The emperor walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.Raaevik leaned his head back against the cold metal of the wall and closed his eyes.
He couldn't do this.He wasn't the male the emperor thought he was… he was something else.Something worse.
He was a traitor.
Pushing off the wall, his face set into stone.The heat in his blood was gone, replaced by cold certainty.
He would guard her…
He would die for her…
But he would never touch her again.
* * *
Another dress.More silk.
Emily held still while the attendants fussed, one of them pinning yet another sparkling something into her hair while another tugged at the drape of her skirts.The gown was blue this time—shimmering, expensive, and about as comfortable as wearing a fishing net made of credit chips.
Her comm unit buzzed against her thigh, tucked into a hidden pocket.She glanced down at the screen.
Lucy:How's life in the gilded cage?
Emily angled the screen away from the attendants and typed back.
Emily:They're putting more rocks in my hair.I'm going to need a neck brace.
Lucy:Pics or it didn't happen.
Emily:I look like a chandelier had a baby with a disco ball.
Lucy:Hot.Very "eat the rich" energy.
She bit back a smile.The attendant tugging at her bodice gave her a sharp look, and she schooled her expression back to emptiness.
Emily:The ball last night was an absolute nightmare.Half the nobles looked at me like I was something they'd scraped off the bottom of their boots.
Lucy:Shocking.Alien aristocrats are snobs.Who knew.
Emily:One of them actually asked Daaynal—right in front of me—if humans could be trained to behave in polite company.
Lucy:WHAT.What did he say??
Emily:Something diplomatic.I smiled so hard I thought my face would crack.
Lucy:You should have bitten her.
Emily:Don't tempt me.
Lucy:Look, think of it as armor.The dress, the jewels, all of it.They can't touch you if you're playing a part.
Emily stared at the message for a moment.Armor.Right.Except armor was supposed to make you feel protected, and all this silk made her feel exposed.
Emily:Easy for you to say.You didn't have to attend.
Lucy:Are you kidding?I'm nowhere near important enough for fancy alien balls.I'm down here with the other peons, eating reconstituted pasta and watching bad holovids.
Emily:Trade you.
