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"I agree, Princess," Jervaise sympathized. "Our line of succession is father to son, but our queens are still adored and treated well even after they have produced the next generation. What happens in Avalonia disgusts me. It disgusts all of us since we found out. And now that we've gotten to know you better, none of us would stand for you being treated so poorly."
"Thank you, Elite Jervaise." Standing up, I sighed. "I'm going to have a rest before dinner. Just let me know when it comes."
"Yes, Princess.”
ChapterSixteen
"How does it work?"
Lazing in the bath with my elbows perched over the edge so I could watch the city lights in the distance, I looked over my shoulder at Luther. He'd never interrupted my night-time baths before. Usually, he was too busy ruling. "How does what work?"
"The throne recognizing you?" Stripping off, Luther slipped into the bath onto his knees to sit back on his ankles. For such huge men, they were pretty flexible.
Rolling to face him, I sat on the bottom of the bath. Of course, anyone who was not Avalonian or Cyran would drown trying to do the same. "I touch the chair, or more specifically the arm of the chair."
"What's to stop you walking into the empty throne room and doing just that?"
"Someone needs to be there to see it, Luther. The elders need to see the chair recognize me so that they recognize me, and I need to do it before they assign a caretaker."
"If Abaddon dies and you are not there to jump the throne, the elders will assign a caretaker before you can make your claim and any chance of you becoming queen goes out the window?" I met Luther's eyes with sadness. He sighed deeply. "I do not have much choice, do I?"
"You can choose to leave me here, to not have me claim the throne. But, even if you kill the Barbarian, my world will still be in civil war, and whoever takes the throne will still try to kill me. I could pop out a son tomorrow, but it would be eighteen years before he could take a throne. So, until my blood sits on that throne, we will be targeted by assassins."
"As I said, no choice." When Luther reached out his hand to me, I let him pull me through the water to him. "It is not just you getting hurt, Zira. You could be captured if we fail." His hand cupped my flat belly. "It is the life of our child at risk also. And, if this is a boy, this is the heir to my father's throne."
"Luther, I can fix this. I can bring peace to my home world. Ravid is right. I dare say he tried to convince my parents numerous times. Still, they feared what you do," I scowled, avoiding eye contact by studying his hard body beneath the water. "Now you're involved. It gives me the hope to think we can change my world for the better. To give my daughter a better and more fulfilling life so that she doesn't grow up thinking she's good for only her womb and the seed a man places within it."
With his hand at the side of my neck, Luther pressed his thumb beneath my jaw, forcing my head to tilt back so I would look up at him. "Any man who thought you were only good for putting on your back was never worthy of you, Zira."
"I'm pretty sure you've already admitted that your first response to me was exactly that!"
Luther laughed. "I am a man, Zira, not a priest. But, from the word go, I wanted you by my side. Maybe not in the throne room, but I respect your intelligence, and I had hoped that away from public view, we could see each other as equals. You balance me in a way that no other woman in all our systems could hope to do."
His eyes were focused on my lips, but I saw every bit of feeling behind his words. "Why can't I be your equal publicly?"
Moving my mouth closer to his, Luther breathed his words on my wet lips, tickling them. "Because even after we make you queen of your own world, you will still be classed as a child who is under my guardianship."
Smiling, I pressed my body to his. "Well, maybe I'll just go live on Avalonia where I am Queen, and you will merely be a Prince. That way, the scales will be tipped in my favor." Kissing along his jaw lightly, I hovered in front of his lips again, then ducked my mouth to his neck.
"Zira, I think you are learning quite quickly how to negotiate with your Prince." His hand moved my face back level with his. "But until you are an adult, I have seniority over you once we step out of quarters. I do not care what title you hold on any other world."
He kissed me deeply as his hands moved over me in the way I taught him. I tried to respond sarcastically, but all that came out was a gasped breath and a plea for more.
* * *
"Where are you going?"I asked, half-asleep, watching Luther dress.
"I need to make a decision tonight about your uncle's involvement. That means I need to look over the information available. Erhaird should have something for me by now."
Groaning, I sat up and pulled my robe into place.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm not sleeping here by myself. I'll get something to eat and watch the Elite play Kort until you come to bed."
When I stood up, Luther moved in front of me. "You need to rest, Zira. Surely you have not grown so used to me in such a short time that you cannot sleep without me?"
"I don't feel safe here, Luther."
