by Emma Dean
“I wondered if you would like to join me?” the princess offered.
Joslynn looked around the solar and noticed a few jealous glares but most of the women were welcoming and smiling. “Of course, Princess, I would be delighted.” Joslynn was glad she did not have to sit alone or make awkward small talk with women she did not know.
Princess Adelina led her over to an intimate setup of couches and chairs. The young princess sat down on one couch and gestured delicately at the empty space next to her. Joslynn sat and then noticed the woman who stood directly behind the princess, staring out the window. The beautiful blonde turned and smiled slowly at Joslynn.
Shocked at the instant fire in her belly, Joslynn could only stare. The deep sapphire of her eyes had the countess mesmerized. What sorcery was this?
“This is Nadyah,” Princess Adelina said softly, her cheeks flushing. “She is a courtesan from the House of Kismet. She will be staying here at the palace while I undergo my camerraleto.” The blush deepened and Adelina busied herself by needlessly straightening the folds of her gown.
Joslynn had heard of these courtesans. Their genetics were somehow different than the average Kalan but she never knew exactly how until the woman held her gaze. Every dirty thought she’d ever had surfaced to Joslynn’s mind. Never had she been attracted to another female until that moment. Joslynn cleared her throat. “It is very nice to meet you, Lady Nadyah.”
Nadyah bowed her head only slightly, but she gave Joslynn a secret smile. “I am no lady.” Gods above even her voice purred and rubbed against Joslynn in a way that made her squirm. “I apologize if I make you uncomfortable. I understand there are no courtesans in the outer rim.”
Joslynn swallowed as she found her voice. “No. The ones who pass themselves off as courtesans aren’t quite the same.” Nadyah grinned and then turned back to the window. With the intensity diminished it gave Joslynn the space to gather her thoughts again and she turned back to the princess. “I wanted to congratulate you on your upcoming birth celebration.”
Adelina didn’t look up but she smiled. Her small hands caressed the folds of the glittery spidersilk. “I appreciate the well wishes.” She looked up at Joslynn then and her purple, amethyst eyes had a certain spark. “I am grateful you were able to make it. I understand this time is difficult for you.”
Again Joslynn felt surprise. This wispy little princess was far more observant than she let on. “Yes,” she said slowly. She hadn’t been prepared for intelligent conversation. Embroidery perhaps and questions about her planet she had expected, but not an empathetic equal. “It is why I brought Lord Sirus with me as my escort. Our families have taken care of one another for many generations now.”
Adelina looked across the room and she gave a nod to someone. A servant came by with three cups of tea and a few edibles. The princess then thanked the servant. That was unusual for royalty, or so Joslynn had heard. The princess looked down at her cup then and blushed when she saw how closely Joslynn watched her.
“It must be nice to have someone you can rely on,” Adelina said. “Lady Joslynn, I wanted to speak with you about purchasing some gems I could work with?”
The change in subject caught Joslynn off guard and she frowned slightly. She narrowed her eyes. The shyness felt a little…off. Princess Adelina couldn’t be that shy if she had sought her out to talk business. This woman had everyone fooled. Joslynn glanced at Nadyah whose sapphire eyes sparkled at her again. Well, not everyone it seemed.
“Work with how?” Joslynn asked. “Would you cut the gems, or would you use them as decoration? Do you have a particular stone in mind?”
“I have a design I need them for, but wasn’t sure which stone to use,” Adelina told her.
“Do you have the design on you, Princess?”
Adelina reached into the pocket of her dress. “Oh, you may call me Adelina. I had hoped we may become friends.” She pulled something up on her simulcast. “Here it is.”
The princess handed the simulcast over and Joslynn studied the sketch with an expert eye. The lines were beautiful and the detail entrancing. The necklace would catch the light perfectly and draw attention to the collarbones rather than cleavage which was subtle and rather ingenious. “This is amazing,” she said. “You must tell me who designed such a piece. I would love to work with them on other projects if you do not mind.”
Princess Adelina blushed again and straightened the folds of her gown. “Actually, I designed it.”
Joslynn’s jaw dropped. She stared at the princess. “Did you really, your highness?”
Adelina cleared her throat. “Adelina is fine, Lady Joslynn.”
Joslynn grinned at the irritation she could hear in her voice. “Adelina then, I had no idea you had a trade.”
She shrugged and took up her tea. It was very unladylike to shrug but Joslynn didn’t care. “I don’t have a trade as a princess. I am not allowed, but I am allowed this hobby.” Adelina’s voice was quiet and she shot a glance at the queen. Ah, it made sense then why the princess was nearly two separate people.
Joslynn smiled and leaned over the simulcast to point out where the right jewels would shine the best. Diamonds might be too obvious a choice. Joslynn tried to picture who would wear the filigree masterpiece. It really was exquisite work.
“Who is this designed for?” she asked.
“I designed it for Raena’s coronation, but….” Suddenly Adelina winced and something flickered in her eyes.
The level of pain in those eyes was enough to take Joslynn’s breath away.
“What’s wrong?” Joslynn whispered, making sure not to attract too much attention. Nadyah’s gaze whipped to them at her words and suddenly the courtesan moved.
“Have some tea, princess,” Nadyah murmured, shaking her head ever so slightly.
The sun shone on Adelina and she was pale. The gold of her skin seem tarnished and her eyes blank. Something else was going on, and Joslynn wasn’t sure she wanted to know what it was.
“Princess?” Joslynn managed.
“Not another word.” Adelina’s words were harsh, but underneath the anger was a quiet desperation. That mask of shyness had slipped and Joslynn could see part of the real Adelina. The difference shocked her.
As soon as the princess regained her composure Joslynn continued on as though she hadn’t noticed Adelina’s sudden illness. “You’ll have to design something for me as well. It’ll be your payment for the gems.”
Adelina frowned. “I will pay for the gems chosen for my pieces as well as the metals. You can then pay me for the design as you would any other; I want it to be fair for you. We can go over prices at a later time. Any design you commission from me may be subtracted from my bill if you like, but I will pay what any other jeweler does.”
Joslynn laughed. “Of course Princess, whatever you wish. I appreciate a mind for business.” She started listing off the traditional gems used for a coronation and how they differed from ones worn at a wedding. “Have you ever seen white opals?” she asked Adelina.
Adelina studied her piece. “I know black opals are rare, but I had hoped you might have found some considering your gift earlier. Even a purple opal would suit for the coronation. White would go against tradition.”
Joslynn nodded. “I do have smaller pieces of the black that could be set in such a necklace. I also recently found a strain of purple gold. No one has purchased ingots yet as I’ve waited to present it to your family first.”
That strange vein of gold and the opals seemed like a sign from the three-faced goddess. The countess was needed by the royal family whether any of them knew it or not. She studied the girl next to her and considered the possibility this was the one who needed her and not the crown princess as she had thought.
The princess looked up, eyes wide. “Purple gold?” she asked.
When Joslynn nodded, her eyes lit up and Adelina’s smile was blinding. “That would be wondrous. The Draga royal colors are black, gold, and purple. With pur
ple gold I could create a royal piece Raena could use for her entire reign.”
“Would you like me to fetch some of the pieces for you to see?” Joslynn knew she could run to her room and back quickly enough as long as Adelina had the time.
The floating time-keeper chimed the hour. The princess glanced at the display and then the constantly shining sun outside.
Joslynn had never seen so much sun in all her life. It drenched the earth and heated the air. The climate was difficult for her to adjust to, but she also basked in the warmth she would rarely see on Pedranus.
“There is time. I have to start preparing for the announcement tonight in an hour or so. If you can make it back before then I can wait.” Adelina turned and smiled at Joslynn. Those amethyst eyes and the sweet scent of jasmine drew her in.
“I think I can manage. May I be excused, Princess?” she asked formally, following protocol precisely.
“As you wish,” Adelina stated with a smile. She turned to Nadyah, effectively dismissing her after Joslynn managed a quick curtsey.
The females in the solar eyed her as she made her way to the lovely double doors, curtseying to the queen and the crown princess before she left the Queen’s Solar. It didn’t matter what they thought. She was not here to make nice with nobles she would most likely never see again.
Joslynn stopped in the hall and saw only the two guards who were there before she’d entered. Sirus was nowhere to be found. Had something happened? “Lord Sirus?” she called, trying not to raise her voice.
“Lord Sirus!” she hissed. Where had the gods-be-damned male gone off to?
“I’m here, Lady,” his deep gravelly voice reached her as he strode down the hall. The scar down his face seemed to stand out more than usual and Sirus looked agitated as he offered her his arm. He barely waited for her to take it before he whisked her down the hall.
“Sirus, I need to go to my rooms,” Joslynn stated when he walked blindly in the wrong direction.
He grumbled something and then whipped them both around towards the guest wing. Joslynn did not have long legs. She yanked him back hard enough for him to slow down so she did not have to trot alongside him to keep up.
“Is something wrong?” she asked and he unwittingly began to pick up the pace again.
“I did as you asked and inquired into the commotion from last night,” he said. Sirus kept his deep voice quiet as they passed multiple courtiers and nobles. Some of the lords glared at Sirus, but did not dare approach when he glared back at them.
Joslynn covered her smile with her hand as she watched the lords’ jealous faces. She looked up at Sirus and his face was troubled. The serious look reminded her that this male was immovable. Whatever he had discovered was worrisome enough to affect his normally perfect control. The possibility her people were in danger sat like ash on her tongue. Had something terrible happened? Gods she hoped everyone at home was all right.
Sirus checked over his shoulder before entering the main lift. The footman knew where to take them and the silence was suffocating. Joslynn had too many questions, but Sirus would never answer while someone else listened in. His secrecy had her panicking. It must be terrible, whatever it was.
The lift doors opened and he practically dragged her down the hall. Joslynn could only imagine what it looked like to an outsider – the barbarian lord hauling her off to ravage her in the bedroom. “Can you please stop manhandling me?” she finally snapped, yanking her hand out of his crushing grip.
Sirus rolled his shoulders back as he muttered an apology. He counted the doors and then opened hers. “Please,” he said. His look was apologetic.
He didn’t touch her but she could feel the urgency rolling off him in waves. Joslynn stomped into her sitting room and then whirled around. She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Explain to me what is so world-shattering you had to drag me here like a doll?”
“One moment,” he said. His gravelly voice soothed her despite the fear lodged in her heart. He took out his simulcast and tapped a program. There was a quick chirp and Sirus looked satisfied. “Now we can talk freely.” Despite his reassurance he slipped into the Outer Rim lingo that took the beautiful language of Draga and mangled it into something efficient and harsh.
“What is the meaning of all this?” she asked in irritation. The cloak and dagger routine was a bit much for her and she felt it completely unnecessary. “I want to know what is going on.”
Sirus shook his head. “Lord Lucas arrived last night during the official greeting to warn the king. Marchese Peter and the other son of the Treon Marquis, Grady – the two of them are traitors. They made an attempt on Lucas’s life. Assassins followed his every move to Draga Terra and he’s been in three skirmishes since he left Treon.” His large hand reached for her waist and Sirus directed her to a chair. “He barely made it to his ship alive. Lucas was blessed by the gods to have such a skilled physician on board.”
Joslynn was silent as she processed his words. “What treachery do you speak of?”
Sirus heaved a huge sigh. “They are working with the Neprijat King.”
The words sunk into her heart, heavy and bitter. There were times Joslynn was happy she didn’t have family and this was one of those times. She may be lonely on occasion but she would never feel the heartache of having her own flesh and blood betray her. The man who was supposed to raise and nurture her…no, she couldn’t imagine. Colin would never do such a thing.
“I need to send a cast to my steward. No, I should head home and prepare my people. Pedranus will be a desired acquisition. It always is,” she spat.
She hated her birthright sometimes. Someone always wanted her damn planet for the riches in the soil and her people always suffered. Perhaps she should look into putting more time and gold into her army. “It’s not fair to my people or yours. I cannot depend on my allies for the rest of time to protect my people and our assets. You have your own people and planet to worry about.” Joslynn rushed to her feet. She needed to go home and prepare for the war she knew would soon arrive at their doorstep. Her hands fluttered nervously as she crossed the sitting room to her bedroom.
The trunks sat neatly and she threw one open. Joslynn would have to leave the gems for Adelina, but she simply couldn’t stay on Draga Terra in the royal palace while the Neprijat already had a foothold so close to her home.
“Joslynn, please wait!” Sirus reached for her but she was too fast.
She was throwing clothing into her empty trunk and simultaneously pulling out her simulcast. “How soon can we leave?” she inquired as she tapped out a message to Colin.
Sirus snatched the simulcast out of her hand before she could send a message. “Please wait, we should talk about this, strategize and decide on the proper course of action. An emotional decision is not the best route.”
Joslynn grabbed for her device, furious. “I am not making an emotional decision. A female chooses with both heart and mind. Every time a stupid male decides a woman is wrong he tells her she’s being emotional.” The words were poison in her mouth. “I refuse to let another man tell me I’m being emotional! I am Countess! I rule Pedranus and no one else.” She pointed a quivering finger at him and glared daggers. “I will marry a woman just to spite every male born in this cursed galaxy. My child will be female and no man will ever get his greedy hands on my home.”
“Lady, I apologize my words upset you, but I simply meant you should remain on Draga Terra for your own safety.”
Men were so exasperating. “And who would protect my people?”
“I will.”
His words shocked her so deeply her fury dissipated instantly.
She just stood there, clothing dropping to the floor from her lifeless fingers. “Excuse me?”
“I will regroup with my forces and protect your home.” Sirus was so matter-of-fact.
Joslynn inhaled sharply as relief hit her hard. Sirus was far more capable in war than she. “You would really do that?”
He fr
owned. “It is my duty, Lady.”
Of course, it was because of their long-standing alliance.
Joslynn paced the length of her room. She crossed her arms and tapped her fingers as she thought. “I still think I need to go back to Pedranus. Colin is not prepared to deal with an invasion on his own. He simply runs the businesses and makes sure production does not waver.”
She also didn’t like the idea of staying back alone in the palace. Despite being vulnerable on her own, Joslynn was afraid for Sirus. He might not come back from protecting her planet. The thought struck her like a physical blow and she had to sit down to catch her breath.
“Countess?” Sirus was at her side before she could protest his use of her title.
“I don’t want you to go,” she whispered. Joslynn felt ashamed. She was a coward. The bright sun was a mockery of happiness when her world was so dark. This place was like a mirage. Nothing in the palace was real. It was all too removed. The way the royals treated issues further out from the core of the Draga galaxy was like a game to them when the lives of the people were very real to her.
Sirus knelt before her and he reached for her hands, but then hesitated. “May I?” he finally asked. She nodded and he gently took her hands in his. “If you don’t wish for me to go then I won’t. My life is yours.”
At those sacred words she met his gaze with a sharp look. Sirus was submitting to her despite their equal rank and dominance. Joslynn was barely a notch above him as both their families were counts, but he was the third-born son and she the first-born. Why would he say such a foolish thing? “Your life is your own,” she snapped, not liking how vulnerable his words made her feel.
“Joslynn, my mother may have ordered me to escort you, but I make my own choices. I choose to submit to your will.” The ice blue of his good eye stared into her soul and she had to catch her breath.
Who would have thought the hardened warrior assigned as her escort could be someone she felt so comfortable with, someone she actually cared a great deal for? They were complete opposites but somehow it worked. Joslynn enjoyed his hard edges. The scar on his face didn’t frighten her as she had seen it frighten others around the palace. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I couldn’t do this without you.” All she wanted was to go home, but Joslynn had obligations and she would see to it they were done.