Anyone else, she told herself. Though she didn’t entirely believe it.
“Thank you,” she said in a tone she hoped implied she wanted nothing to do with him.
He didn’t take the hint. Or perhaps he didn’t care. He leaned back against the cushions of the couch they sat upon. He licked a chicken bone clean and sucked the juices and oils off his fingers. “We’re to marry in a few short months.”
“Ah … yes.” She glanced over to where Nikator had wandered off to. Even in the distance, she could see the scowl coloring his pretty face. Minos was saying something to him—likely teasing him—and he was having none of it. He still hadn’t noticed Jian had snuggled his way beside her.
“They’ll be consummating tonight. Isn’t it strange?”
Biyu snapped her attention back to him. “Excuse me?”
“I always find it strange,” he continued. “When two people marry, everyone knows they’re fucking later in the night. Isn’t that … crude?” He chuckled and raked a hand through his hair. She grimaced at the sight—he likely had smeared chicken juices all over himself. Maybe he was too drunk to care. “Your sister and that oaf … will fuck tonight. And everyone here knows it.”
Her mouth dropped open at the obscene things coming from his mouth. “Don’t speak about my sister that way,” were the only words she managed to stammer out.
“Oh, but it’s true.” Jian glanced over at her. “That’ll be us in a few months, too. People will speculate how it’ll go down. Aren’t you curious about it?”
“This isn’t something you should speak about out loud,” she hissed, glancing around herself to make sure nobody was listening in on them. The last thing she wanted was for her reputation to be tainted. “And I’m not the right person to be talking about this stuff with. These are … these are matters that are inappropriate to speak to a maiden about.”
The corners of his mouth curved. “You’re still insisting you’re a maiden?”
“I am,” she snapped. “Now, Lord Wu Jian, I think it wise if you?—”
He took a swig from his cup, his cheeks ruddy. “Let me break you in.”
“E-excuse me?” Biyu’s face paled at the implication, and then a furious blush spread over her face. “Don’t talk to me that way. You have insulted me over and over again, and if you think I’ll allow?—”
Jian burst into laughter. Biyu watched in stunned silence as he clutched his belly and guffawed as if she had told the funniest joke in the world. He wiped the corners of his eyes, still giggling.Maybe it was the alcohol going to his head, or maybe he was losing it.
“You’llallowme to speak? Princess Biyu, have you forgotten your position?” Another chuckle. He looked at her in a way that made her blood boil; like she was a petulant, naïve child who was spouting nonsense. “Where is that guard of yours?”
Biyu tried to search for Nikator, but he had disappeared, along with the other Peccata members. Even in the sea of dark hair, she didn’t immediately spot him. Her hands grew clammy at the thought of not having him close by when she was with Jian, but that thought process made her pause.
When had she started to see him as her protector?
“He’s around,” she said in a clipped tone. She reached for her water and took a sip of it. She could handle herself. Jian wouldn’t be ballsy enough to do something at Liqin’s wedding, when the emperor was so near.
“Good.” He took another helping of her roasted chicken off her plate—much to her annoyance—and began tearing off the meat. Between mouthfuls he said, “Why’s he always hanging around you, anyway? I’ve heard Commander Yao Bohai isn’t particularly pleased that he’s wasting his skills on something as trivial as guarding you, especially when we need all the manpower we can use to fight those rebel rats. Apparently, they’ve even infiltrated into this palace. Can you believe that? They can be anywhere.” He waved his greasy fingers at the crowds of people, sending a chill racing down her spine. “But don’t worry. Once we’re married, he’ll be forced to go back to his role of serving His Majesty. Then you’ll be free of him. I think he’s doing this little side quest with you because he wants to shirk his duties and relax, when that’s thelastthing we need right now.”
Jian continued to blab about roles and the importance of knowing your position—most of which Biyu ignored. Herattention was drawn to Yat-sen, who had just entered the hall and taken a seat across the room from her. He was dressed in rich blues and purples, his hair crown glinting gold, and his polite mask in place. Even from this distance, she could make out the four guards who trailed behind him, most of them engrossed in the festivities around them.
Nikator wasn’t here … Wasn’t this a perfect opportunity?
Biyu lurched to her feet, inadvertently cutting off whatever crap Jian was spouting. “If you’ll excuse me?—”
Jian grabbed her wrist before she could walk around him. A thunderous expression purpled his face. “Where are you going?”
She tried wrenching her hand back, but he only tightened his grip.
“I didn’t say we were done speaking. And besides, you can’t justleave.”
“I see my brother and wish to greet him.” She didn’t need to answer to him, but a jolt of fear ran through her at the sight of his scowl. She had seen men like him before; men who thought they could lord over anyone, particularly women, without reprimand. And it terrified her what someone like that was capable of when they thought no one was watching. And here, they were surrounded by many people, and yet he still wanted to control her? Eyes and ears were everywhere.
“Sit down, princess.”
“No. Release me.” Biyu tried to keep her voice low so as to not attract attention—that wouldn’t bode well for her and her plan to see Yat-sen.
“I won’t repeat myself.” Jian offered a polite smile to a passing noble, who cast them a curious look. When he glanced back at her, his grin turned chilly. “Sit.”
