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“Your Highness, I’m sorry to disturb you, but can you come out into the corridor so I can speak with you, please?”
The door was pulled open a tiny bit wider so I could see part of the prince’s face. There was a pink flush staining his pale, creamy cheeks. I saw that one eye dart back and forth down the corridor.
“Would you come in?” he asked.
Had he just invited me to come into his private chamber alone at this time of night? This was worse than I thought.
“No, Your Highness. That would be improper. Please step out for just a moment. I have something I need to speak to you about.”
“You do?” He pulled the door open another inch. “All right, but just for a moment. I have to leave early in the morning.”
“Yes, Your Highness, I know. I’ll be on the same ship.”
The pink across his cheeks made another appearance, and his lips parted. “You will? Oh, that’s right, I remember my father mentioning that some of the Imperials would be onboard, but I didn’t know you’d be one of them.”
Had his eyes always been so blue? I got lost in them for a moment before I recalled why I was there.
“If you could just step all the way out, Highness. I need to talk to you before we leave in the morning.”
He came out, nervously drawing his robe more tightly around him, and I stepped back to give him plenty of room. It was getting late, so no servants were about, and the lights had already dropped down to a dim setting. I saw him shiver. It was a bit drafty in the hall, and I wondered if he had his omak’s well-known sensitivities to the temperatures on our planet, or if I was making him nervous.
“I’ll get right to the point, sir. I witnessed part of the exchange between you and my cousin, Major Venkarr, and I’m very concerned.”
“Oh?”
“Your Highness, I could see he upset you. I didn’t like what I saw, and I want you to tell me if he’s bothering you. Please be honest.”
He bit down on his bottom lip and shivered again. Finally, he sighed and nodded. “Yes, he’s bothering me. He…forces himself on me.”
I clenched my fist at the image that sprang into my head and took a sharp, deep breath.
“He what?” My voice had dropped down in its lowest register, and he took an alarmed step back from me.
“No, not like that,” he said, taking my arm. His touch burned my skin.
“He-he kisses me. Puts his tongue in my mouth and down my throat.”
It took me a few moments to come back from that too. Rage filled me, but I forced it down ruthlessly. When I had it under control, I managed to speak again.
“Do you welcome these advances?”
He gazed up at me out of that gorgeous little face and shook his head. “No. I hate it.”
It was all I needed to hear. I wanted to hunt Venkarr down now and gut him. I took another deep breath, still trying to calm myself. “In that case, sir, please accompany me to speak to your fathers about it.”
“What? My fathers? Oh no,” he took a quick step back and again glanced wildly up and down the hall. For a moment, I thought he’d bolt back into his room. I’d go after him if he did, and decorum be damned. “No, I-I can’t do that.”
“I have to inform you, sir, that if you don’t go with me, I’ll go alone to speak to your parents, but either way, they’re going to hear about this tonight.”
“But you can’t. The major will be so angry. He’s your cousin.”
“Your Highness, I really care little about what the major will do or say, regardless of any relationship I might have to him.”
“You-you don’t?”
“No, sir. Your welfare comes first. Always.” I held out an arm for him. “Will you come with me now to speak to your parents, Your Highness? I think they should hear this directly from you.”
He gave one more distressed, longing glance back at his door and then sighed. “I don’t want them to know I can’t handle this on my own. My father will think I’m soft and weak.”
