“Your Imperial Majesty, Chosen of Napisten.”
“Your Eminence.” Karthajin dipped his head. “I’m delighted you could join me for breakfast.”
“I was most concerned about your sudden… illness yesterday.”
“I appreciate your concern.” Verifying that everything was in place, he waved his guest to a seat, then dismissed all of the servants except Saban. He was sure Lekasar would prefer to be waited on, but he was already suspicious about where the conversation might be heading.
The two men were seated and Saban prepared and served their tea before retiring to a corner of the room. Lekasar studied the array of dishes before picking up a morsel of svarga. It was the most expensive delicacy on the table and he lingered over it before returning to his questions.
“I trust there were no lasting effects?”
“No, I am quite myself today.” Was he? He suspected that being with Ella had already changed him.
“I was especially concerned since I heard that several other events over the past few days had been rearranged.”
“My schedule has always been flexible.” Tired of the game, he asked bluntly. “Why are you really here, Lekasar?”
The priest contemplated his nails. “My concern over your health reminded me of a matter I wished to discuss with you. I believe it is time for you to take a First Consort.”
A First Consort? The priest wanted him to arrange to be mated? He wasn’t sure he was as successful in hiding his shock as he would have wished but he forced a casual tone. “I disagree. My father didn’t take a consort until he was in his thirties.”
“Yes. I considered that most unfortunate. Perhaps if he had joined earlier, he would have had more than one child.” Before Karthajin could react to what he suspected was a veiled criticism of his mother, Lekasar continued. “As it stands, you have no direct heir. If something were to happen to you, the throne would go to Prince Orokoth. A fine man and a devout servant of the church, but not of Balmajin’s direct bloodline. Your grandfather was an excellent emperor, shedding the light of Napisten throughout the galaxy. His lineage should continue.”
His grandfather had been a brutal old bastard who had been far more concerned with enforcing Kaisarian dominance than religious evangelism; however, he wasn’t about to argue the subject with the priest. He was still trying to come to terms with the idea of taking a mate.
“I have every intention of providing a direct successor…” A vision of Ella’s body ripe with child forced its way into his consciousness, but he reluctantly dismissed it. “However, there is no immediate need to be concerned about such things.”
“What if your… illness had been of a more serious nature? I’m sure your father assumed he would rule for many years, yet he was only on the throne for six months. It would be such a shame if something similar would occur to you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why, Lekasar, that almost sounds like a threat.”
“Oh, no, Chosen One.” The priest looked genuinely shocked. “But Napisten’s ways are never known to us. Which is why I believe that choosing a First Consort would reassure your people.”
Choose a First Consort? The image of blue eyes and a teasing smile flashed in front of him. If he truly had a choice, of course he would choose Ella. But even if he had been willing to subject her to the machinations of his court, the Kaisarians would never accept a human slave as a suitable mate.
“I have prepared a list of suitable princesses. They have all been raised in the appropriate seclusion to ensure that they are pure.” Lekasar hesitated and contemplated his nails again. “I understand that sometimes one’s… affections may be engaged outside of the formal mating bonds, but it seems cruel to encourage false expectations in one who can only be unsuitable. It might be best to terminate such associations. Perhaps, after an heir has been conceived, discreet arrangements could be made.”
If he hadn’t been so furious, he would have laughed. None of his father’s “arrangements” had been in any way discreet, from flaunting his latest lover at state banquets to eliminating the First Consort's rooms so that he could frolic with his favorites without fear of interruption. But beneath the anger was a very real concern that Lekasar was referring specifically to Ella. Had the rumors already spread so far? The suspicion only added to his fury, and he rose abruptly to his feet.
“I shall take the matter under advisement. And since you are so concerned for my health, I’m sure you won't mind if we cut this meal short so that I can rest before my other engagements.”
The priest’s eyes narrowed, annoyed at his dismissal, but he bowed his head gracefully. “Of course, Chosen One. I trust you will consider my suggestion.”
“Good day, Lekasar.”
As soon as Saban escorted the priest from the room, he began to pace. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t entirely discount Lekasar’s words. His grandfather had been always been very insistent on the importance of stability in the realm. He’d seen for himself how unsettled things were after his father's unexpected death and it was only now, a year later, that he finally felt as if the empire was running smoothly. But to take another as a mate, when his heart belonged to Ella?
Although he despised the very thought, he forced himself to consider Lekasar’s veiled suggestion—that he take a First Consort and keep Ella on the side. Political matings were not uncommon and with her knowledge of history, she would certainly understand that on an intellectual level, but in her heart? He remembered the way she had looked up at him, the way she had so carefully told him that she loved him. No, sharing him with another would break her.
When Saban returned from escorting the priest, his face was its usual smooth mask, but he thought he detected a hint of the same concern in his servant’s eyes.
“Is it so widely known, Saban?”
“Sire?”
“Don’t play coy. You know what I’m asking.”
“I suspect most of the palace is aware that you have a… pet.” He hesitated, then looked Karthajin directly in the eye. “I don’t believe they have any idea that she is more than that.”
“Yet, Lekasar felt compelled to visit me.”
“If he heard enough of the rumors to know that she was not Kaisarian, he might have felt that it was his duty.”
Karthajin winced but Saban’s point was well made. Under Lekasar, the Church had become even more dogmatic about the superiority of the Kaisarian race. His grandfather and father had been similarly convinced; however, his mother had gently encouraged him to consider the worth of other races. Yet, if Ella’s humanity was a driving factor, perhaps making her presence less visible would buy him some time. As much as he enjoyed her company—and her insightful observations—he would have to keep her out of his office. He would also have to forgo spending additional time with her and resume his usual workload. And perhaps he should even give the appearance of considering Lekasar’s suggestion.
“Saban, please tell Ella that she will not be able to join me this morning after all. I will see her… later,” he said with a regretful sigh.
Chapter Seventeen
“Ella. Ella!”
With a start, she looked up to see Nokatan shaking his head at her. “Am I wasting my time? Should we stop these lessons?”
Shaking her head emphatically, she reached for her tablet, but he held it away from her.
“Use your words. You need the practice.”
She glared at him, but he was right. Sometimes the fact that no one expected her to speak made life much easier. She could nod and smile and slip into the role of an adorable child, the same role she’d played since she came to Kaisar. And what did it matter as long as Karthajin understood her? If only she understood him as well.
Something was bothering him and had been ever since the morning after they made love for the first time. Since that night, he no longer allowed her in his office, or allowed her at any meals where he had company. His schedule was once more as full as it had been in those first few day
s, their time together limited to snatched moments during the day when he was alone.
At least they had the nights. She might have thought he was regretting what had happened if it weren’t for those nights. No matter how late he returned, he always woke her, apologizing even as he reached for her with a frantic hunger that she couldn’t resist. And once that initial urgency was appeased, he would spend hours touching her, pleasing her, before wrapping her tightly in his arms. But no matter how tightly he held her, he was always gone when she awoke. He even missed many of the training sessions she knew he enjoyed for more audiences, more official duties.
“I’m worried,” she said carefully. “About K-karth-th—” Damn. His name never wanted to come out.
Nokatan sighed. “I’m worried, too. He has canceled our last two sessions.”
That worried her, too, because she knew he considered them important.
Why tutors? She had asked him one day.
“I’ve been getting lessons all my life. I think my grandfather started training me to be the emperor when I was still in the cradle.” He had laughed ruefully. “Not that I ever particularly wanted the job. When my grandfather died and my father inherited the throne, I thought I had at least a few more years before I’d have to worry about it, always assuming he hadn’t driven the empire into rebellion by then. But then he died six months after ascending to the throne and it came to me. And I suddenly realized just how little I knew despite all of those lessons. So, every afternoon when I can manage it, one of my “advisors” comes to me for an hour and I learn a little bit more.”
Now she tried to excuse his actions. “H-he’s very t-tired.” She knew it was true; she could see the strain on his face when he forgot to mask it.
“If he canceled in order to rest, I would be delighted. But he’s not resting. Yesterday, he went boating with Princess Szuza and—” He stopped abruptly. “I’m sorry, girl.”
“It’s f-fine,” she managed to say. A vision danced in her head of Karthajin, her Karthajin, floating around under the sun with another woman while she was alone here, trapped in his rooms. His warning that she would regret her decision to stay with him came back to her. Chika had been curled next to her, but now she lifted her head and nudged Ella’s side.
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Nokatan said hastily. “Half of the court was there, as well as her chaperones.”
“Ch-chaperones?” she asked, her lips going numb. There was only one reason a princess had chaperones—if her virginity was being guarded in anticipation of her making an advantageous union. Perhaps even a union with an emperor. The room spun and it was a long while before she realized that Nokatan was calling her name again.
“Ella, dammit. If you’re going to faint, do it on your own time.” Despite the words, his eyes were frantic with worry and his hair was dancing wildly around his face. Chika was butting her head against her, equally as concerned.
“N-no. No, I’m not going to faint.” She picked up Chika and buried her face in the kitten’s soft fur. She was just going to end up alone. Again.
Nokatan stared at her and it took a minute for her to realize why. She had spoken quite clearly.
“That was perfect. I knew you could do it. Say something else.”
“What do you want me to s-say? That I know Karthajin—” How easily the word came out now, now that she was going to lose him. “That I know he is looking for a c-consort.”
“That’s a lot to infer from one excursion…” He stopped abruptly.
“I take it that means that wasn’t the only one?” Her voice was still calm and clear, but her heart was crumbling inside her chest.
“I think I liked it better when you didn’t talk,” he muttered.
She managed a smile, barely. “It’s not your f-fault. I think he must have realized after our first… time, that it couldn’t last. I always knew it wouldn’t. I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Nokatan stood up and started pacing. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Do I have a choice?” The words came out with a bitterness that felt wrong on her tongue. She was used to being accommodating, of pushing things aside in order to appear happy. And most of the time, the happiness wasn’t an act. She was happy when the people she loved were happy. But this… She didn’t think she could push it aside if Karthajin took a First Consort.
He stopped pacing and glared at her. “Don’t play that game, girl. He may feel the need to put on a show for political reasons, but a blind man could tell he’s in love with you.”
Despite everything, his words caused a little warm glow inside her. She did believe that Karthajin loved her. Even now, she found it hard to imagine that he would ever abandon her. However, that didn’t mean he might not have to choose an official mate. He might not even regard it as unusual—many previous emperors had had both consorts and concubines, even a full harem. But for her, he was the only one. The rest of Nokatan’s words penetrated.
“What do you mean—for p-political reasons?”
Nokatan looked uncomfortable, his hair jumping wildly, but he shrugged. “The Church is pushing him to choose a First Consort. He’s the last of the direct line and he has no heir.”
“I see.” Her heart sank a little more. After their first night together, Karthajin had arranged for her to take a little pink pill that would prevent pregnancy until it was reversed. She had thought it was because he was concerned about her. Instead, it was because he didn’t want her child getting in the way of his rightful heir—an heir who would have to be of Kaisarian blood. She felt tears threaten and Nokatan took her hand.
“Ella, you musn’t be too hard on him. No matter what he wants personally, he was brought up as the future emperor. He’s been raised to fulfill those duties since the day he was born. I had a hard-enough time dealing with family expectations and they just wanted me to be a merchant.”
“A merchant?” Blunt, intellectual Nokatan selling hats to fat old ladies? She seized the opportunity to distract herself from her thoughts. “Why?”
“It’s what my family does—and has done for countless generations. When the Kaisarian Empire acquired the Gliese system, all my ancestors cared about was how to make a profit from it. My father expected me to succeed him and continue that tradition. I felt the weight of that expectation my whole life, but in the end, as hard as it was, I could choose to leave. Karthajin doesn’t have that choice.”
“But I have a choice,” she said slowly.
“You do,” he affirmed. “I know he doesn’t want to let you go, but I think he would if you asked him.”
Would she ask him? Or would she let him keep her as a beloved little pet, trapped as surely by her love as she had ever been by her slavery? Did she love him enough to stay, even if it meant sharing him with another woman? She wished she were more sure about her answer, but she found she really did not want to think about it. For right now, he was still hers. The decision could wait. Instead, she pulled her armor around her and gave Nokatan a wide-eyed look.
“You won’t tell him about my w-words coming back, will you?”
He studied her face, his hair swirling slowly, then nodded. “Not unless he asks me directly. He is my emperor and I will not lie to him.”
“Th-thank you.” It was all too easy to slip back into her previous speech patterns. Suddenly anxious to escape his penetrating gaze, she picked up Chika and headed to the garden where she could play with her kitten and pretend that nothing had changed.
Chapter Eighteen
If he had been his father, Karthajin reflected, he would undoubtedly have thrown a chair across the room by now. Perhaps even two. But since he’d spent most of his life endeavoring not to emulate his father, all he did was bring a hand down sharply across his desk.
“Enough.”
Both men jumped, then glared at the other. He knew the boat ride had been a mistake. Despite the chaperones, it had been a more intimate experience than he anticipated. However, by the time he’d arr
ived at the lake and realized the situation, it was impossible to escape without giving offense. Of course, no one would have protested but it would have been capricious, and being capricious did not encourage productive relationships with the Royal Houses.
As a result, he endured an hour with a princess who, while no doubt attractive, was also too shy to open her mouth, and with chaperones who seemed far more interested in abandoning their charge than they did in protecting her virtue. It also did not escape him that while Ella might not have much to say, either, he would have derived considerable enjoyment from the same outing if she had been there. He was wistfully considering the possibility of closing the entire lake to everyone else and taking her there, when Prince Gyenga cleared his throat.
“I apologize for this unseemly behavior, Your Imperial Majesty. I simply wanted to suggest that since you enjoyed my daughter’s company so much yesterday, you might wish to escort her to your birthday gala.”
“However, I noticed how much you enjoyed my daughter’s wit at the Summer Festival luncheon and wanted to suggest that you escort her,” Prince Leterit continued smoothly.
Wit? Princess Leterina tittered ceaselessly at her own jokes and seemed to have no knowledge of anything other than the latest hairstyle.
He hid his frustration with the ease of long practice and gave them a slight, icy smile.
“Thank you, gentleman. I already have a companion for the event.”
“B-but who?” Prince Leterit stuttered. “Surely you don’t mean Princess Belra? Why I know for a fact that she is most certainly not pure—” He stopped abruptly. “I mean, I have it on good authority.”
So Leterit had taken the virginity of his rival’s daughter, a girl half his age? Had she even been willing? He shook his head, disgusted but not surprised.
“If the princess willingly chose to give up her purity, then it is certainly her prerogative.” Did the man pale at his emphasis on the word willingly? He made a mental note to have discreet enquiries made about the girl. “However, as I said, my plans have been made. Good day, gentlemen.”
Ella and the Emperor (Alien Abduction #5) Page 10