by I. T. Lucas
An inexperienced virgin who knew nothing of seduction.
But she was not stupid, and she could no longer repress the seeds of doubt that had sprouted in her heart. Too much was at stake to keep hiding the truth from herself.
If Khiann did not find her irresistible, then he was not her truelove mate. A male god was supposed to be lustful and demanding, especially with his destined one and only.
And yet Khiann had ignored her for years, which should have been impossible for him even if he had been only pretending. That was not how it worked between fated couples.
Annani closed her eyes and took several calming breaths.
It went against her impetuous nature, but this time Annani was going to remain passive and let him do all the work. She was not going to initiate a thing. It was Khiann’s turn to take a risk and bare his soul to her. If he was not willing, then he was not the one for her.
It would break her heart, but it was better to discover the truth before she risked her father’s displeasure and incited Mortdh to war for nothing.
“My lady?” Gulan entered her room. “Tula is here. Should I have her come in?”
Annani schooled her features and smiled broadly. “Of course.”
The little girl, who was a much braver soul than her older sister, practically skipped into the room. “I am so excited. Are we going to play the game again?”
Annani put a finger to her lips. “Shush, keep your voice down.”
Tula giggled. “I am sorry, my lady,” she whispered loudly. “How are we going to do it this time?”
How indeed.
Instead of coming up with a plan, Annani had wasted her time on the most ineffective activity possible.
Self-doubt was a human affliction, not one that should affect powerful goddesses, and certainly not the future leader of the realm. She was inexperienced, that was true, but she was young and therefore entitled to a few mistakes. As Ekin had always told her, it was better to try and fail than not try at all. Failing was part of the learning process.
When all was said and done, Annani would persevere because she was not a quitter. She was a fighter, and she was a winner.
Beckoning for Tula to get closer, she whispered, “The same way we did it last time. We switch clothes, and you get in my bed.”
“I love your bed. It is so comfortable. I feel like a princess when I am in it.” The girl frowned. “I wanted to ask you a question, but Gulan said I should not, but I want to ask anyway. If you can shroud yourself in my visage, why do you need to wear my clothes?”
Gulan paled. “Tula, this is rude. Apologize immediately!”
Annani waved a hand. “It is okay, Gulan.” She smiled at the girl. “How good is your thralling ability? Can you shroud yourself from humans?”
Tula grimaced. “Not good at all. I can hold a shroud for a couple of minutes, but I lose concentration if someone talks to me, and my shroud goes poof!”
Funny girl.
Annani leaned closer. “I can hold a shroud for a little longer than you, and I can even have a conversation while keeping it around me, but it requires a lot of effort, and I cannot hold on to it for long. This is why I need the disguise.”
Tula seemed taken aback. “I thought gods could do it for as long as they want.” She made a face. “I even thought that maybe gods are not really as perfect and as beautiful as they seem and that they only shroud themselves to look so flawless.”
Gulan gasped. “Tula! This is most disrespectful. Apologize at once!”
“What?” The girl spread her arms. “Am I not allowed to think? Or am I just not allowed to talk?’
Annani patted the girl’s bony shoulder. “It is okay to think, but sometimes it is better to keep your thoughts to yourself. I am not offended, but some other gods might be. It is always better to err on the side of caution.”
Gulan tried to stifle a snort as she led Tula behind the partition, but it escaped her throat. She covered it up with a quick command to her sister; “Take your tunic off, Tula.”
The older girl was smart and cautious. But what was the fun in that?
“Your sister would like me to follow my own advice, which I do not always do, but that does not mean that it is not good.”
“My lady.” Gulan’s eyes darted to Annani’s wardrobe. “May I just make a suggestion?”
Annani waved a hand. “Certainly. You should always feel free to express your opinion.”
Her maid came closer and whispered in her ear. “Instead of meeting Master Khiann once again dressed in Tula’s unflattering commoner garb, perhaps this time you would like to impress him by wearing one of your own beautiful dresses? You can come with the two of us, claiming that you want to listen in on Master Khiann’s talk with Tula because you want to learn about commerce. No one is going to question your desire to do so. On the contrary, your sire might commend your interest in the subject.”
Hmm, that was an angle Annani had not considered. A nice dress would bolster her confidence and would make her much harder to resist.
It would also be easier to act regal and aloof when dressed like a princess who had reached her majority, and not a young commoner girl.
5
Ahn
“Navohn, my friend, what brings you here this evening?” Ahn asked.
Earlier that day, a messenger had arrived from the merchant, requesting a meeting. The stated reason was Navohn’s desire to discuss the escort Ahn had promised him, but since there was nothing to discuss, it was probably about something else. As far as Ahn was concerned, he had done his part, and the rest should have been handled by underlings.
Nevertheless, Navohn was good company, and he was looking forward to an informal chat with his old friend. The god was an excellent source of reliable information that otherwise would have never made its way to the palace.
As a ruler, Ahn had no direct connection with his people—gods, immortals, and humans—and was dependent on reports prepared by others, whose alliances and loyalties he did not always trust. He would have been a fool to do so.
Most people, regardless of species, were motivated either by fear or by greed. It was a rare individual who was concerned with the greater good.
Navohn was a good male, but Ahn had no illusions as to his motives being purely altruistic. Ahn’s long-standing friendship benefited the merchant and his family, ensuring that their status remained high despite his friend’s odd choice of occupation.
Also, supplying the palace was a most profitable business.
That being said, however, at his core Navohn was a truly decent fellow, who believed that the system the gods had developed to govern themselves and those they ruled over was as just and as fair as anything anyone could come up with and needed to be preserved.
They had that belief in common.
Navohn bowed deeply. “I knew I would have your ear alone this evening while your lady is busy elsewhere, my lord.” He pulled a small wrapped package from a pocket hidden between the folds of his robe.
Ahn beckoned him to come closer. “Come, sit with me.” He offered Navohn the chair across from him.
“You honor me, my lord.” The merchant climbed the two steps up the dais, bowed again, and then took the seat he had been offered.
With a wave of his hand, Ahn dismissed his secretary and his guards, so he and Navohn could drop the formalities and talk like the old friends they were. Other than Nai, the merchant was the only one Ahn could have a normal conversation with.
Navohn waited for everyone to depart before placing the package on the low table between the two chairs. “The anniversary of your joining ceremony with your beautiful mate is coming up, and I knew you would need a special gift for her.”
Ahn smiled. “What would I have done without you, my friend? Your excellent memory ensures my mated bliss. Once again I had forgotten.”
“My memory is far from excellent. I keep a calendar of special occasions—mine as well as those of my close friends.”
“It is much ap
preciated. Show me what you have in that parcel. By the size of it, I am guessing jewelry?”
“What else?”
Navohn untied the twine, then proceeded to unwrap his package slowly and carefully, probably not out of concern for the fragility of what was inside, but to build up anticipation. After all, he was a merchant who knew how to enhance the perceived value of his wares.
When he was done, Navohn arranged the set for Ahn’s inspection.
Made of gold and studded with glowing red stones the likes of which Ahn had never seen before, the necklace was an intricate work of expert craftsmanship that must have taken many moon cycles to create. There was only one artisan who could have produced it, and he was not cheap. Navohn must have paid a fortune to have it made. A matching set of earrings and two bracelets completed the exquisite ensemble.
“Lady Nai will be most pleased when you present her with this gift.”
“I am sure she will.” Ahn lifted the necklace. “Beautiful stones. I have never seen such vivid red. Where did you get this?”
“Down south of the Nile river. I have never seen the likes either. They came at a steep price, but I knew the stones would look magnificent once Master Khirin set them in gold.”
“I recognize his work. It is incomparable.” The master goldsmith was a true artisan who took insane pride in his work. Each piece took many moon cycles to complete, and he charged for his work accordingly.
“When did you commission this set?”
Navohn leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “A year ago, right after I returned from the trip to the south. I knew right away that these stones would look magnificent on your beautiful mate, and that lady Nai would appreciate having something so unique.”
“Indeed.” Ahn put the necklace back. “What is your price for these?” He waved his hand over the set.
The merchant bowed his head. “It is a gift. After all, you refused payment for the armed escort you are providing for my upcoming expedition.”
Ahn frowned. The escort was in exchange for information he wanted Navohn to gather and bring back to him. It had never been stated in so many words, but it had been implied and understood. Navohn had something else in mind as payment for the extravagant gift.
“It is not a fair exchange. The escort is not worth even a tenth of the value of this set.” Ahn pushed the parcel toward Navohn, not because he did not want the gift, but because it was part of the game they were playing.
The merchant pushed the parcel back. “I cannot put a price on true love, my friend. Your fated mate deserves only the best.”
“Indeed she does. But I have the means to pay for my mate’s joining anniversary gift.” He pushed the parcel toward Navohn again. “Name your price.”
The merchant sighed dramatically and spread his arms. “What price would you have me put on love, my lord?”
Insufferable god. What did he want?
“As much as I appreciate our friendship, Navohn, I do not appreciate talking in circles. Tell me what you want.”
The sparkle in the guy’s eyes was a sure sign that he had Ahn exactly where he wanted him, but at this point, Ahn did not care. His curiosity had been whetted.
“True love needs to be celebrated and revered and nothing should supersede it. Not politics, not monetary concerns, not even pride. Do you agree, my lord?”
Ahn did not like where this was going. That much preamble meant a grand request was coming.
“To an extent. Not everyone is fortunate enough to find their truelove mate or even have the luxury of seeking one.”
“But you are one of those fortunate to have found yours.”
Ahn inclined his head. “And I thank the Fates every day for the blessing they bestowed on me.”
Navohn nodded. “As you should, my lord, as you should.” He shook his head and spread his arms again. “Do you not think that your daughter deserves the same?”
The words were like a kick to the gut, especially when delivered by a friend.
The guilt over the promise Ahn had made Mortdh was a source of endless torment, and yet he saw no way out of it. To break it was akin to a declaration of war. The offense to Mortdh would be too great, and it would push him over the edge.
Even a sane god would have taken that as the worst insult possible. And Mortdh was far from sane.
Ahn threw a quick soundproofing shroud over the room before responding. He was well aware that Mortdh had spies even in the heart of the palace. “You overstep your bounds, my friend. My daughter is the future ruler of this realm. It is her duty to ensure peace.”
Navohn sighed. “It will be many years before her time comes to take the throne, and a lot can happen between now and then. Peace is not guaranteed either way.”
“Perhaps not. But let us face the facts instead of engaging in wishful thinking. Breaking Annani’s engagement to Mortdh will bring about immediate war. It will be perceived as a grave offense, and he would have no choice but to respond even if he is not so inclined, which we both know he is.”
Navohn lifted a finger. “Unless it is not you who breaks the engagement, but the lady herself. If Annani finds her truelove match, she has the right to choose her beloved over the one she is promised to. It is our law that matings must be consensual, and naturally, after finding her fated one, the lady cannot consent to join another. The dissolving of an engagement is not considered an offense in such a case. On the contrary. Truelove matings are regarded as decreed by the Fates. To go against them is considered sacrilege.”
It was a loophole Ahn had contemplated before.
For it to work, though, Annani would need to find her truelove match, which was not likely. He had even entertained the thought of arranging a ruse. But to prevent war, it had to be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that her chosen mate was indeed her one and only—not easy to do even when true.
Ahn rubbed a hand over his jaw. “As powerful as I am, even I cannot force the Fates to provide a truelove mate for my daughter.”
Navohn smiled. “Perhaps the Fates have already sent him to her?”
Ahn lifted a brow. “Do you know something I do not?”
The merchant bowed his head. “Indeed, I do, my lord. Your daughter and my son seem to be under the impression that they might be each other’s one and only. They would like your permission to explore the possibility.”
6
Khiann
As Khiann waited for Annani in the palace’s gardens, he wondered how their second meeting was going to play out. He might have set things in motion, but the rest was in Annani’s hands.
Would she come alone as Tula?
Or would Gulan accompany her?
Or perhaps Annani would come as herself, using some excuse for why she needed to be with the girls?
The problem with the third option was that her guards would trail along. Gulan and Tula were participants in his and Annani’s conspiracy. Willingly or not, they would cooperate, giving them privacy.
The guards were a different story.
He could thrall the immortals with ease, but they might suspect him of doing so. Khiann could not risk that. If he hoped to ever get Ahn’s permission to court Annani, he had to be on his best behavior.
Which probably meant no kisses.
Then again, maybe Annani could thrall her guards. After all, she had done so before. Ahn let his daughter get away with a lot of escapades, and she would most likely not get in any trouble for a small offense like that—or as small as she would make it seem.
Khiann’s plans for her did not fall under the category of insignificant transgressions.
Hopefully, she was just as desperate for more as he.
More kisses, more touching. Khiann wanted his hands all over her slender body, caressing, coaxing, exciting…
She would not object.
The little minx was lustful and ripe for the taking.
Annani needed him as much as he needed her.
What in damnation was taking h
er so long?
He pushed to his feet and started pacing. It was early evening, which was the time gods and immortals usually begun venturing outside their darkened, cool abodes, while the humans did the reverse, retiring for the night.
A small exodus was happening in the gardens, the caretakers passing him by on their way out casting curious glances at the god who was not supposed to be there. As they bowed deeply to show their respect, Khiann nodded graciously and uttered a few words of blessing.
Humans expected that from gods. In exchange for the gods’ teachings and blessings, many provided their labor free of charge. Those working in the palace were not worshipers and were paid good wages, but still, it was customary.
As the sound of girly giggles preceded his visitors, Khiann turned in their direction, waiting for the three to emerge through the gate. The amused voices belonged to Annani and Tula. Gulan looked terrified. Not that his gaze lingered on the maid’s worried face for more than a split second before moving to the magnificent princess and getting stuck there.
It seemed Annani had chosen the third option, looking resplendent in her regal attire and her jewelry, with her abundant red hair spilling in soft locks down her back and reaching all the way down to her thighs.
Wiping a hand over his mouth, Khiann commanded his fangs to behave. Unfortunately, he could do nothing about the other part of his male anatomy that was showing signs of excitement. Hoping that his long tunic with its gold-thread embroidery would provide some coverage, he bowed deeply.
“My lady, I am honored that you would join us for the lesson. I did not know you were interested in commerce.” His words were for the benefit of the two guards trailing behind the girls.
There would be no privacy for them today.
Annani lifted her chin and clasped her hands in front of her. “I am interested in everything that has to do with the prosperity of my people. As a future ruler, it is my obligation to learn as much as I can about as many things as I can.”
He bowed again. “You are very wise.”