“He believed you?” she asked, her eyebrows high.
I shrugged and started walking again. “He didn’t not believe me.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” Valentin said from behind me. “I definitely did not believe you.”
I whirled around. He was wearing a dark suit that complemented his coloring. I wanted nothing more than to throw myself into his arms. Instead, I demanded, “How do you do that? I should’ve been able to hear you.”
He grinned. “I’m sneaky. And I had a little help to keep you distracted.”
I pivoted back and pointed at Ari accusingly. “I thought you didn’t like it when he just showed up.”
Valentin wrapped his arms around me from behind and pressed a kiss to my hair. “I went through all the proper channels this time, and Ari was kind enough to allow me to land in the main hangar.”
Ari smiled. “I figured you could use the company today. Now stop scowling at everyone.” With that parting shot, she raised her arm in farewell and disappeared into the maze of walkways.
I turned to face Valentin, still within the circle of his arms. “How did you even find me in here, anyway?”
“Ari, of course.” He made a vague gesture. “Luka and Imogen are lurking around somewhere, too.”
I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him tight. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome,” he said softly. He stroked his fingers over my jaw. “But next time, just tell me the truth. Meetings can be rescheduled, or I can take them remotely. I want to be here for you when you need me.” He pressed his fingers against my lips when I would’ve argued. “Just as I hope you’ll be there for me when I need you.”
“I will be,” I promised. “Now kiss me and tell me you’re happy to see me.”
His eyes sparkled as he slowly lowered his head toward mine. “I’m happy to see you, Samara.” He kissed the very tip of my nose and pulled back with a playful grin.
I sniffed. “I suppose if that’s the best you can do, I’ll accept it.”
He tipped my chin up and his lips covered mine, slowly, thoroughly. Desire blazed bright and fierce, and I forgot about the election. I forgot about Luka and Imogen. I very nearly forgot my own name.
The kisses blended into each other so that I didn’t know how long we’d been locked together, but I wasn’t complaining. He gave me one last, lingering kiss, then pulled back and rested his head against mine. “I am delighted to see you, my love,” he whispered.
I shivered as the endearment washed over me.
“You, too,” I murmured.
Valentin squeezed me one last time, then stepped back and linked his fingers through mine. “What do you want to do today? My afternoon is clear.” He looked around with interest, like he hadn’t just kissed the hell out of me. “Did you build this?”
I ordered my rioting pulse under control and attempted to string two thoughts together.
“No, this part of the market was here before us,” I said. “We don’t have enough people to need it. But I like to come here when I need to walk and don’t want to be bothered.” I glanced down at his shiny shoes. “Are you okay to walk in those?”
When he nodded, I started walking and pulled him along with me, hand in hand. I was heading for my suite, but I planned to take the long way. Anticipation made the payoff sweeter.
“How are the negotiations going?” I asked.
“Soteras has agreed to an in-person meeting on CP57 early next month.”
I turned to him, mouth open. “That’s huge! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because we only got all of the details confirmed this morning. It’s been something of a nightmare to get everyone on the same schedule.”
“Why do you think she’s so friendly all of a sudden?” I asked. “Is it a trick?”
Valentin shrugged. “Maybe. But killing Adams also sent a pretty clear message. Now that all of my advisors actually want peace and Quint has lost a host of traitors of their own, maybe we’ll make true progress.”
I hoped so. I wasn’t sure I could get to someone as protected as Soteras, but if she hurt Valentin, I’d do my damnedest to make her life miserable.
Valentin and I spent a delightful afternoon in my suite until hunger drove us to the mess hall. Eddie took one look at Valentin’s suit and whistled. He slanted a sly glance at me. “You should’ve told me you had big plans tonight, boss. Are you celebrating your win?”
“How do you know I’m winning? Maybe I’m celebrating my upcoming freedom from you lot.”
Eddie grinned. “In that case, take me with you. I could be a fancy palace chef.”
“I’m afraid you might be stuck here with me,” I said. “I blocked myself from checking the results before the end of the day, but Ari is a blabbermouth.”
“She probably didn’t want you to worry,” Eddie said. “You’re the only one who thought you might lose.” He shook his head, but it didn’t take long for his grin to reappear. “You want dinner to go?”
“Yes, please. And servings for Imogen and Luka, too.”
Eddie dished up four servings in reusable to-go containers. “As much as it pains me to admit it,” he said, “you might want to visit Zita later. She was cooking up something special for your victory celebration. She’ll be hurt if you disappear for the night.”
“I’ll have Ari spread the word that I’m planning to emerge after the results are public. Until then, I’m going to go back and hide in my suite. Don’t burn the place down.”
Eddie sent us off with a wave. Imogen and Luka stayed in the public rooms on the ground floor while Valentin and I retreated back upstairs. We still had three hours until the voting window closed, and restless energy pulsed under my skin.
I led Valentin to the small table near the kitchenette. He set out the food while I poured us drinks, and I was reminded of our dinner in the guest suite. So much had happened since then that it was hard to remember that it was only a month ago.
“What’s on your mind?” Valentin asked.
“I’m just thinking about how much has changed in the past month and wondering where we’ll be a month from now.”
Valentin pulled out my chair, and I slid into the seat. He sat across from me and smiled. “I did promise you a vacation in a remote fortress, and I intend to make good on it. After I meet with Soteras, I’d like to have you to myself for a week or two.”
“I’d like that, too,” I agreed. “And the timing should work for me.”
We turned our attention to the food. Eddie had prepared a creamy chicken and vegetable pasta that was delicious. He really would make a fine palace chef, and I dreaded the day he decided his skills were wasted here.
After dinner, Valentin and I snuggled on the sofa and watched a vid. While my desire for him hadn’t waned, it was nice to just spend time together and hang out, especially when I was already wound.
Cuddling had loosened some of my tension but as the hour grew later, it came back with a vengeance. At a quarter to nine, I climbed to my feet and pulled Valentin up with me.
“Results come out in fifteen minutes. I need to head to the market.”
“Have you checked on how it’s going?”
I sighed. “Not yet.” But I couldn’t hide any longer. I went through the authentication process and accessed the real-time results.
The referendum had failed. I was still queen.
I blew out a slow breath.
“Is that a good sound or a bad one?” Valentin asked, his tone uncertain.
“I will remain queen. The margin is wide enough that I can’t lose at this point.”
“That’s… good, right?” he asked with a frown.
I gave him a hug. I was confusing him, but I was confused myself.
“Yeah, it’s good,” I said. “I want to remain queen. I want to help my people. But not having the responsibility would’ve made our relationship easier.”
“Since when do we like easy?” He pulled me close. “First and f
oremost, I want you to be happy. And looking after your people makes you happy. We’ll make the rest of it work.”
I brushed my lips against his. “Thank you.”
The market was full of people by the time we arrived. Luka cleared a path while Imogen watched our back. I didn’t really think the precautions were necessary, but neither had budged. I had a feeling that this was going to be my new normal.
Worse, I was going to have to get another guard just so Imogen and Luka could spend some time together off the clock. Imogen had refused to even consider my offer to find another primary bodyguard, but she couldn’t complain about me adding an additional guard.
I made a mental note to talk to Valentin because he would need another guard, too. Then we really would have an entourage. My days of slipping through crowds unnoticed were behind me now that my face had been plastered all over the news in two systems.
At least no one had figured out my past, yet. Only a handful of people knew my face from my days as the Golden Dahlia, and they were smart enough not to blab about it.
We finally made it to the bakery and Zita beamed at us. Her smile was infectious. Even Luka unbent enough to put his scowl away and dip his head at her.
“You’re just in time,” she said. She waved us to a large table draped with a white tablecloth. Stella and Ari waited nearby, and two covered objects rested on the table, one flat and rectangular, one tall and cylindrical. I guessed the flat one was a cake or other dessert, but I wasn’t sure about the cylinder.
Overhead, the ceiling panels twinkled with stars. There were no vid screens for the news, but we really didn’t need them. Everyone was linked into the net and could get the results as soon as they were public.
The space quieted as the clock ticked over the hour. It took a few seconds, then a cheer started as the results became available. Zita, who always had a flair for the dramatic, whisked the covers off the objects on the table.
As expected, the flat one was a cake, exquisitely decorated and with Congratulations Queen Rani! written in a beautiful script. The cylinder was a cupcake tower, with each cupcake decorated with a tiny, delicate crown.
Another cheer rose at the sight.
“Long live Queen Rani!” Zita shouted.
“Love live the Queen!” the crowd shouted back.
Zita’s assistants moved through the crowd with additional trays of cupcakes, each one perfectly decorated. Even with help, this had to have taken Zita hours. Tears stung my eyes at her confidence in me.
I pulled her into a tight hug, and she fondly patted my back. “Thank you for this,” I said.
She leaned back and smiled at me. “Thank you for looking out for us and keeping all of these rascals in line. Now, do you want to cut the cake?”
“And ruin your beautiful creation?” I shook my head. “No way.”
Her smile grew. “It was meant to be eaten. And it has a layer of strawberry jam in the middle.”
“Give me the knife,” I demanded.
She handed it over with a laugh. I sliced the cake into generous servings and handed the first piece to Valentin. He dipped his head and kissed me, much to the crowd’s delight. I also cut pieces for Zita, Ari, Stella, and the rest of my council. When Eddie sidled up, I slipped him a piece, too.
After his first bite, Eddie growled, “How is this so good? What is her secret?”
Zita heard him and laughed. “It’s experience. When you get to be my age, you’ll be even better than this.”
I picked up my piece and took a bite. The frosting was sweet without being overpowering, the cake was light and moist, and the jam layer was a bright burst of sweet and tart. It combined into a whole that was even better than the parts.
“If there’s cake better than this, I’ve never had it,” I told her honestly.
Zita waved a modest hand, but her smile glowed like the sun.
When the cupcakes were consumed, people started breaking out instruments and drinks. The celebration turned into a party. Stella led Ari to the dance floor. Malcolm Peters—a soldier in his fifties with ebony skin, close-cropped gray hair, and a gorgeous smile—coaxed a blushing Zita into a dance.
Valentin turned and offered his hand. “May I have this dance, my queen?”
I slipped my hand into his. “You may, your majesty.”
Valentin led me to the dance floor and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around him and we swayed to the music.
“Thank you for coming,” I whispered.
“You are welcome. I’ll always be there when you need me,” he vowed.
It was no wonder I fell in love with him when he said such sweet things. I pulled his lips down to mine. I ignored the delighted hoots around us and focused on showing him just how much I appreciated his care.
His hands tensed against my back and he groaned low in his throat. When I pulled back, he touched his forehead to mine. “I love you,” he whispered.
I couldn’t help the smile that curved my mouth. I would never get tired of hearing the words. “I love you, too.”
We stayed on the edge of the crowd to make our guards’ jobs easier, but we danced and laughed and pretended the rest of the world didn’t exist for a few hours.
On the way back to my suite, I checked the final results. The referendum had failed by 80.1 percent. The people had resoundingly spoken.
And I remained Queen Samara Rani.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Just over four weeks after the election that had secured my future, I met Valentin on CP57. He had three days of meetings with the Quint Confederacy Chairwoman planned, but I wanted to be around just in case anything went wrong. And afterwards, he’d promised me a vacation.
We docked close to Block 1 because Sawya had insisted that their tower was the perfect meeting location. All objections were neatly resolved, sidestepped, or ignored. Sawya wanted the universe’s two most powerful leaders close at hand and was willing to go to some lengths to make it happen.
Valentin’s suite took up half a floor in Sawya’s tower. The imperial advisors and security detail took up the other half of the floor, but I was not surprised when Luka opened Valentin’s door.
Luka’s eyes flickered over me, rested briefly on Imogen, and then stayed locked on the second guard I’d brought.
“Luka, meet Marian Sola,” I said with a wave. “Marian, meet Luka Fox, Valentin’s bodyguard.”
Marian was a fit woman in her late twenties with tan skin, hazel eyes, and light brown hair. She had been a mercenary for almost a decade before ending up in Arx. Despite their different backgrounds, she and Imogen got along well, and when I’d asked Imogen for her opinion, she’d enthusiastically agreed that Marian would make an excellent guard.
Luka didn’t move. Marian held his stare without flinching, but the longer he stared, the higher one of her eyebrows climbed.
After a long moment, she turned to Imogen, completely dismissing Luka. “This is who you were talking about?” she asked, her skepticism clear.
Luka’s eyes narrowed.
If I didn’t head off this pissing contest, we’d be stuck in the hall all day. “I know she’s approved, Luka, because I gave her information to Valentin a week ago. Let us in.”
He begrudgingly stepped back and waved us in. Marian had a silent conversation with Imogen then swept in ahead of us. Imogen smiled at Luka, and, much to my amazement, he returned the gesture.
I stepped past him to give them a few moments of privacy.
Valentin and another man waited in the expansive living room. Valentin crossed the room and pulled me into an embrace. “I’ve missed you,” he growled softly.
“I saw you two days ago,” I said with a smile. “But I’ve missed you, too.”
We went through the introductions again, this time including Valentin’s second guard, Charles Reade.
Where Luka was huge and solid, Charles was lithe and flexible, with golden tan skin, dark eyes, and black hair. And, unlike Luka, he knew how to smile and charm. But h
is eyes remained alert and serious even as he laughed and teased. I had a feeling that, like Imogen, his facade hid just how capable he was.
“What is your plan for the evening?” I asked Valentin.
“I’m all yours until tomorrow morning.”
“Cook me dinner?” I asked. “I’ll keep you company then do the dishes.”
A soft, lovely smile bloomed on his face. “I would love that.”
The talks went as well as could be expected for initial talks, which is to say that everyone left frustrated and feeling cheated. Despite that, Valentin assured me that some true progress had been made. Now both sides would return to their respective territories and continue to hash out the agreement.
Valentin assured me that his advisors had plenty to do and could survive without him for a week, so we sent off his envoy and headed to Ardia to start our week-long vacation—with all four shadows in tow. Valentin hadn’t told me where his remote fortress was, but he’d cleared it with Ari and assured me that we’d only be a single tunnel transit from both Koan and Arx.
I slid into the captain’s chair. “Where are we headed?”
Valentin slid into the navigator’s chair with a smile. “Get us away from CP57, and I’ll plot the course, if you don’t mind.”
“You know I’m going to peek as soon as you lock it in, right?”
His smile edged into a grin. “I had no doubt,” he assured me.
By the time I’d maneuvered Ardia away from CP57, Valentin had locked in our route. True to my word, I checked where we were headed. It didn’t surprise me that it was in the Kos Empire, but it did surprise me that we appeared to be heading to Achentsev Prime. “You’re taking me to Koan? Your palace is nice, and I’ll even give you fortress, but it’s not exactly remote.”
He laughed. “It’s a big planet. Have a little faith.” His expression turned serious. “It’s also the best-protected planet in the system,” he said. “Just in case Quint gets any ideas about negotiating a different way.”
The Queen’s Triumph (Rogue Queen) Page 19