The first of the double strands fell across my clavicle with the second falling half an inch below it. The two strands twisted into a lover’s knot, and the ends fell between my breasts along the scar caused from my heart surgery. Every half inch of the chain held a glittering diamond. Fitz trailed his hands over my bare arms and kissed my neck and shoulder.
“It appears that the sun has left a ray to grace your neck.” He ran a finger down the side of my neck and along my arm, took my right hand, lifted it, and kissed my palm.
“It’s stunning.”
“These diamonds have been in the Jiri family for generations. Now, they adorn the neck of our princess.” Fitz tilted my head back and kissed me.
With my head resting against his shoulder and his arms around me, he shifted me. All thought and reason abandoned me. Yukihyo and Nico had awakened within me an uncontrollable and insatiable passion. Now, my pheromones awakened a similar need in Fitz. His hand was splayed across my back as he lowered me to my pillows. Fitz found my naked breasts with his other hand and deepened our kiss as he gently pulled on my nipple with his fingers making me arch against him. His hand moved down my body to press against my folds where he rubbed and teased before pushing his finger and then a second within me.
“Let me make love to you,” Fitz whispered.
“No,” I said as I pushed him from me with a sudden ravenous need that I remembered all too well. I pulled his pajamas from his hips and down to his knees while he watched me with a shocked expression. Then, I moved up his body until I had positioned myself over him. Fitz had the longest, thickest manly appendage that I had ever seen. Now, it was rigid and pulsing. Kneeling above him, I reached down and separated my folds as he watched and then lowered myself over him. He was huge and stretched me from my opening and up. I had to push myself down along his length. I held his eyes with mine as I panted and pushed until I had taken all of him and had my bones pressed firmly against his. Then, an orgasm took me. I clenched and pulsed around his huge hard penis again and again.
Fitz began thrusting upward into me hard and deep. Being so very full of him had another orgasm taking from me all of my control. Fitz was over me then taking me with a forceful intensity that had my breasts bouncing up and down on my chest and my heart monitor blaring. Along with a huge manly appendage, Fitz had amazing stamina. By the time he had pumped me full of his pleasure, I no longer questioned having married him. I was incredibly sore and satisfied. Fitz laid between my legs with his face pressed to my neck.
Shocked, I saw Yukihyo beside the bed. He bent down and kissed me deeply while Fitz was still within me. I moaned overcome by lust. Yukihyo was hard with moisture dripping from his tip. “Your pleasure has overcome me, lady wife.” He got into bed with us, and as Fitz left my body, Yukihyo entered it.
After my shower, Phillip surprised me in my dressing room while Lorca was bathing Niklos in his tiny tub. “Let’s remove those patches, Cupcake,” he said as he sauntered in. He thought nothing of swiping away my towel. I rolled my eyes at him. The patches were still firmly attached, so he had to use a solvent wipe to pull them free. “Remarkable. The cesarean scar will remain visible for a few months but will continue to fade along with the incision I made here,” Phillip said as he touched the long vertical scar. The stretch marks and loose skin were history which made me happy. “Okay, you’re all cleaned up.” Next, the scanner came out. “Well, well, well, Cupcake. Those Parvac hormones of yours are considerably elevated.”
Yukihyo finished dressing ignoring Phillip’s ministrations to me. However, he was wearing what he wore for work.
“Where are you going?” I asked worried he wanted to get away after our early morning activities, not that I would blame him. I quickly dressed.
He grinned at me and pinched my butt. “Phillip, I may need those vitamin injections once again.” Then, his playfulness vanished when he said, “I am going to our warehouse. I received notice that a waterline broke. How could that have happened?” Yukihyo asked obviously puzzled.
“Do you need help?” Phillip asked.
“Yes, hopefully our merchandise has not been damaged,” Yukihyo answered as we filed out of the bathroom.
“Daddy go bye-bye?” Neema asked as she yawned from where she sat in her bed. Our eyes went wide proudly.
“Chirp chirp.” Thunderdrop said as he walked from the room in search of breakfast. He wasn’t a fan of the carpet which slowed down his ball playing. He hissed at it as his back claw became momentarily caught. I held my lips between my teeth so as not to laugh.
“Neema, you are a very smart little girl,” Yukihyo said as he kissed her chubby cheek.
We walked out and into the sitting room where large red and yellow blooms filled vases on every surface. By the time we made it out to the patio, a huge smile covered my face. “It’s so bright and cheerful, and they smell beautiful. Thank you, Fitz.”
Fitz smiled and held out my chair. Yukihyo put Neema into her highchair beside me, grabbed a few rolls, and kissed me. “Call me if you need me,” Yukihyo said.
“Cupcake, don’t get too excited today. I think you’ve overdone it already. If you start beeping, you are to sit still until it ceases, return to the Palace, and stay in bed until Dr. Fotri or I say otherwise.”
“Yes, sir,” I said under my breath.
Phillip grabbed a handful of berries and trailed after Yukihyo.
Pierce sat in Yukihyo’s chair and gave Neema eggs and berry halves while Lorca walked back and forth with Niklos to keep him happy. Nico and Fitz joined me for breakfast with the latter watching me so intently that I blushed. Nico gave me a naughty grin. I could feel his eager anticipation to assist me through my hormonal fluctuations. I dreaded the unrelenting sexual needs.
“Pierce, Lorca, I would like to take the children with me to the Garden Party this morning. I think the ladies might enjoy seeing Princess Neema and Prince Niklos,” I said mischievously.
“That’s your plan to keep the Warrior Caste at bay?” Nico asked.
“Well, do you have a better idea?” I scowled at him.
Nico’s brown eyes told me he was preparing himself to be perfectly honest. “I am pleased you accepted Fitz. I have already welcomed him into our family. However, in our culture it is considered insulting to the Imperial family for you to have only four husbands.”
Otto bowed to me as I finished my first cup of coffee. “Yes, Otto?”
“Captain Merick Carus requests an audience.”
“This early? What does he want?”
Otto raised an eyebrow at me and refilled my cup. “Shall I admit him, Princess?”
I huffed out an exasperated breath. “Sure. Let’s see what he wants.” When Otto returned, it was with the tallest man who I had ever seen. When the officer bowed to me, I was able to see his dark brown hair. “Captain Carus, would you care to join us?” I asked.
Thunderdrop jumped to the top of my head and blinked curiously at our visitor.
“Thank you, Princess Probus,” Captain Merick said as he accepted.
Once the man sat, I was still forced to look up at him. “How may I help you?” I asked.
“This evening, the Euryalus Comet will journey through the skies above Parvac. I thought you and your entourage might enjoy joining my sisters and me on the observation deck of my warship for dinner where together we can watch the comet as it passes through.”
“Oh, that does sound nice.” I looked at Nico and Fitz. “What do the two of you think? It has been so long since I was surrounded by the stars. Can we go?”
“Whatever makes you happy, my darling,” Nico said as he kissed my forehead. “Teagan, it seems that the forms and accounts on which I have worked diligently for days have mysteriously vanished from the Imperial Treasury’s Resource Allocation Division’s records.”
“How? Things just don’t disappear.” My forehead scrunched up in disbelief. Captain Carus even seemed surprised. Fitz had a knowing look, and Nico nodded at him.
“How indeed? Now,
I have to locate them which should keep me busy and conveniently out of the way for hours.”
I got angry. “Who could have done this? The culprit should be punished. That has to be against our laws, interfering with your military base on Apellan.”
“Teagan, only one man could have done this, and our laws don’t apply to him,” Nico said patiently.
“Who?”
“Chirp chirp chitter,” Thunderdrop said as he showed me an image of Papa.
“No! Papa? Why would he do such a thing?”
Nico sighed, put down his napkin, picked up his vid-screen, and said, “To keep me busy and out of the way for the day.”
“Why? Papa likes you. You were his choice!”
Neema laughed. “CoCo!”
Nico smiled, moved over to her, and kissed her forehead.
“Nico, are Papa and his advisors sitting around at the Embassy playing with us as they would a stones game?” Captain Carus laughed. I frowned at him.
“Let’s see. Parvac’s most experienced and intelligent military leaders hanging out in a private sitting room as the guests of Ambassador Stine maneuvering their sons around in an orchestrated mating ritual to see which ones can win your heart while creating problems and distractions with busted water lines and vanishing reports? Yes, I think they are having a good laugh and enjoying themselves. However, they do have tempers. I’m curious to discover who offended whom for fighting between houses to arise on Coronis.”
“I can answer that,” Captain Carus said. “Braga and Gordian came to blows yesterday. Their Houses reside on Coronis. Their brothers and cousins found out about the fight and have become hostile toward one another.”
“Braga and Gordian? I met them yesterday.” I felt waves of anger from Yukihyo through our bond.
“Uh, oh,” Neema said with wide eyes having felt her daddy’s anger, too.
I grabbed my vid-screen and called him. “What happened?”
Yukihyo’s eyes were full of red, blue, and purple striations. “Our warehouse is flooded. All but what I had stored in crates is ruined. We have lost at least half of our merchandise. Hiroshi is counting on our wares for sale in the Laconian Sector.”
“Yukihyo, I’m so sorry. What can I do to help?”
“I will deal with this, lady wife.” The screen went blank.
Then, it began to beep. It was Papa. I scowled at him. “Why does my little girl have such a frown for her Papa this morning? Do I hear Neema? Perhaps she will have a smile for me.” I turned the screen to Neema.
Neema smiled with purple berry juice dripping down her chin and said, “Gapa!”
“Hello, my little darling. Teagan, congratulations on your marriage to Fitz. House Jiri couldn’t be more pleased. I turned the screen back to myself, but not before he had seen Captain Carus. “I see you have become acquainted with Merick.” To someone in the room, Papa said, “Would you look at that? Just as we have breakfast here, so too do our children and grandchildren at the Palace.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Papa, what did you do with Nico’s work?”
Papa gave me a phony innocent look. “What was that, Teagan? I’m sorry. I have an important communication coming in. I must go.” Then, the screen went black.
“Chitter chirp chitter.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“Princess, you should begin readying yourself for the day,” Rolf suggested. Pierce took Neema.
When I stood, so did Fitz and Merick. Merick towered over me. “Captain Carus, we accept your invitation. Thank you for inviting us.” I curtsied.
Captain Merick Carus went down on one knee before me. “Princess Probus, I formally offer myself and all I have to you.”
Finally, we were at eye level. I needed to learn how to deal with this. “Thank you, Captain Carus. I will consider your offer.” After he had gone, I slapped myself in the forehead. Fitz took my hand and kissed my forehead.
“Why did you do that?”
“I’m being manipulated. I don’t like it.”
Fitz moved his finger along the necklace he had given me. “Emperor Probus has placed the most eligible, intelligent males from the most powerful Warrior Caste families into advisory positions to assist you in your duties. Now, the other Houses attempt to assist their allies in successfully placing those men in your path in order to increase their power and influence.” Fitz kissed me and walked with me to my room where he attempted to become amorous. Instead, I pulled pleasure through him. “You do not wish for me to give you pleasure?” I held a hand carefully against my sore chest and shook my head. “You continue to feel pain?”
“It’s fading, but yes. They broke open my chest, Fitz.”
“I’ll allow you your privacy to dress,” he said as he kissed my cheek.
Foolishly, I had thought that by accepting Fitz, society would be satisfied and leave me alone. While Niklos napped, Lorca worked on my hair, and I sat still and watched the news. Fitz Jiri and I were all over it. Praetor Jiri was throwing a lavish party for his new Arachnean family along with the passengers of the Princess. I learned the hostilities on Coronis stemmed from General Braga believing that Inquisitor Gordian had undermined his chances with me and rolled my eyes. Lorca had done my hair up in a loose, thick, elaborate braid. Then, he brought out the dress I was supposed to wear. It was strapless, almost sheer, and had a side slit up to the hip.
“I am not wearing that.” I shook my head in refusal.
I went to my closet and searched. Finding what I wanted, I hid my wicked smile. The dress was white, of course. It had narrow shoulders, delicate short sleeves, a deep V-neck that crossed over on one side, and a long gauzy, skirt whose tiny pleats fell to my feet. The deep neckline showcased not only the beautiful heirloom diamond necklace that Fitz had given me, but also the terrible scar from my heart surgery. Maybe if they thought their attentions would kill me, they would back off.
“How do I look?” I asked Lorca.
“You are beautiful, but might I suggest the other gown? You might look stronger and more capable in it,” he said apologetically.
“Oh, no. Does this one make me look fragile?” I smirked.
Pierce had dressed Neema in a pale-yellow top with matching ruffled bloomers and had placed a yellow bow in her soft dove-grey hair. Niklos wore a soft yellow baby gown. His white blanket had the Imperial seal embroidered at each corner in gold.
Thunderdrop jumped to my shoulder and nuzzled my neck. I whispered to him, “I may need your help fighting off admirals, generals, and inquisitors.”
“Chirp!” Thunderdrop moved his legs up and down to show me he remembered how to fight.
I laughed at him. “Good boy! I knew I could depend on you. Are we ready?”
Fitz, Larkin, Zared, and my new military advisors waited for me in my sitting room. “Aw, here is my lovely wife,” Fitz said as they all stood and he came forward to give me his arm.
Larkin looked me up and down but said nothing about my dress. I gave him my innocent look but didn’t think I was any better at it than Papa had been earlier.
“Princess Probus, you look stunning,” General Luca Braga said with a lecherous grin.
I smiled sweetly at him and fantasized about how satisfying jabbing him in the gut with a shock stick would be. “Thank you,” I said. I glanced at Zared, who had an amused smile on his lips because of my thoughts.
Today, instead of the formality of uniforms, the men wore suits in browns and greys with simple rank pins on their collars. We walked from my wing to the front of the Palace.
“Congratulations on your marriage,” Larkin said.
As we took our seats in the waiting transport, I said, “Thank you. Look at the beautiful necklace that Fitz gave to me.” Fitz sat to my left and held my hand in his.
“It is magnificent. I believe I have seen it gracing the necks of Jiri matriarchs in a few of our histories,” Inquisitor Gordian said.
I lowered my eyes to one of the ends of the necklace dangling beneath the lover�
�s knot and hoped that I had drawn their attention to my terrible scar. “Forgive me. My military advisors wished to speak to me about important matters this morning. I will do my best to put my own sadness aside and give to you all my complete attention.”
“What troubles you, Princess Probus?” Braga asked.
I tried to look sad. Thunderdrop nuzzled my neck as he often did to comfort me. He was an excellent spider. “It was heartbreaking enough that my new mother left me to go with Orson to Coronis, but then, from the news, I found out the trouble that took her from me was because you were angry with me for my decision to fund the inquisitors.” I managed to let out a faked sob that I hoped sounded convincing.
“Hush, my darling. Please, don’t cry. Abbie and Orson will return as soon as they are able,” Fitz said as he placed an arm around me and held me to his shoulder.
Thunderdrop jumped to my lap and chittered angrily at my companions who didn’t even have silk squares. They were worthless. Pierce passed one to me, and I dabbed at the tears I had managed to squeeze out by thinking about how many weeks I had suffered without coffee and pancakes. I sniffled for good measure. By the time we had arrived at an estate not far from the one owned by the Valens, it was obvious that I had been crying. I was ugly when I cried.
Lorca placed Niklos in his perambulator, and Pierce put Neema into her stroller. She wiggled her toes and smiled at them. She knew her mommy wasn’t really upset.
As we walked toward the guarded entrance, I turned distraught eyes to Vice Admiral Galerius. “Are the reports of the Princess and her passengers good at least?”
Galerius’ eyes were almost amber in the morning sunlight and were striking with his inky black hair. He looked down at me with soft sympathetic eyes. “The reports are excellent. Our guests are enjoying Thalassa’s beaches and fresh air. No problems have been reported, not even a jellyfish sting.” He smiled at me.
“That’s good. I miss Thalassa. It was my mother’s favorite place to be with Papa. Can we go out on the big boat with your father again the next time we are there?” I asked Fitz. I knew I was laying it on a bit thick by bringing up thoughts of my deceased mother, but if they were going to play dirty, so was I.
Omnes Videntes (The Space Merchants Book 4) Page 10