I pushed the thought away. I didn’t want to know. Didn’t want to stay here and watch as the female I loved was drawn to another. But this was my fate—my destiny. I had sworn my vow to my mistress—had promised to be faithful unto death. I was willing to be killed or maimed in her service and this should be no different.
Except the idea of seeing her with another male was different somehow. I felt that I would rather have my sword hand chopped off than see her in the arms of another. Anything would be better than the stabbing pain of losing her forever.
I thought of how I’d heard her weeping in the night and had been unable to go to her. I had told myself that it would only make it harder for both of us if I gave in again and held her while she slept. Now I wished that I had done it, wished that I had the memory of holding her one last time to carry me through.
Then Head Councilor Tannus rose and began to speak and I stepped to my place, behind my Lady’s chair.
The Ceremony of Culling had begun.
Chapter Thirty
Charlotte
“The Ceremony of Culling is a time honored tradition. It is the best way, determined by the Council of Wisdom, to help the new Empress find her true Consort,” Head Councilor Tannus intoned. His voice boomed out over the audience and I thought he must have some kind of microphone on, though I couldn’t see any wires or any kind of headpiece on him.
He was standing beside me on the stage, holding a long, engraved golden dagger with a wickedly sharp looking point. Standing beside him was another Councilor, holding a small silver tray with three tiny crystal cups that looked like miniature shot glasses.
“Behind the barrier,” Tannus continued, “Are three candidates, deemed worthy by myself and other members of the Council of Wisdom. As you all know, the Empress-to-be will give three drops of her blood to each. As she does not know their identities, this will provide a completely impartial way for her to choose which Consort is most suitable for her. She may be drawn to the correct male at once or it may take some time. Eventually, however, she will seek him out and he will be invested as her Royal Consort during her coronation ceremony.”
There was a polite smattering of applause and I got the idea that everyone here already knew the rules of the Culling Ceremony and Tannus was just repeating them to be official.
To me, the whole thing seemed a lot like the old Dating Game show and I was the “lucky bachelorette.” Behind the black curtain to my left, I could hear coughing and shuffling, as if the three candidates were getting restless. I would have to pick one of them but instead of asking cute and kooky questions to determine my true match, I would be giving them my blood to drink. Also, we wouldn’t be going on an all-expenses-paid cruise to the Bahamas at the end of it—we would be stuck together for life.
Okay, so maybe not so much like the Dating Game.
“And now for the sacrifice of Royal blood,” Tannus said. “If your Majesty would please extend your right hand?”
I held out my hand, eyeing the ceremonial dagger in his grip, but before he could stick me with it, Kristoff intervened.
“Your pardon, my Lord Councilor,” he said in a low voice. “But my Lady’s life has been threatened more than once in the time since she has gotten to Femme One. If anyone is to pierce her flesh, it will be me, with my own dagger.”
“What?” Tannus blustered. “Why, this is most unusual! You can’t just—”
“I can and I will,” Kristoff said firmly. “Unless you’d like to hold up these proceedings to have the ceremonial knife tested for possible traces of poison?”
“You…you accuse me of—” Tannus began, his face turning red.
“Assuredly not,” Kristoff said smoothly. “But has the knife been in your keeping the entire time before the ceremony? If you turned your back on it, even for a moment, a would-be assassin could have dipped the tip in deadly poison. It is a risk I do not intend to take.” He looked at me. “My Lady, if you would extend your hand?”
With Tannus still blustering and protesting in the background, I held out my hand to Kristoff and he unsheathed one of his own daggers and wiped it carefully on a clean, white cloth.
“My Lady, I would not pierce your flesh or bring you pain for any lesser reason than this,” he murmured, cupping my hand in his.
“I know,” I whispered, feeling numb. He looked amazing in his gladiator-type uniform with his broad shoulders and the golden chest-plate gleaming. My hand tingled where he touched me and I felt a deep longing to be in those strong, muscular arms. To be held by him, just one more time. But now wasn’t the time—not with every single Royal and noble in the palace watching.
“I’ll be quick,” Kristoff promised. He pressed the tip of his razor-sharp dagger into the pad of my middle finger and I felt the tiniest pinch. When he withdrew, there was a ruby drop of blood welling at the end of my finger.
Quickly, the Councilor with the tray stepped forward and held out the tiny crystal shot glasses. I squeezed exactly three drops of blood into each one and then Kristoff knelt beside me and bandaged my finger in another clean, white cloth.
“And now,” Head Councilor Tannus said, taking the tray from the other councilor and glaring at Kristoff. “I will give the Royal blood to the three candidates which have been chosen as worthy.”
He stalked around behind the black curtain and I heard the soft clink of crystal on silver as he started handing out my blood samples.
“Take these and drink,” he commanded grandly, his voice carrying out into the auditorium through the invisible PA system. “That it may be known if you are the chosen of the Goddess-Empress or if you are to be Culled.”
Then I heard something I was pretty sure wouldn’t carry over the hidden microphone.
“Eh…what’s this then?” a thin, reedy voice asked. “You woke me up from m’ nap to give me one tiny glass of ale? That’s not enough to quench m’ thirst!”
I frowned. Who in the world could that be? Whoever it was, they certainly didn’t sound like a young man.
Then another voice spoke up—this one high and querulous.
“I don’t want to drink that! Nasty!”
“Now, Egmon,” murmured a softer, feminine voice. “You promised Muhmuh you would drink it like a good boy. Remember once you’re done you get a sim-sim candy to take the taste away.”
“But it’s nasty!” whined the voice. “Don’t wanna!”
I frowned and looked at Kristoff to see if he was hearing this as well. From the puzzled look on his face, he was. He had told me the candidates would be chosen from men around my age—no more than five to ten years younger or older than me on average. So why did the voices I was hearing sound like a grandpa and a little boy?
For a moment I was frozen to my seat. If I got up, every eye in the auditorium would be upon me. All the most important people in the palace would be staring at me and wondering why I was profaning their ritual.
Then again, if I didn’t get up and go investigate, I would be letting someone else decide my fate for the rest of my life. What were a few moments of public embarrassment to that?
Stand up for yourself! I could almost hear Zoe shouting in my head. Don’t let them steamroll over you, Charlotte! Find out what’s happening back there.
Taking a deep breath, I rose from the throne-like chair.
“Your Majesty…” One of the other Councilors was immediately by my side, a worried look on his face. “Your Majesty, where are you going?”
“I’m going to find out what’s going on.” I gave him the coldest look imaginable. “Now would you please step aside, Councilor.”
He held his ground, blocking the way between me and the curtain.
“I really don’t think that’s advisable, Majesty,” he said, frowning and rubbing his hands together nervously. “You see, it’s still too early for the blood the candidates have ingested to be having any effect on you and it’s really not customary for the Empress to see her potential consorts before she feels drawn to one.”
“I don’t care about what’s customary,” I snapped. “I want to know what’s going on back there. Now, move.”
“You heard the Empress.” Kristoff was suddenly at my side, his skin glowing a burnished gold. It was a mute reminder to everyone assembled of my status, since only the Imperial Guards were allowed to maintain a golden skin color and then only in the presence of the true Goddess-Empress. He had a hand on the hilt of his dagger and a dangerous look in his eyes. “Will you move or not?” he asked in a low voice.
The audience of Royals and nobles had begun muttering among themselves but I ignored them. I just wanted to find out what was happening behind that black curtain that was going to affect the rest of my life.
“This is not proper!” The Councilor looked scandalized but at last he moved aside and let Kristoff and me past.
Well, in for a penny—in for a pound. Since everyone was staring at me, I decided I might as well make a dramatic gesture.
I walked to the black curtain and tugged it as hard as I could. I had only meant to pull it back but the fabric it was made of must have been weak—maybe with age since this room only got used once a generation. Anyway, I heard a low ripping noise and suddenly the entire curtain fell to the ground at my feet.
Everyone in the crowd gasped at what was revealed—including me.
Sitting on three chairs were my candidates, who were supposed to be within five to ten years of age difference from me. Only it looked like whoever had picked them didn’t know how to count.
An old man who looked to be about ninety was blinking owlishly at me and clutching an empty shot glass in one gnarled hand.
Opposite the old man, was a little boy who looked to be around five or six. He was accompanied by his mother who was staring fearfully at me and trying to get him to drink the three drops of blood, which he was adamantly refusing.
And sitting between them, looking like the cat who had gotten the cream, was Prince Morbain himself.
He was holding an empty shot glass and as I watched, he reached over and snatched the little boy’s glass from his mother’s hand.
“Give me that!” he exclaimed and then, watching my reaction, he downed the three drops of blood in one gulp and smacked his lips. “Mm-mm! Delicious!”
“Why you…you…” Words failed me but they didn’t fail Kristoff.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded of Tannus, who was still standing there with the silver tray looking smug and self-satisfied.
“This is the Culling Ceremony, as you well know, Guard,” Tannus snapped, glaring at him. “Kindly restore the curtain and take the Empress away—she doesn’t need to see these males until she feels drawn to one of them.”
“She will never feel drawn to either a little child or an old man as you well know,” Kristoff growled. “The age difference is too great—her blood will not call her to either of them.”
“A pity, isn’t it?” Morbain smiled widely, his teeth streaked red with my blood. The sight made my stomach roll. “But that is the way of it. Grandfather Yulip and young Master Egmon here were the two males in the palace with the most Royal blood in their veins and so the Council had no choice but to choose them as candidates. Well, except for myself of course—I have more Royal blood than anyone else, being the son of the late Sundalla the 999th.”
“Which makes any kind of joining with you some kind of weird, horrible incest,” I exclaimed, feeling sick. “I share DNA with your late mother! And even if that wasn’t the case, I could never be attracted to you!”
“You share a few genes only,” Morbain replied, smiling evilly. “It’s not enough to hinder our joining, my dear. And I shall call you ‘my dear’ or ‘my darling’ or maybe even ‘my little slave’ if I so choose. Because very soon now you will be enslaved to the desire you feel for me.” He preened as he spoke, throwing out his chest and stroking his long mustache, which I was beginning to think made him look less like a pirate and more like the eccentric artist, Salvador Dali.
“You shall call my Lady by her title or I’ll cut out your tongue,” Kristoff growled, stepping forward and unsheathing his sword. “And never speak of enslaving her again—Charlotte is the Goddess-Empress and she will rule herself and her people as the Goddess guides her—not on any whim of yours, Morbain!”
“Here now!” Tannus stepped forward, bristling self-importantly. “These are sacred proceedings! You cannot profane the ritual by drawing a blade!”
“You mean the way you’ve already profaned it by rigging the results?” Kristoff demanded. “Tell me something, Tannus—did you and Morbain act alone or was the entire Council privy to this blasphemy?”
“I can answer that question,” I said grimly. Striding forward, I grabbed Tannus’s free hand in one of my own and let my touch-sense take over.
At once I knew three things—that he and Morbain were plotting to rule together, using me as a puppet figurehead… that he had hated the old Empress… and that he intended to have me killed if things didn’t go according to his plan.
The last made me gasp and step back so fast I almost stumbled. Kristoff had to catch me.
“What is it?” he murmured. “What did you see, my Goddess?”
Before I could answer, Tannus was shaking the hand I had grabbed above his head and shouting,
“Blasphemy! Corruption! The True Incarnation has touched a member of the Council of Wisdom! This cannot be!”
“Oh, do be quiet, Tannus.” To my surprise, it was Morbain talking. He had risen from his chair and come to stand a cautious distance from Kristoff’s blade. “Stop making such a fuss,” he told the Head Councilor. “It doesn’t matter if she touched you or not—we still have the upper hand. I’ve had her blood! Any moment now she’ll be after me, panting like a bitch in heat.”
“Watch your language.” Kristoff put the tip of his blade to Morbain’s throat, his eyes whirling with rage. “If you speak so of my Lady again I swear I’ll kill you,” he snarled at Morbain.
Morbain gave him a sharp look.
“You love her, don’t you Guard? So much that the thought of her with another is nearly driving you mad. Is that not right?”
Kristoff growled and surged forward. I think he really would have cut off Morbain’s head but I put a hand on his arm.
“Kristoff, don’t! They’ll put you away and I won’t have anyone to protect me,” I pleaded.
He growled again, a possessive, inhuman sound that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the tension in his muscles, could see his strong jaw clenching with rage. He really did want to kill Morbain and after years of treachery on the prince’s part, I couldn’t blame him. But I didn’t want to lose him either.
“Kristoff,” I pleaded.
At last he backed away and re-sheathed his sword.
“Stay away from my Lady,” he said, pointing at Morbain. He turned to me. “My Lady Charlotte, I believe it is time for you to invoke your right to give your blood to another Royal male, just as your predecessor, Sundalla the 999th did in her time.”
For a moment my heart leapt, but then I realized he wasn’t talking about himself. He was nodding at the crowded auditorium where the Royals in attendance were watching with wide, uncomprehending eyes. There were literally dozens of hot alien males in the right age range and with the right bloodlines to choose from. But I didn’t want any of them.
“I don’t—” I began but Tannus interrupted in his self-important voice.
“I am afraid it will be quite impossible for the Empress-to-be to choose another Royal to give her blood to,” he said, looking down his nose at me. “Only yesterday the Council of Wisdom voted on a motion to keep her from seeking outside our recommendations—for her own safety, of course,” he added.
“What?” I demanded. “You can’t just do that! You can’t just run my life and dictate exactly who I’m supposed to marry—er, pick as a Consort! This was supposed to be a scientific process—it’s the only reason I agreed to it in the first place
!” Well, that and the fact that I hadn’t wanted to offend my new people. But seeing as how I was up on the stage in front of all of them making a scene, I was pretty sure that particular ship had sailed.
“Actually, we can.” Tannus gave me a nasty smirk. “One of the reasons the Council of Wisdom exists is to impart wisdom to the Goddess-Empress herself. To that end, we must determine who is the best male to be your Consort.”
“So you considered and came up with Morbain?” I demanded. “What’s wrong with you people?”
Tannus sniffed. “I had thought your Majesty would be pleased with our decision. After seeing the way you favored the Prince at the banquet—giving him the first and the second bites from your plate I thought—”
“That was fixed and you know it,” I snapped. “Someone told the cook all I wanted for supper was bugs and slugs and creepy crawlies! Of course I wasn’t going to eat that!”
“You will never carry out this plan,” Kristoff told Morbain and Tannus who were both smiling in a most unpleasant way.
“My dear Guard,” Morbain said. “We already have.” He looked at me and winked, making my stomach roll. “When your needing begins, you know where to find me, my dear. I’ll be seeing you soon. Very soon I should think.”
Then he strolled off the stage laughing, leaving me standing there in front of the crowd with a knot of uncertainty and dread in my stomach.
What was I going to do?
Chapter Thirty-one
Kristoff
I was so enraged it was difficult to see past the red haze that covered my vision as I ushered Charlotte back to the Royal Apartments. The urge to seek out Morbain and kill him at once was almost overpowering. Only knowing that Charlotte would be left alone without a protector if I did so kept me from hunting him down and chopping his lying, duplicitous head from his body.
Speaking of Charlotte, I could feel her fear and worry strongly through the bond I had with her. And who could blame her for being afraid? Tannus and Morbain had basically conspired against her to hand the power of the throne over to the last person who should have it.
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