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"She knew him," Hartwin scowled. "I got to her side just as she dropped on him. She recognized him."
All three men sat watching me, waiting for an explanation. Clearing my throat, I blinked away tears. "He was the royal envoy that slit my brother's throat in front of me then dragged me to the feet of the Barbarian. His name was Zodack. I don't think I could ever forget his face."
Luther considered the food in the bowl before him for a moment before speaking just loud enough for me to hear across the room. "I'd never understood why your parents sought my throne for you. I assumed they figured you possessed the peoples' support, and if you held your own throne, then rulers would leave you be. But, today… today I saw the queen they knew was in you." Luther didn't look at me, just spooned a mouthful of lunch into his mouth.
"She was pretty scary in there," Jervaise agreed. "I mean that speed thing was scary enough, but the way she smiled at the ambassador as she stabbed the bastard." Jervaise shivered. "It was a blackness of a turn-on."
Surprised to hear that said out loud, let alone about me, I looked at Jervaise wide-eyed. Luther smacked him across the back of his head. "Put my companion and your erection in the same sentence again, and I will demote you faster than she can kill an invisible assassin."
"Yes, Prince Saboa." Jervaise was suddenly deadly serious. "I apologize for my response." I don't think he meant the verbal one. "But, if you even try to deny you were straining your pants in there, I will call foul."
Luther actually laughed, smacking Jervaise on the shoulder hard enough to make him rock in his chair. Apparently, putting the prince's erection and his companion in the same sentence was not a faux pas.
"How the blackness did you ever survive the five-year celibacy to become a royal guard, let alone the testing for elite?" Hartwin grumbled.
Jervaise feigned a wretched appearance. "Those five years were torture. After that, I was able to survive anything."
ChapterNine
Three days of companionship, and we’d already managed the routine of dinner, bath, and within a short time of me climbing into bed, Saboa joining me. Tonight I stood by the bed looking at the city lights for over an hour. He still didn't come to say goodnight.
Sighing, I frowned at the empty bed. Of all the nights Luther could have left me alone, he chose the night I was feeling the most vulnerable. Right now, I welcomed his arms wrapping around me. Of course, I knew there would be fallout from today and that he was probably dealing with it. Sending an assassin into the throne room under the guise of an ambassador's visit couldn't be ignored. Still, I couldn't crawl into that bed alone.
Sealing my robe around me, I opened the bedroom doors. Elite Erhaird was sitting lazily on the sofa with a book in hand. "Something wrong, Princess?"
"Is the Prince nearby?"
"In his office, Princess."
Nodding, I moved to the door to the outer quarters. Erhaird kicked off the lounge, following me out. Of all the elite on my watch so far, he was the most relaxed and formal. He didn't try to engage me in conversation or speak inappropriately. He didn't discourage me from moving freely either; he would just follow wordlessly.
I'd worked out he was one of the elite's newest members within a short time by the way the senior elite mumbled about his not questioning my wandering the palats. Hence, why he'd been given the night shift.
In the main room, the other three elite on duty lazed around playing a game of Kort. They all looked up at my entry, raising their eyebrows to Erhaird. He shrugged and went to join them.
Making my way across to the Prince's office, I stopped hesitantly at the door. No one ever knocked entering our rooms, but what if he was on a call with a diplomat? By the stars, what if he had a woman in there with him? Our joining contract didn't say a word about fidelity. I'd just assumed it because that was the way of things in Avalonia. But Padget's existence hinted that may not be the Cyran way.
Anberon, the captain of Saboa's personal guard, read my hesitation. "He's alone, Princess, and currently not talking to anybody." When I looked over my shoulder, unsure if he meant I should walk away, Anberon pointed to a comms unit. "He has us filtering comms tonight. No line is lit up."
Nodding, I raised my hand to knock. Anberon coughed, drawing my attention. He wasn't looking at me any longer but shook his head slightly. His eyes flicked to me as I lowered my hand. Giving him a smile of thanks, I slid one side of the office door open.
Saboa sat in his office chair, reading a document in front of him. Glancing up at my entrance, he watched me slide the door shut behind me. "You should be asleep. It's been a long day." Putting down his stylus, he pushed back slightly from the desk, waiting to hear why I was interrupting him.
"I… I don't want to be alone."
Luther's eyebrows rose with surprise. "Medic Ellery told me you need to rest for a full day."
Spying the book on the corner of his desk, I put my hand on it. "Your men found the book?"
"Yes." He watched me pick it up and start flicking through it. "The part for female conception is rather short. The majority of it revolves around the man learning to control his input."
I smiled through my lashes at him. "You think you can learn to control what sex you produce?"
"It is worth a try, is it not?"
Moving to the window, I flicked through the pages on female conception. I recognized the symbol located at the very base of my natal chart, possibly the case for every female of my species. Half an hour later, I closed the book with a sigh, placing it back on the corner of Saboa's desk.
Looking up from the markup device where he'd returned his focus, Luther considered me. "Have you read it yet?" I asked, tapping the cover. He nodded, sitting back in the chair again. "Have you tried it? While we've been…?"
