by I. T. Lucas
Khiann kissed her forehead. “Is it not a bit much for an engagement party? What will we do for our wedding?”
Annani smiled and stretched her arms. “We can fly in my airboat and throw flowers and candy at the crowd.”
“That is a silly idea. If we throw candy from such a great height, it might hurt someone, and flowers will just float away.”
“You are right, no flying. Maybe I should save the procession for the wedding?”
“Good choice.”
“Do you have anything you would like to add to the celebrations?”
“Nope, I have all I need right here.” He closed his arms around her and took her mouth in a hard kiss.
They had made love twice already, but it did not preclude a third time. Now that their secret was officially out, there was no more need for hiding. If they so wished, Khiann could spend every night in Annani’s room, and he was definitely going to. Being apart from her during his workday was hard enough. He wanted to spend every moment of his free time with his love.
That was the upside of having their engagement officially announced. The downside was fear of Mortdh.
The moment the news reached Annani’s rejected intended, Khiann’s life would be in jeopardy. Mortdh would not hesitate to arrange for his assassination. In fact, it was such a likely possibility that Navohn had decided to assign a cadre of bodyguards to go everywhere Khiann went.
Ahn had agreed that it was necessary and even offered the use of his own palace guard.
“Why are you frowning, my love?” Annani smoothed her finger over the ridges that had formed between his eyebrows.
“The usual reason. Mortdh. From now on I cannot go anywhere without an armed escort.”
She waved a nonchalant hand. “I think you and our fathers are overreacting. Mortdh will huff and puff but eventually he will back off. My father is offering him Areana, my half-sister. She is very beautiful and not as argumentative and headstrong as I am. She is a much better choice for Mortdh.”
Poor woman. But rather her than Annani.
Khiann lifted a strand of Annani’s long hair and wound it around his finger. “She is also a widow, and second in line to the throne, not the first. If anything, Mortdh will feel slighted.”
“Then he is a fool. Areana is lovely.”
“Not half as lovely as you, my beautiful flower.”
As Khiann cupped Annani’s small breast, her nipple immediately puckered in his palm. “I prefer to make love again than talk about unpleasant subjects.” He leaned and took the hard peak in his mouth.
Nights were for pleasure, their worries and troubles could wait for the light of day.
Annani grinned. “I concur.”
10
Annani
Something was bothering Gulan.
While Annani was bursting with happiness, her maid had not smiled even once all morning. The girl was not much of a talker, but today she was practically mute. Her lips compressed into a tight line, Gulan seemed to be on the verge of tears.
Did it have anything to do with the upcoming engagement?
Was she worried about her place in Annani’s life?
It was true that Khiann was taking up more and more of her time, but that was the natural progression of things. People matured, and their partners took a central place in their lives, especially when the partner was a fated truelove mate.
Nevertheless, even though Khiann had taken Gulan’s place as Annani’s best friend, the position of second best friend would always and forever belong to Gulan. In fact, Annani had no plans to replace her with another after the joining ceremony. Nai would no doubt want to hire some snooty head maid to run her new household, but Annani wanted Gulan in that position.
Which reminded her that she needed to talk with her mother about her and Khiann’s living arrangements. Her father would most likely want her to live in the palace, which meant that a new wing needed to be added to the existing structure.
The other option was for Ekin to move out of the palace and into his own house, and for Annani and Khiann to take over his quarters. But unless Ekin volunteered, no one was going to suggest it. Doing so would be rude.
Perhaps she should go visit him and start dropping hints?
“Gulan, I want to go see my uncle. Do you want to come, or do you want to stay here and tidy up?”
“I will stay.”
Damnation. It was not like Gulan. Her maid always wanted to accompany her. Something was bothering the girl, and Annani needed to take care of her friend before worrying about her future accommodations.
“What is wrong, Gulan? Are you afraid of losing my friendship once Khiann and I are joined? Because I can promise you that this will never happen. Wherever I go, you go.”
Gulan shook her head. “I do not worry about that, my lady.”
“So what is it? You were moping around all day. I do not like seeing you like that. It saddens me, especially when I think it is my fault.”
“It has nothing to do with you, my lady. My apologies for casting a shadow on your happiness. This was not my intention.” The girl’s chin quivered as she tried to hold back tears.
“Come here.” Annani opened her arms.
Reluctantly, Gulan accepted the embrace, standing stiff as a broom. The only times she acted like that was when her control was slipping and she was afraid of showing too much emotion.
Silly girl. That was what friends were for. Crying on each other's shoulders was okay.
“Come sit with me and tell me what troubles you.” Annani led the girl to the sitting area of her room.
“Talk to me,” she commanded.
“It is Esag.”
“What did the scoundrel do?”
“He broke my heart.” No longer able to contain her pain, Gulan burst into tears, with terrible sobs shaking her big body.
A broken heart could have been a result of many misdeeds. Annani needed to know what exactly Esag had done, in order to mete out a punishment appropriate for his crime. No one hurt her friend and got away with it.
“Tell me what he did.”
Gulan wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “He kissed me.”
“Against your will?”
“No, I allowed it.” She wiped her eyes again. “I have never been kissed before.”
“So you were curious. I can understand that. Did he take other liberties you were not comfortable with?”
Esag might have mistakenly assumed that permission for a kiss meant permission for other things as well.
Gulan shook her head. “It was just one kiss. But it was amazing. It made me feel things I did not know I was capable of.”
Camel droppings. The poor girl had fallen for the irresponsible squire. “Oh, Gulan, I told you he was unavailable. Did you fall for him? Is that why you are crying?”
She nodded. “But that is not the worst part.”
“What could be worse than that if Esag did not overstep his bounds?”
“He asked me to be his concubine.”
That did not sound so terrible. In fact, it could have been a good solution to an otherwise insoluble situation.
“And?”
Gulan turned a pair of teary eyes on her. “Is that not enough? It was insulting. I was humiliated. I do not want to ever see him or talk to him again!”
Annani took Gulan’s hands. “I am sure that was not his intention. Think of it from his point of view. That is the only way he could be with you without devastating his family. Even if he loves you madly, he cannot break his promise because of his obligation to them. What would you have done in his place?”
Gulan crossed her arms over her ample chest. “I would have not offered him a position as a paid sex servant.”
“Is that what you think a concubine is?”
“I was being polite out of respect for you, my lady. A concubine is just one step above a prostitute.”
Annani stifled a smile. Angry Gulan was much less timid and more outspoken than mellow Gulan.
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br /> “My half-sister Areana is the daughter of a concubine. Her mother also happens to be a goddess who has a nice cushy temple and worshipers to provide for her. Do you think of her as just a step above a prostitute as well?”
Gulan shrugged. “That is different. She was a concubine to the head god while he was unmated. She was not a toy he kept on the side for when he was bored with his official mate.”
So that was the real problem.
Gulan did not want to share Esag. Not that Annani could blame her. If Khiann came to her with such an offer, she would have probably slapped him across the face and sent him away.
Annani could not conceive of sharing the man she loved with another, even if he loved her and not the other female.
Wrapping her arm around Gulan’s broad shoulders, Annani sighed. “I understand. It is not about the offer of becoming his concubine. It is about sharing him with another.”
Gulan nodded.
“What are you going to do?”
“I do not know, my lady. I will probably cry and cry until there are no more tears left in me. I do not know what else to do.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Gulan nodded. “Please do not tell Master Khiann. And if it is possible, try to make it so I do not need to see Esag or talk to him ever again.” She put a hand over her breast. “It will hurt too much.”
11
Mortdh
The fucking lying son of a whore and his whoring daughter!
Mortdh closed the tablet and tossed it onto his desk, its great value the only reason he had not flung the device against the wall.
It was the only one he owned. To get a replacement, he would have to steal it from another god. There were none to be bought.
Better yet, he could pry one out of his uncle’s dead fingers.
Ahn’s audacity was boundless. Breaking his promise to Mortdh was bad enough. Delivering the news via tablet was grossly disrespectful.
The little slut had invoked her right of consent. She had chosen to give it to another suitor and by doing so had broken her father’s promise to Mortdh.
To try and salvage the situation, he would have no choice but to fly over there and catch up to the caravan. To impress the slut and Ahn’s subjects, Mortdh would enter the city with all the pomp and fanfare of a king.
Escorted by the elite warriors he had sent ahead with Navuh, Mortdh would issue a threat, while offering the wagons filled with gifts as a bribe.
In the meantime, however, with both him and Navuh gone, his stronghold would be left with no proper leadership. The visit would have to be very short.
What a clusterfuck, and it was partially his fault.
Over the years, since the promise had been made, he should have paid his intended more attention. He should have sent her birthday gifts and other nonsense like that. He could have even hired a poet to scribble love poems for her.
Females were stupid and easily manipulated by crap like that. Mortdh just did not expect some young upstart to beat him to it.
If he had wooed her, Annani would not have been as easily swayed by another.
The cunning bastard had stolen her from under Mortdh’s nose.
The stupid cunt. She could have joined with the second most powerful god after her father. Instead, she had chosen some young and insignificant god.
Soon to be a dead god.
If Mortdh could not persuade her to change her mind, and she went through with the joining, he was going to make her a widow before she had a chance to conceive.
If she was not pregnant already.
If she were, there were ways to get rid of it.
One way or another, Annani would be his and so would any child she birthed.
Mortdh had begotten many children. Most were worthless humans, but he had several immortal sons who he had been grooming into leadership positions in his army.
However, only Annani could give him a pureblood offspring.
Even if in order to do so he was willing to lower his standards and take an old goddess who had already spread her legs for countless males, it would be impossible to lure one away from her temple and the cushy life she enjoyed.
His only other option was to wait for the next goddess to be born and come of age. The thing was, unless Nai conceived again, she would not be the princess he had been promised.
12
Annani
“I do not wish to see him, and there is nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise!” For the first time she could remember, Annani raised her voice in her father’s presence.
Mortdh had sent a rider with a message, demanding an audience with Annani and Ahn as soon as he arrived. He was an hour away from the city gates.
“Annani!” her mother gasped.
Ahn only lifted a brow. “Your behavior is that of a child. It is most unbecoming of a soon to be mated woman, not to mention a princess. Did I raise a coward? Are you afraid to face him?”
Annani waved a dismissive hand. “It is pointless. He is going to try and change my mind, and when that does not happen, he will start issuing threats. Then you will offer him Areana, there will be some back and forth negotiations, and he will go home either satisfied or not. Instead, you can skip right to the negotiation part and spare me the unpleasantness.” Annani crossed her arms over her chest. “And anyway, how did he get here so fast? You told me he was not on the caravan heading this way.”
“He flew in.”
Annani plopped down on the divan and rubbed her temples. “How long does it take a caravan to get here from his stronghold?”
“Two to three weeks,” her father said. “His spies must have informed him about Khiann’s tutoring. Mortdh is not stupid and must have suspected something. He decided to send you gifts as a preemptive measure.”
As if he could woo her with material things. Only a pompous ass like Mortdh would presume to know what she wanted without bothering to get to know her. “And after getting your message, he decided to come here and try to change my mind.”
Ahn nodded. “Precisely.”
“Ugh. What do you want me to do, Father? I do not know what to say to him without making him even angrier.”
“First of all, you need to watch your temper and act like a mature and levelheaded woman. Do not let Mortdh rile you. Be polite but firm, and emphasize why you are bound by tradition to choose Khiann over him. The Fates sent you your one true love, and you cannot anger them by refusing to accept their bounty.”
“That actually sounds good.”
“I know. I spent a lot of time thinking how to phrase it in the least offensive way I could. This is what I wrote in my message to him and what you should keep saying. You are not to blame. It is the Fates’ will.”
Annani shook her head. “And yet, he flew here right after reading it, which means that he does not believe in the Fates.”
“Of course he does not believe in them. But Mortdh is vain, and his biggest issue is the insult of a broken promise. Blaming the Fates will help him save face in the public’s eyes.”
Nai rose to her feet and joined Annani on the divan. “Courage, my child. I know it is difficult, and that you would have rather done anything but deal with Mortdh. But think of it this way. After this unpleasantness is over with, there will be nothing but joy. Right?” She hooked a finger under Annani’s chin. “You have been so brave in your pursuit of happiness. Do not falter at the very end, when you can practically touch the finish line with your fingertips.”
Taking a deep breath, Annani squeezed her mother’s hand. “You always know the right thing to say. I can do this.”
Nai patted her knee. “That is my girl. The future ruler of the realm.”
Funny, at that moment Annani did not feel like the ruler of anything. Nevertheless, her mother was right. It was the last hurdle on the road. Once Mortdh was dealt with, it was going to be smooth riding the rest of the way.
Provided he did not leave enraged.
Whi
ch meant that she had to summon all of her meager diplomatic abilities and keep smiling even when she felt like tearing Mortdh’s head off his body, which given his attitude was bound to happen.
Ugh, she should have paid better attention to the court proceedings her father had forced her to attend. As it was, the only thing that came to mind was to channel her mother’s regal demeanor and keep her mouth shut as much as possible.
“I will take my leave now to get ready. Could you send for me when he gets here?”
Her father nodded.
Ahn looked somber, more than usual. Was he worried?
He was always so sure of himself. She had never seen him with anything other than a confident and regal expression on his face. As the ruler of gods, immortals, and humans, there was no one higher than Ahn. He had no one to answer to other than the big assembly, and he had the power of veto over them too.
If he was worried, he must have had a good reason.
As Annani walked back to her room, the mute Gulan trailing behind her, she wondered what else she could do to help her father. Maybe she should force herself to be really nice to Mortdh and pay him a lot of compliments?
Her father had said Mortdh was vain. Vain people liked to hear how great they were. The problem was that she could think of nothing good to say about him.
Maybe he was good-looking and she could comment on that. And she should thank him profusely for the gifts he brought her. Perhaps she should refuse them? After all, she was not going accept him, so it was not fair to keep the gifts.
On the other hand, he might take offense at that.
Dear Fates, what should I do?
13
Ahn
As Ahn sat on his throne with his mate on one side and his daughter on the other, he was keenly aware of Areana’s presence behind the privacy partition. Even the heavy perfume of incense could not mask the scent of her anxiety from his superior sense of smell.