew next to nothing about. Sure, she knew his background, but she knew very little about his personality. For all intents and purposes, they had just met.
Malik’s eyes roamed over the crowd but his thoughts were for Adrienne. She looked around the room as though an escape route would suddenly present itself. Malik needed to put a stop to this before Adrienne worked herself into an argument similar to the one before the ceremony. He didn’t know if his patience would allow him to go through such a trial again, not when his goal of having her in his bed had come.
A hush went over the room when he stood. He ignored the crowd and looked at his wife. Resignation crossed her face a
s she met his gaze. He waited. Adrienne stood and he slipped his arm around her waist.
He faced the crowd of merry-makers who had risen when the royal couple had. “My new queen and I shall retire for the night. I trust you all will not destroy my hall in our absence.” He turned and led Adrienne out of the hall with their entourage a few steps behind them.
Crude and bawdy jokes about Malik’s virility and Adrienne’s predicted inability to walk the next morning followed them. The door closed on the chatter and Adrienne sighed.
Now came the long walk back to Malik’s room, during which time Adrienne planned to think of some way to stall Malik until she felt comfortable—and ready.
Malik formed a portal from one of the many orbs that seemed to be stored in thin air. His bedroom loomed before Adrienne, and hopes of a long walk were dashed. Adrienne wondered if Malik used portals all the time to get around the palace. It would explain why she never heard his footsteps outside her room.
Mushira offered, “I shall prepare Her Majesty for—”
“There is no need,” Malik interrupted. “I will see to Adrienne. Retire, Mushira.” His order was gruff and he didn’t apologize. He didn’t want to argue about etiquette and the proper dress for a bride on her wedding night. Malik had observed as much propriety as his patience could handle.
Hani placed a comforting hand on Mushira’s shoulder, who gave an accepting sigh and curtsied. Nimat and Hani curtsied as well. As one, the women went back to the celebration. The Primaries and Adrienne’s guards remained waiting for their orders.
Malik considered for a moment, then said, “Return to the party. Enjoy it. No one shall bother us this night.” The guards bowed but they didn’t leave until Malik and Adrienne crossed over the portal threshold. The guards bowed to them. The portal closed.
Adrienne quickly put the width of the bed between her and Malik. She remembered how she’d responded to his kiss during the ceremony and knew if there was ever a time to talk, it would have to be before he touched her.
Malik followed her.
“Please,” Adrienne said with an outstretched hand. She breathed a quiet sigh when Malik stopped his approach at the foot of the bed. “I…I want to talk. We’ve never talked.”
He started towards her again, this time slowly. A step punctuated each word as he said, “I have talked. You chose not to respond.”
“I’ll respond now,” she pleaded. She backed away from Malik as he drew nearer.
“I know you shall, my Adrienne,” he rumbled with a slow smile.
“That’s not what I meant,” she said with dismay. He had purposefully misinterpreted her words.
Her back ran into a wall but before she could find a new direction, Malik was there. She didn’t know how he’d crossed the distance between them so fast, but he had. His body pressed hers into the wall and she could feel the proof of his lust through their clothing.
“It is what I meant,” he said before he claimed her mouth. He swallowed her whimper and tasted her fear. Not agitation, true fear.
He pulled away from her with a curse.
It took several ragged breaths and a silent prayer for control before he could meet Adrienne’s eyes. “You wish to talk, then we shall talk,” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “But we will talk in a setting of my choosing.”
He pulled her away from the wall and across the room. Adrienne ran to keep up with his pace. Malik didn’t stop until they stood in his bathroom. He closed and locked the door behind them so Adrienne couldn’t run. Before turning back to her, he removed his vest and shirt.
Adrienne took a step back when he turned to face her. Malik reached for her and she squeaked in fear. He yanked the gown over her head in one fluid motion and tossed it aside. A little more patience was needed for her gloves and underwear.
After he stripped Adrienne, Malik scooped her up and carried her into the bathtub. He settled himself on a bench built into the wall of the tub, then stood Adrienne between his trouser-clad legs, turning her so she faced away from him.
“So talk,” he demanded, breaking the silence. He soaped a sponge and pressed it to Adrienne’s back. She jumped and tried to pull away, but he grabbed her arm. Once she stopped pulling against him, he released her and resumed washing her back.
The smell of flowers tickled Adrienne’s nose. She shivered at the feel of the sponge. This was the first time anyone had ever bathed her—that she could remember. Her lady’s maids had tried and failed, despite Mushira’s many tiring arguments.
She held herself stiff and waited to see what Malik would do next. He simply washed her back, no other part of her body. This knowledge calmed her, a little.
She started, “I… Why are you still wearing your pants?”
“If I take them off this will be a short conversation,” he answered matter-of-factly.
“Oh.”
“Yes, ‘oh’. I am being patient for your sake, Adrienne. Know that while I am a patient man, it has very nearly come to an end.”
Adrienne tried to face Malik but he held her firmly in place. “That’s just it. I don’t know what type of man you are. I know that everyone is scared of you. Beyond what you did to my attackers, I’ve never seen evidence as to why—” she bowed her head, “—before tonight.”
“I admit my methods of punishment are somewhat…harsh. I command respect from my people. Those in the palace especially, as most of the older members of the staff helped raise me.”
“Some gratitude you’ve got there,” she quipped. “‘Hi, you helped me with math. That will be ten lashes.’” Malik caressed her thigh and the humor of the moment died. She needed to distract him, a task made easier if she were clothed.
She asked, “What happened after I left the first dinner?”
“I thought you already knew.”
“I heard the screams. That’s all. I thought you were in danger at first. None of the others would go back to make sure you were all right. What happened?”
Malik smiled at Adrienne’s words. She admitted to being worried about him. “Something similar to what happened to Lord Yuan tonight. I do not wish to go into it. Talk about something else.” He put down the sponge and moved his hands to her shoulders, kneading away the knot there.
“I want to see my parents. Ow!”
“Sorry. Sorry. I did not mean to hurt you.” His grip on her shoulders loosened. It would be better if he stuck with the sponge. He didn’t know if his control could handle the feel of her bare flesh. He retrieved it and continued his earlier motions.
“I mean, I can see my parents, right?” she amended. “They must be worried about me. I want them to know I’m okay.” She looked over her shoulder at Malik, but he stared intently at a spot on her back instead of meeting her gaze. She couldn’t tell his feelings on her choice of topics. There was no heat, which meant he wasn’t angry—a good sign.
“That is all?”
Adrienne steeled herself for Malik’s anger and said her next statement. “I want a real wedding.”
Malik stopped his movements. “You had a real wedding.”
“A real Earth wedding, with my family,” she elaborated.
“What is involved in a ‘real’ Earth wedding?” He decided to ditch the sponge again to massage Adrienne’s back. She needed to become accustomed to his touch. He would be more careful and this little bit of contact eased some of his annoyance. He hadn’t thought seducing Adrienne to his bed would be this tedious.
“The wedding can be held on Earth. It would be easier,” she started. She tried to turn again with the same results as before. Talking to the far wall annoyed her. “There is the minister—someone similar to Guild Master Upala. You can’t bring him here, so it would be easier to hold the ceremony there.”
Malik slid his hands to her lower back and the curve of her derriere. Her shiver made a small smile curve his lips. “What is so different about the two ceremonies?”
Adrienne tried to squirm away but that only made Malik’s hands go
lower. “Um… The vows. Yes! The vows. Usually, a couple says vows. Sometimes they are prepared ahead of time by the couple, or they just repeat a generic set the minister feeds them,” she rushed out. Her plan to distract Malik hadn’t worked. She had hoped an in-depth conversation would distract him long enough for her to either work up the nerve to go through with the night or find a way to put him off.
“What is said in these vows?” he asked. He let his hands dip lower to massage the top of her left leg.
She found it hard to concentrate. “Most couples promise to love and protect one another and to always be faithful and helpful… You know, that type of thing. And…and…” She looked to the ceiling for help. Finding none there, she closed her eyes. That only helped her to concentrate on Malik’s hands and how right they felt. Her eyes snapped open. “Rings,” she gasped out.
“What about them?” he asked with disinterest. His current task had his complete attention. He moved his fingers to caress up and down the backs of her thighs, moving near their juncture, then retreating.
“The couple exchanges rings.”
“Why?”
Malik returned his hands to the middle of Adrienne’s back. He may be distracting her but he didn’t want to lose his own concentration, either.
“The rings are a tradition and a symbol of the couple’s vow to one another.”
“Like the silver cord.”
“No, you can’t see the silver cord,” she countered.
Malik held out his left hand. Adrienne mimicked his movement involuntarily. The cord, invisible until a second ago, shined between their outstretched wrists. “You were saying, my lady?” He returned his hands to Adrienne’s sides just below her breasts and kneaded. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep himself from exploring those parts of her body that would make her moan with pleasure. He could feel her lust. It almost matched his.
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