by Emma Dean
Nadyah slid off the bed, slinky and graceful. Her fingertips trailed up Adelina’s leg, over the curve of her ass, and up her back. “I’ve never smelled jasmine so sweet.” Her courtesan brushed her lips over Adelina’s forehead.
Adelina shivered. This woman had her acting like a lovesick male.
With genuine care the courtesan brushed the princess’s hair back from her face. “I assume you understand from your training as princess how to properly interact with those who are more dominant than you are, and how to properly hold your position.”
She nodded. It was no easy thing to uphold her rank over someone she wanted to submit to. Adelina had worked hard to keep her shy nature from hindering her job.
Nadyah held out a hand and Adelina took it, trusting the courtesan completely. She led Adelina to stand before her. “As females we may be naturally, physically weaker than males, but we have silent strengths and one of them is the ability to control males.” She gave the princess a quick look. “Even if you prefer females you will need to deal with the males at court and as an ambassador.”
Adelina stood naked before the courtesan and refrained from crossing her arms over her breasts. Her nipples hardened under Nadyah’s scrutiny and she reminded herself to pay attention.
“My lovely,” Nadyah murmured as her eyes trailed from Adelina’s head to her toes and back again. “You are exquisite.” She pulled Adelina’s shoulders back. “Not only does this make you appear more confident, it pushes your breasts out. Despite how irritating it is that males are so distracted by them, use it to your advantage. It sometimes pays for them to be addle-minded.”
She nodded in response to the courtesan’s words. These were all things she’d been taught before, but never for these reasons. Nadyah trailed her fingers along the princess’s collarbone and pressed her lips to the hollow between Adelina’s neck and shoulder before pulling back to search her purple eyes.
“You are a princess. You know what you want and what you do not.”
Nadyah turned her to face the large mirror in her closet. Adelina knew this would be the most important part of her camerraleto. She was shy and nervous and she needed to come into her own. Not shedding a skin exactly, but building a second one.
“Being shy is one thing, but feeling self-conscious is something else entirely,” Nadyah said. “If you feel shy, use it to your advantage. Keep your voice low enough they have to lean in to hear you, as if you were telling them a secret,” she explained with a wicked grin. Adelina’s eyes widened as the courtesan drew closer, her voice lowering in example. “Touch lightly, but briefly.” Her fingers skimmed the inside of the princess’s wrist for a second before she withdrew.
She circled Adelina and tipped up her chin. “The key is eye contact when you can manage it. Eye contact alone will make you seem more confident. Be comfortable with who you are and make no apology for your feelings.” Nadyah stopped in front of Adelina, blocking the mirror so she had to look at her. Gently Nadyah kissed her cheek.
Adelina took in her words and made them her own, wrapping them around her like silk.
“I am going to pick something for you to wear. Your gowns are beautiful, but they are sweet and demure. We want to remind everyone you will be of age.”
Nadyah tucked a golden strand of hair behind her ear and went into her closet. She rifled through what seemed like endless dresses and finally chose something. It was a magnificent gold spidersilk dress that would enhance her golden tan and blacker-than-night hair.
“Put that on. I have something that will pair beautifully with it.” Nadyah started looking through her drawers and Adelina turned to the mirror.
The dress slid over her legs like water as she pulled it up over her hips. The material clung to her waist and Adelina slipped her arms through the sleeves. The wider straps gave more support so that the plunging V-neck draped just right over her breasts. The V ended just above her navel and Adelina felt nerves gather. Never had she worn something so daring, so sexual.
Yet, the spidersilk was the perfect gold and the skirts draped and billowed in all the right places. There was a subtle slit that went all the way up to her thigh, but only a small flash of skin would show as she walked unless she crossed her legs. It suited her despite everything. She pulled her shoulders back and there was a slight curve of her breast showing.
Amora save her, Nadyah knew exactly what she was doing.
The courtesan gave her a knowing smile as she came out of her closet with something glittering in her palm. “That dress has never suited me. I am almost positive that client is colorblind. I am too fair for such a thing, but on you? Darling your guard will be wishing he’d never said such foolish things to break your heart.”
She smiled back at Nadyah and felt better about the amount of skin showing for all the world to see. The slippers she wore wouldn’t suit, but this was a dress she would want to wear with heels to add height to her small frame. For the first time in her life she wished she had larger breasts to fill out such a dress, but the goddess knew she didn’t really want them. Raena never stopped complaining about the back pain.
“I want you to have this,” Nadyah said, holding out a glittering strand of gold with a fat gem hanging from it. “Think of it as my coming-of-age present to you.”
Adelina’s eyes widened when she saw the octagonal amethyst precisely the color of her eyes. “I can’t possibly accept such a gift,” she stammered. The piece was perfect and worth more than Nadyah could know. Adelina would never take advantage of her; she of all people knew exactly what gems were worth.
“Darling I have jewels and gems enough to rival you and your family. My patrons are generous.” Her smile was wicked and she placed the necklace on Adelina, clasping it before she could protest further.
Adelina watched in the mirror as the gold chain formed a choker around her neck and a single strand fell from the hollow of her throat, leaving the amethyst nestled between her breasts. It accented the gown and her coloring perfectly. Her mouth dropped open in shock and her hand went to the glittering rock. The rope chain had to have three or four strands twisted to hold the five karat amethyst, but the work was so well done she couldn’t see the separate strands with her naked eye.
Nadyah looked unsure for the first time since she had met her. “You probably already have plans for the upcoming events but perhaps we can recreate your wardrobe in time. We will begin practicing immediately and I want to help you go through your clothes and jewels to properly showcase your assets. For the most part we will keep the changes subtle. You can wear this on a romantic evening or even for the noble’s reception.” She tapped her lower lip with one of her lacquered nails. “What do you think?”
Adelina always prided herself on her work and was unsure this change would be for the best. “I design most of my own wardrobe,” she admitted. She was hesitant to tell Nadyah. No one but her siblings really knew about her hobbies. She liked to keep them off the livestream when she could.
Nadyah’s face lit up. “This is wonderful! Let’s see what we can do to open you up a bit more.” Her wink eased some of Adelina’s fears and she felt closer to Nadyah than she thought she would on their first meeting.
“I will show you my work when you arrive at the palace tomorrow. Father has given you a room adjoining mine. It was originally for my spouse, but we both agreed this made sense.” Adelina was nervous about the accommodations. Never had a courtesan lived at the palace aside from Elara.
As she removed the dress, Adelina checked the time-keeper on the nightstand. Their time at the House was almost up. She had one last question to ask Nadyah that she hadn’t had the courage to ask until now. She slipped on her own gown and watched as Nadyah packed the dress and a few others into a beautiful box.
“May I ask you something?”
Instantly Nadyah focused on her. “You may ask me anything, Princess.”
Adelina pulled at her dress until it fell as it should and then picked at her fingernails. How would
she explain? “The few times Alpha and I were…intimate I had a curious reaction,” she managed. She could feel the heat on her cheeks and hated it in that moment. She threw up her hands in exasperation at herself. “I lost all control. I could not stop myself from reacting in a way no virgin would have. My skin itched terribly and I wanted him more than I wanted anything else. At the time I did not care if we were in public or not. I have never heard of something like this, but I thought there might be a chance you would know.”
A courtesan would know more about desire and physical reactions than anyone else on Draga Terra.
Nadyah frowned and Adelina’s heart sank. What would she do if her courtesan did not have an answer for her?
“Did this same feeling occur earlier during the massage?”
Adelina couldn’t hold her gaze. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she blushed furiously. This was a clinical question though and not a conquest. “Yes.”
The intense speculation on Nadyah’s face worried her. She studied Adelina so closely for a brief second it left her breathless.
“No control whatsoever?”
At Adelina’s nod she made a small noise as she contemplated. “I will look into this. It is unusual, but there should be an answer in the library. If not Mistress Jael will know where I can find what I need.”
“Thank you, Nadyah.” Adelina whispered.
Perhaps there was something wrong with her genetics. After all, she was a submissive royal – which shouldn’t be possible. Her genes were bred into her, designed centuries ago by the Ancients – the humans of old.
It was part of their animalistic nature brought back in force, designed to create a wolf-like nature. She had always wondered how terrible things must have gotten for the ancient humans to create such a design. Then she always wondered how she could possibly have genes that would set her so far apart from her family. Adelina wasn’t even on the Draga royal spectrum of dominance.
“Let us get you dressed and then we will have a small meal before our departure.” Nadyah was smiling again, but her sexual intensity was subdued.
Adelina only hoped the trust she’d bestowed on the courtesan hadn’t been a terrible mistake.
Chapter Three
Adelina
Draga Royal Palace
Planet Draga Terra
Ever since Raena was announced to ascend the throne this cycle, Adelina and the rest of her siblings had been required to attend the council and advisor meetings. Raena wanted them all present to learn what they could and assist her when she became ruler of Draga. Adelina tapped the arm of her chair with a sharp nail and watched the proceedings with interest.
The large council room was the shape of a perfect oval on the eighth floor of the palace. The walls were plas-glass and the columns decorated in gold and black opals – the jewel of Draga. All five circles of the city were visible around the palace before the haze of the horizon contorted the view.
Everyone in her family assumed Adelina would hate the tedious task of attending council meetings, but Adelina had never been privy to the proceedings before and she’d nearly doubled the amount of information on her personal shreve since her attendance had been requested.
As the youngest female and sweetest of the royal children she was often overlooked – invisible. Adelina was there to serve and she followed any order and request her family made of her. Being invisible allowed her to see much more than anyone could imagine.
It was the second council meeting their father hadn’t attended since they'd learned of his disease. King Orion had good days and he had bad days. Some of the treatments for hypomalarya did prolong his life expectancy, but they occasionally had nasty side effects, leaving the king indisposed for weeks. Raena had been taking over more and more the last few months.
Raena inclined her raven-haired head in deference to Prince Solomon, their father’s brother. It was early enough, so he was still sober, but that wasn’t usually the case. When Prince Solomon wasn’t drinking he had a knack for diplomacy that astonished.
His suggestion to invite citizens across the galaxy to Raena’s Choosing Ball was absolutely brilliant. A lottery would make it fair, and if petitioned the royal family would pay for the travel if the winner could not afford it.
This would give the people an opportunity to be seen. Their love for the royal family would only grow. Adelina adored the idea.
“What about safety measures?” Asher snapped, his dark purple eyes flashed. “We couldn’t possibly keep an eye on so many people. The guard would be overtaxed and soldiers from the army would have to be pulled from their stations. This will be an expensive endeavor. I am not sure our treasury can handle so much with all the events planned for the next few weeks.”
Ian cleared his throat in warning, but Asher didn’t turn away from their sister.
Adelina kept her eyes down, but flicked her gaze from her brother to Raena. He did have a point.
Tensions rose and the spicy scent of the rosanera filled the room as Raena stared Asher down. Please, drop your eyes brother, Adelina prayed. Those two were too close in dominance for this to end well.
“The Master Treasurer has gone over the finances. He would be able to answer your questions, Prince Asher,” Caspian, their father’s chief advisor, said gently. He was nearing three hundred cycles and was submissive enough to soothe both her sister and her brother. “Lord Kaius, would you please make your presentation?”
Asher and Raena both watched Lord Kaius approach the center of the council room with sharp eyes. Adelina tapped her finger silently as she thought. Her brother had challenged the crown princess. He spoke out of turn and didn’t always follow protocol. If he was not careful things wouldn’t end well for him, and contention between her siblings was the last thing Adelina wanted.
Lord Kaius went over the finances, what was needed and what had been set aside cycles ago for these very events. Only a bit more than originally thought would be required. There was more than enough in the treasury and Asher looked satisfied.
There was a strange gleam in Raena’s eyes and Adelina’s nerves spiked. Asher made Raena furious on a regular basis. She had been tense lately and on edge which made her even more volatile when he irritated her. It was not a good time to poke at her patience.
Conversation moved to the next item on the docket and the scent of the dominant black rose eased as Raena focused on petitions for repairs to a few of the outer rim outposts. She signed them with a flourish and pressed her hand to the document, sealing the shreve. The gold tattoo on her palm transferred to the document as her personal seal and another councilor began the next item on the list.
Adelina glanced at her own shreve and saw they were making excellent time. Adelina looked up when the Lord High Admiral stood, waiting for her turn to speak.
Raena indicated with a wave of her hand to begin. Tamika Servalan bowed low and Adelina thought she was absolutely beautiful in the black uniform with gold trim and a cape across her shoulders. When the Lord High Admiral rose, she clasped her hands behind her back and faced Raena with a carefully neutral expression.
“Your royal highness, I’ve been receiving increasing reports from the border planets and our outposts that the Neprijat are on the move again. They have claimed Khara Prime as their own but the Neprijat armies are scouring the Khara galaxy. We have not been able to get an accurate report of their numbers, but the assumption is they are up in the billions, or even trillions.” She hesitated for a moment but soldiered on with a grim set to her jaw. “Patrol ships of ours are disappearing.”
Adelina tensed at the mention of the horror she used to think was only a myth to frighten small children. The horde of monsters raped and ravaged galaxies. Barely six months ago the Neprijat had murdered the entire Corinthian royal family on Khara. Murdered was a kind word to use for what they did to them.
Giselle gave her hand a quick squeeze for reassurance and support. Adelina was grateful for the contact. Despite the warmth of the day she felt a s
udden chill.
Since the news of their ally’s demise, they had scoured the galaxy for any information they could. It seemed the princes and princesses of the other planets in the Khara galaxy were ruthlessly hunted and eradicated by the Neprijat so there would be no challenge to the usurper.
A few did manage to go to ground from what she heard through her own sources and there was still the missing heir, but she doubted they would be able to find any of them.
Draga had their own galaxy to worry about now that they shared borders with monsters.
Mutters went around the room as each member of the council had something to say. Raena held up her hand for silence. Instantly she was obeyed and they all waited for her orders. “This is a matter for the war council. King Orion still reigns and he is the only one who can make such decisions, for now. I will report this to him and we will prepare for a more in depth discussion. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Lord High Admiral. Please gather what information you can and be ready to present it to the king. I will send you a cast with the time. Your schedule will be taken into consideration.”
Lady Tamika bowed again and Adelina mentally noted her rank and dominance to add to her personal shreve later.
A commotion at the door drew every single person’s attention. There were shouts and guards yelled as someone tried to push their way through. Adelina clenched her hands and tried to remain seated. She refused to turn and look, to find Alpha among the other stationed guards despite how badly she wanted to. It would be against protocol to ignore Raena in such a way.
Her eldest sister’s sharp gaze swept over the room at the broken concentration and finally she waved her personal guard forward. He bowed and whispered something to her. When Raena’s eyes widened in shock Adelina’s curiosity piqued. She let herself slant a subtle glance to the door. All she could see were the uniforms of the royal guards. Too many chairs, nobles, and courtiers were in her line of sight.