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“She gives herself freely, with passion and desire. She is… more that satisfying. She is… wholly mine. I would not have any other.” He licked his dry lips, conscious of his rasping voice. He’d admitted far more than he’d planned to say.
The emperor leaned back, smiling softly, the scar rising to the surface of his cheekbone. “Then, she is worth kicking a senator out of office?”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “Absolutely. She fought him, I should say, sir, but she is small and—”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I saw for myself. She has a light in her fair eyes. I liked the look of it.” He rose to his feet. “Let us see what she has to say for herself, shall we?”
Jamen had this one opportunity to speak out and he nearly let it slip past him. He wasn’t afraid of the emperor. What held him back was admitting that the question he wished to ask would reveal his true feelings for Paige; possibilities, ideas that he’d not expressed to her.
“Highness,” he blurted.
The emperor halted by the door and turned—the impatience returning.
“If she chooses to stay on Halos, as my hanjin or not, would you welcome her as a free citizen?” Jamen clutched his tense fingers behind his back, not daring to show the emperor his white knuckles.
“You mean if she stays with you, would she be little more than a slave, a servant, like the others we bring to Halos?” The emperor moved closer; his immense size, which came from generations of breeding the tallest, mightiest Vendu warriors, loomed over Jamen. “Or would you go where your brother goes—and take her as your wife? A life mate with no other by your side. That is what you are asking?”
Jamen nodded. “I have not said anything to her because she is not ready to make the decision.”
“And you are?” The emperor grinned. “I think you are not ready either, or why ask me? If you were truly sure of your feelings, you would do as your brother Galen has done—just do it and deal with the consequences later.”
Jamen opened his mouth to disagree, then realized the emperor was correct. He still harbored doubts. Why was that? Why could he not commit his life to her?
Perhaps he needed more time.
* * *
Alone with Evetta, Paige rocked back on her heels and wondered if she should say anything. Was Evetta like an empress? A consort or mistress? She wasn’t much older than Paige and her translucent skin, which although umber in tone, was smooth as glass. She was tall, too and curvy. Paige felt a little intimidated by the length of her fingernails and the flood of black hair that cascaded down her back. Evetta didn’t do things by half.
“Come, take a look at the view,” Evetta invited her over to the balcony. “The gardens are an unusual feature of Halos.”
Paige joined her on the stone balcony with its ornately carved balustrades featuring exotic creatures. The garden was colorful and lacked grass, which Paige assumed was due to the heat.
“It’s lovely,” she said. “Why unusual?”
“Gardens are a luxury. We have little space in our cities for vegetation. We allow children to visit.” Evetta leaned on the balustrade, the
sun beating down on them both.
“The emperor lives here all time?” she asked.
Evetta shook her head. “He does leave Halos to visit parts of the Empire that have been given over to his sons and nephews to rule.”
“The conquered worlds the Vendu have colonized?”
“Not typically. These are other planets in neighboring systems that were folded into the empire when it formed a thousand years ago. Warlike clans who joined an alliance and became part of our great Empire. However, mostly my lord prefers to stay here, on Halos, where his people need him most.” She turned to Paige. “You have no empire on Earth, I’m told, but lots of smaller nations.”
“Historically, we fought each other, but there is nothing more unifying than one big enemy to bring people together. Each country still has autonomy, but we’re much better at sharing things.” Paige paused. “Of course, we’d rather the Vendu hadn’t taken part of our planet.” She wondered if she’d insulted the emperor’s prime mate.
Evetta simply shrugged her shoulders. “Understandable.”
A dry wind blew across the balcony and lifted the hem of Paige’s skirts; she quickly smoothed it down again. “It’s hot today,” she said.
“Always. And dry. This side of the city rarely gets rain.”
Paige hadn’t seen it rain once since she’d visited Halos.
Evetta straightened. “He returns,” she said quietly, her head cocked to listen.
