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They hurried to reenter the chamber. There were no chairs, no tables, nothing but a large round dais in the center of the room and above it, illuminated and slowly rotating, a three-dimensional image of the galaxy. Paige wondered where in the multitude of stars was the sun and Earth. Her home.
She bowed when the emperor returned. Jamen moved to stand next to her. He seemed pensive, a little too rigid. She’d no clue as to why they had spoken in private. Was it about her? Did the emperor have plans for her? Was that why Jamen seemed stiff?
“Closer, Paige,” the emperor ordered from the middle of the dais where he stood as tall as a colossal statue. He had to be the biggest Vendu male she’d ever seen.
His age was hard to determine because of the smoothness of his skin and the full head of hair that was tied behind his ears. Perhaps as old as her father, given his eldest son was full grown according to Jamen. He had human attributes augmented by the extra features she’d come to recognize as pure Vendu: high bones of his cheekbones and forehead and the narrow slits of dark eyes. He wore a long black tunic that came to the top of his knee-high boots. The fabric shimmered under the canopy of stars. The tunic was parted into a V-shape, baring his chest and she caught a glimpse of his blood-red tattoo—two eyes staring out her. She didn’t recognize the creature inked on his skin. She shivered slightly before gathering her skirts to obey his command. She walked to the edge of the platform and prepared to go down on one knee.
“No.” The emperor held up his hand. “That is not necessary. You are not a slave. You are my guest.”
She straightened her bent knee. “Thank you, Highness.”
“You are enjoying your stay among us?” he asked pleasantly.
“Yes, Highness. I visited the mountains and saw the city from high up there. It’s fascinating.” She nearly rambled on, as she often did when nervous, but then remembered Jamen’s suggestion to keep her answers short and sweet. Her knees knocked together under her skirt. What was it about these hunky men that made her stomach flutter?
“Ah,” the emperor smiled. “The Vekren, the high peak. Cold and icy. We Vendu like the heat.”
Which is why you picked Australia to colonize, she didn’t add, zipping her mouth tightly shut.
Jamen rescued her. “New Phoenix is also a warm place. I think Paige prefers the heat.”
“Oh, yes,” she nodded enthusiastically. “I love hot things…” She got no further because the emperor tossed back his head in an eruption of laughter.
She wanted to shrink into the marble tiles beneath her stilettos; instead, she turned to Jamen, whispering in English. “What did I say?”
Jamen leaned toward her, his voice covered by the emperor’s laughter. “You know what hot can mean in English? Well, it translates the same in Vendu. A hot thing is rough talk for a…” He glanced down to his belly. “When it’s hard.” He switched back to Vendian. “Forgive me, Highness. Paige has done well to learn our language, but not all meanings.”
The emperor calmed. “You have amused me, Paige. I am not an easy man to amuse. You are safe from now on. Any man who lays a finger on you without the permission of Jamen will forfeit their rank and honor. Rasser will return home in disgrace. No Vendu may mate with you other than whom you choose. And, that includes myself.” He nodded to Jamen, who bowed in reply.
“I thank you, Highness. That is most generous of you.” Jamen knocked his elbow against her arm.
“Thank you, Highness,” she added swiftly. What the hell did he mean by his last sentence?
She had to wait for them to be dismissed from his presence before she could ask Jamen. Trotting alongside him as he strode back to palace gates, she couldn’t wait for the privacy of the shuttle.
“What did he mean—myself included?”
“Nothing important,” he replied without looking at her, his step quickening.
“No, no,” She reached out and snatched at his sleeve, forcing him to slow down. “Tell me.”
He sighed, puffing out his lips and stopped. Taking his hand in hers, he explained. “A hanjin is duty bound to honor her master, as you do. But also, my master. When you serve me, you serve the emperor. He is entitled to request you.”
“You mean fuck me!” Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Sh,” he said. The escort was several paces ahead waiting for them. “It is rare, I admit, for the emperor to trifle with a lowly hanjin. But as you are alien, a human, there was always the possibility he might use his prerogative and… summon you to his bedchamber.”
“What if I’d said no?” The idea of that huge man… she didn’t want to think about whether it was even physically possible, because she would have refused. She was Jamen’s and only his, and he had to understand that, didn’t he?
Jamen drew her knuckles to his lips. “I would have done anything to persuade him not to. Risk everything, my position, my freedom.”
“You would?” Her heart glowed, knowing how important she was to him.
“Yes.” He kissed her hand. “But, the emperor does not need to demand such things. He is progressive in his ways. He will not touch you and I believe him.”
“Then I do, too.”
They continued to walk hand in hand. She felt relieved but at the same time, something was niggling away inside her. When he’d gone into the emperor’s private office, he might have wondered if the emperor was going to demand he hand Paige over for sex and that had been the reason he’d seemed worried. But the emperor clearly hadn’t. However, something else had made Jamen thoughtful, almost broody. She’d still no idea why that was.
