Princess of Draga: a space fantasy romance (Draga Court Book 1)

by Emma Dean

  It was as though he could read her mind. Nash set her gently back on the ground and took a shuddering breath. “I think we should head back to the palace.” His voice was thick and husky telling her that was the last thing he wanted to do.

  There was so much more Adelina wanted and going back to the palace was on the bottom of that list, but answering her desires was not a possibility even if she had forgotten for a moment. “I wasn’t finished yelling at you,” she muttered.

  His chuckle warmed her pleasantly from the inside out. “You can finish yelling at me on the way back if you like.”

  Adelina didn’t want to curse at him for following her anymore, she wanted to scold him for quitting what he’d begun and she suspected that had been the intention. “I’m still angry you didn’t trust me.” Though Nash had replaced the fury in her veins with desire.

  “Princess, my kingdom, my life, and my people are at stake. Would you trust me at my word if our positions were reversed?” His hand remained on the small of her back, gently guiding her.

  “Can you see in the dark?” she inquired. Her gloved hand used the wall for support and direction, but it wasn’t the first time she had wished she could see without a light or the paint.

  “I can,” Nash admitted. “Though it wasn’t easy to hide from you, I’ve never had someone so aware of my presence before.”

  Funny, she had thought something similar in the gymnasium. Adelina wondered if he was still mad about what had transpired. “Is that because we’re on Draga Terra?” she asked. They walked slowly, taking their time as they headed towards the palace. Perhaps his tech didn’t work right on her planet.

  Nash was silent for a while. Long enough she looked up at him despite not being able to see more than his profile. “I don’t think so.”

  What did that mean?

  Adelina needed to see Ian as soon as possible. She needed answers. If she really did have a courtesan’s genetic makeup there was a lot she needed to reconsider, to be wary of. Before she realized how much time had passed they were under the gymnasium.

  “I am hopeful Varan will have a few answers for you shortly,” she said, not knowing what else to say.

  Adelina felt flustered. The spot on her lower back where his hand rested burned. There were so many other places she wanted that hand.

  “It could take weeks, you know that.” His words were bitter and defeated.

  What could she do? Her personal feelings aside, she knew Draga owed him more. “We may get lucky.”

  He was a phantom in the dark and Adelina felt his isolation grow. Listening to her instincts she stepped forward so she could wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head on his chest. Nash couldn’t forget he wasn’t alone. Isolation could destroy the male she’d come to like and respect.

  “Do you think—” he hesitated. “Do you think you might be able to speak with your father on my behalf?”

  It was all she’d been thinking about. “I have nothing new to convince them to change their minds. How I feel is of no consequence.” Even if she requested something as rash as his hand in marriage it did not matter, her father would refuse despite his decree on the day of Raena’s birth that all of his children would choose their own spouse.

  Nash sighed. “Then I will have to come up with something, some irrefutable truth I am the one to bet on for safety. If I could present even half my armies…” he trailed off. They both knew it was a fool’s chance. “I appreciate everything you’re trying to do for me,” he told her. “I’m going to activate the stealth-shield and come up after you.”

  Adelina had a thousand and one questions for him. She kept silent instead. “I will see you tomorrow?” she asked, lingering though she shouldn’t.

  His mouth found hers in the dark tunnel and she remembered he could still see her even in the pitch-black. Nash must have understood her real question. Adelina kissed him back softly. He tasted like a hot drink on a winter night. She breathed in his strange scent and felt it flutter through her, making her heart pound. She pulled back slowly before she could lose control.

  “I will see you in the morning. Any help you need from me is yours,” Nash said as he helped her up the ladder.

  She accepted his strength even though she had no need of it. Adelina made her way back to her rooms through the hidden servants’ halls. She wondered if the connection between her and Nash was what she thought it might be, and if it was…she would have to be more than cautious.

  Nash

  Draga Royal Palace

  Planet Draga Terra

  Nash watched Adelina’s ass bounce in those tight leather pants as she climbed up the ladder. His cock twitched and he couldn’t look away. Adelina was a beauty in her gowns, but those pants, the boots, and her damn cloak all made her into a mysterious devil woman. He even enjoyed the silver hair and gold eyes. Would she wear them in the bedroom if he asked?

  Nash cursed under his breath as he followed her up, trailing her to the palace. Once she was safe he turned back to the west wing where the guest accommodations were located. This damn female would ruin him. He could feel it in his warrior’s bones and those instincts had saved his life more times than he cared to count.

  He would never get used to the culture on Draga. It had shocked him the first time he’d been and it still shocked him despite knowing their ways. That didn’t account for the raging jealousy he had felt when she flirted with the thief though. It had made him want to rip the male’s fucking face off. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the reminder it didn’t mean the same as it did in his own kingdom and galaxy. In the Khara galaxy, touch and affection was not a familiar and easy thing. It was reserved for your family, spouse, or children and no one else.

  Everything he had seen and heard that night confirmed one thing at least.

  The little princess’s claims of wanting to help him were true. She had proven that tonight and he knew her desire to assist him in finding his people and gather an army could be considered treason if her father wished. There was no reason for her to take that risk no matter her claims of honor.

  He was furious at King Orion for his lack of honor with their alliance. The male had to possess some honor if Adelina’s was strong enough she would disobey her own family to uphold it. The king put his daughter in an impossible situation and it left Nash raging inside.

  Then there was something else about Adelina Nash couldn’t explain or understand. The kiss only proved what he’d been so wary of. This female was a sorceress. She had to be to make him drunk on her lips alone.

  He frowned as he entered the guardhouse. It was quiet and only a few soldiers were on patrol as Nash checked his warriors. They were still in the process of being vetted and until each and every one of them passed the test he could have no contact. Nash didn’t allow that to stop him from ensuring their safety.

  Satisfied, he found the narrow servants’ halls and stairs and used them to reach his quarters rather than use the servants’ lift. The Draga Palace was centuries old and there were more nooks and crannies than anyone could keep track of.

  Nash activated his molecular disapparator and passed through his wall. They no doubt kept track of his comings and goings with the log on his door. Nash started to undress and disarm in the darkness, staring at nothing. This princess was something he hadn’t anticipated. When they’d met last there had been a pull, but nothing like he felt when he saw her in the council room after so many cycles, and not like he did now.

  That he’d exposed himself to her like he did in the gymnasium – Nash shook his head in disbelief and disgust. This tiny female had him enthralled and because of that she was dangerous – she was a weakness he could not afford.

  He had known it the moment she had stepped into the sparring ring and changed completely. Nash had never seen anything quite like it. It was as though…as though she had shed the civility and the sweetness and turned into nothing more than what she truly was.

  What that was exactly still eluded
him, but the raw power he saw her wield sucked him in like a whirlpool; deep and dangerous. It eluded the princess as well because those marks on her hands weren’t something someone with confidence would do. Those marks meant she fought some internal battle he couldn’t see and didn’t understand.

  The cool night air whispered over his naked skin and Nash slid under the silken covers of his bed. He should never have shown her he was capable of healing, but there was a part of him deep down that felt called to protect and he couldn’t ignore it no matter how hard he tried. Nash threw an arm over his eyes to block out the early sun as it rose.

  His entire family had died and he felt like a traitor for being so distracted. Nash knew he would have to choose his people. A pretty face couldn’t deter him no matter how intelligent and mysterious. Adelina was nothing more than a passing flame.

  It was a rather convincing lie, but in his bones, he knew the truth.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nadyah

  Throne Room

  Draga Royal Palace

  Planet Draga Terra

  The Throne Room was filled to the brim with nobles and courtiers anticipating the arrival of the nobility from across the Draga galaxy. So many had agreed to attend the Choosing Ball and the festivities that led up to it. There hadn’t been a gathering such as this for nearly a generation. The last time the Draga Palace had housed so many noble families was during King Orion’s coronation.

  Black and purple banners with the Draga House sigil covered the throne room. The floating chandeliers’ lights glittered against the black marble floor with strands of gold like the sacred spider webs. The opals set into the marble columns were worth more than a king’s ransom and the dark opulence only made the royal family sitting on the dais even more glorious.

  Nadyah sat next to the king’s mistress, Elara. They sat in the front row on the right side of the king. They were in the row of the favored by the royal family. She glanced at the other favorites next to her and smiled.

  Tamika, the two royal cousins – Prince Ajax and Princess Vasara, Lord Greyson, and Caspian filled the first row. Nadyah gave Lord Greyson a wink and he gave her a tender smile. He was one of her most frequent and favorite clients until recently. His daughter, Lady Veri, was finally going to be at court and Nadyah was happy for him.

  She turned back to the dais where the royal family and her princess waited to receive the noble guests. Adelina looked stunning in the gold dress Nadyah had given her the first time they’d met. The amethyst she’d gifted Adelina for her coming-of-age day dangled delicately between the princess’s breasts. The small curves drew the eye without giving away too much. The spidersilk glittered under the chandeliers. Her princess crossed her legs and a flash of thigh showed for a brief second before the layers settled once more into something a bit more demure.

  Her princess was learning.

  Normally the royal family didn’t greet each noble in such an extravagant manner when they arrived, but this was a special occasion. It wasn’t only the Choosing Ball where the possibility of king was open to all, but four royal children were old enough to wed including Prince Ian. The two younger princes could be promised if the offers were appealing enough and they agreed.

  Ian looked uncomfortable to be considered a legitimate heir as usual. Asher glowered at the gathering nobles already living at court. The dark prince seemed to have a constant attitude Nadyah didn’t understand. She hadn’t seen him act pleasant once since she’d arrived at the palace.

  Her favorite was Prince Ian. He was a brilliant scientist and had even submitted to join the Scientist’s Guild this cycle from what Nadyah had learned. His lover P’draic was a closely held secret per Adelina.

  William was the youngest and the funny one. He was always lighthearted and made Nadyah laugh. She knew he’d trained as a warrior and as the fourth in line to the throne didn’t expect to be needed at the palace much. Nadyah heard William joke he would be sold off in marriage like one of the princesses of ancient times. One of the servants had told Nadyah he secretly hoped to become General. The Lord High Admiral was a hard woman to please though, and unless William was appointed by Raena he may never see the position.

  From what Nadyah could see of the family dynamics and her careful studying of their relationships, Raena wasn’t blind to her siblings’ goals and dreams, but she was also a master strategist. If Raena could gain something for her people by shuffling another noble into a certain position she would do it.

  Which was why Lord Hayden was high on the list of possible husbands for the Crown Princess as the Avvis Army was strong and almost as large as the Draga Royal Army. No doubt Raena would want to secure that army in the defense of the Draga galaxy and keep a possible civil war at bay.

  Giselle was the one who wanted the quiet life, having nothing to do with royalty or a crown. Nadyah had found applications on Giselle’s shreve for the Warrior’s Guild, but she knew it was still forbidden by the king and queen. After studying Raena over the last few days Nadyah didn’t believe the crown princess would allow it either. Giselle would be Raena’s heir and therefore too valuable to lose.

  The three princesses sat on the left of the queen. The princes were on the king’s right. Both thrones were currently empty. The king had more bad days than good recently with his sickness, but he would attend. It was simply a matter of when. Events didn’t always start on time anymore. King Orion had been an excellent and fair king, though Nadyah thought it was bad luck he was leaving Raena with a galaxy on the brink of war.

  Finally, the queen entered the Throne Room. Nadyah adjusted her auditory implant so she could hear the whispered conversations of the royal family. Queen Adele breezed by her daughters. “Giselle, sit up straight,” she hissed. The queen sat on her throne next to the King’s empty one.

  A few moments later the king arrived and Nadyah noted the bags under his eyes. King Orion’s face was gaunt and he’d lost too much weight. The way he sat on his throne made her bones ache in sympathy. He had aged decades in a matter of months. The king winced as he adjusted his heavy crown and the chain of command across his chest.

  Nadyah glanced at Adelina and the worry and heartache she saw on her princess’s face weighed heavy on her own heart. Nadyah didn’t know her own parents, but she could only imagine the pain of losing those you knew and loved. If she lost any of her brothers and sisters in the House she would be devastated.

  “Lina,” Giselle whispered. Nadyah turned and watched Giselle fidget in her gown and pull at the low neckline as if she could make it cover more of her skin. “Do you know when the nobles are supposed to arrive exactly? I need to get out of this wretched dress as soon as possible.”

  Nadyah covered her smile with her hand and observed Adelina lean over so she could whisper in Giselle’s ear. “Within the hour, but you really do look lovely.”

  The older princess harrumphed and Raena glared at the two of them.

  It had only been a week in the palace and Nadyah was still intrigued by the relationships between the royal siblings. There was an ever-changing give and take. The support they had for each other astounded her. Based on her study of history such camaraderie was unusual when each wanted their hands on the power of an entire galaxy.

  Nadyah knew the palace and the royal family had secrets, but she would never have guessed that Adelina of all the princesses and princes led a double life. Giselle did as well, but she always brazenly shouted her declaration to become a warrior. Her personality was far more extroverted and confident than Adelina’s.

  Nadyah couldn’t have been more wrong about the quietest princess. She thought when she had first been given this assignment she would enjoy teaching the camerraleto but that would be all. She had thought court life would bore her to tears and she would miss the House and her clients. Never in her wildest dreams could Nadyah have imagined how mysterious and wonderful Adelina could be.

  There were so many facets to her life. Princess Adelina’s artwork was well-known by th
e public, and many knew she created the designs for her dresses and some of her siblings’ clothes. The livestream showed her working with the spiders and some of her sketches, but the livestream was also carefully curated by the royal publicists. Somehow everyone but Giselle had missed this brilliant woman who hid under the mask of her submission and service to the Crown.

  Her princess’s black-as-night hair was piled elegantly on the top of her head and it elongated her neck. Her amethyst eyes practically glowed as she sought out Prince Nash in the crowd of nobles seated along the sides of the Throne Room. Nadyah felt a deep attraction towards Adelina and she knew how blessed she was for such a wonderful assignment. She would have to thank Amora at her temple later.

  The royal guards stood at attention behind the royal family, directly parallel with their assigned family member. Nadyah’s smile dropped as she studied Alpha. What a fool. He had thrown away the best thing that ever could have happened to him. The worst part of it was Nadyah had a feeling he had no idea he had done just that. It would occur to him in the coming weeks and she would have to make sure it didn’t sour the relationship between him and the princess. There was no telling what someone would do when they felt jealous and cheated.

  The doors to the Throne Room swung open with trumpets sounding off in declaration of the arrival of the visiting nobility. Adelina placed her hands on the arms of her chair instead of in her lap as she normally would and pushed her shoulders back. Nadyah gave the princess a smile in approval. It was amazing how quickly Adelina had caught on. The tiny changes in her body language and confidence really made a fantastic difference and people were starting to notice.

  The nobles waited at the threshold to be announced and received. Nadyah inspected those she could see and caught Giselle fidgeting in the corner of her eye. She could practically feel the heat of the queen’s split-second glare. Instantly Giselle stilled and straightened her back; arms stiffly on the arms of her own chair. The princess’s fingers tightened on the wood, her knuckles nearly white.