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So everyone knows who you belong to, Fen thought.
She had barely seen him in the last two days. They'd had evening meals with Kashmet and Kemes, but the Pharaoh had kept Khan busy from dawn until dusk.
Khan flinched when Kemes elbowed him in the side. "Didn't I do a great job? She wears silk well."
Khan cleared his throat. "Yes. Excellent work, the both of you. Come, Fen, let's get this farce over with."
"Are you always this miserable when going to parties?" Fen asked.
"Only in Ankhara," Kemes said before Khan could reply. She grinned impishly. "Once in Atrahasis, he drank so much summer wine that he stripped naked and—"
"And if you utter one more word, I'll murder you," Khan growled, making both women laugh.
"You'll have to catch me first," Kemes said.
They met Kashmet out in the main chamber. He looked Fen over and gave a low whistle.
"Damn, that is some fine concubine," he said, shooting her a wink.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Fen replied, adjusting her belt awkwardly.
"Stop staring creepily at her, Kash. She'll have to put up with that enough tonight," Khan grumbled. He paused by the double doors leading outside and held out his arm for her. Fen took it, and magic purred in her veins.
Khan's shoulders straightened, and he nodded. Kashmet opened the doors for them, and they followed him to where a carriage of ebony wood was waiting for them. Fen admired the two black stallions hitched to it before Kemes opened the carriage door, checking inside before allowing them to get into it. Kashmet and Kemes mounted horses and rode alongside them and into the city.
"You look nervous," Fen commented, sitting on cushions opposite him.
"I'm not nervous. I just hate attending these events," Khan replied.
"Why does the Pharaoh ask you to go to them then?"
"Because he doesn't want to, and he thinks it's good to show the Ankharians that I'm like them."
Fen frowned. "But you're not."
Khan laughed bitterly. "Oh, I know it, and so does he."
"At least you are wearing clothes that cover you properly. This dress is ridiculous."
Khan's dark eyes drifted over her. "It is ridiculous, but you still look beautiful in it."
Unlike Kashmet's casual flirting, getting a genuine compliment from Khan made her blood run hot. She had missed him a little in the last two days, which didn't sit well with her. She hadn't expected to get attached to him—she knew better—but there she was all the same.
Fen realized she was staring at him, so she gave him a smile and said, "Thank you, my prince. You look beautiful too."
"My prince? What happened to Khan?"
"I can't call you Khan in front of your court. Would you prefermaster?" Fen asked slyly.
Khan's expression shifted from amusement to something…else. Fen's heart jumped, her skin burning wherever his gaze touched. Her palms were slick with nervous sweat; her magic pulsed, and her mouth went dry. It had been a long time since a man had such a sudden effect on her.
"Perhaps we had best stick tomy prince," Khan replied, his voice huskier than it had been a moment before.
Fen looked out of the windows and into the city. They passed through the palace gates and into the other districts. Lights were glowing to illuminate the streets, and thanks to the map Khan had showed her, she could better orientate herself.
"How do the lights work with no oil or wood to make them burn?" she asked curiously, staring at them wide-eyed like the moths fluttering around them.
"The Houses of Thoth and Horus created them centuries ago," Khan explained. He leaned closer, his spice and male scent tingling Fen's nose. He pointed to the top of the roof of the building. "You see those sails like they should be on a ship? They are made of special materials that use the sun to create an energy that can be used to power lights and other things."
