I hissed, my limbs trembling with disgust, my body desperate to push back, but I was completely, helplessly at the mercy of my blood contract. And my betrothed.
Kane groaned, his lips punishing until I was fighting back the tears in my eyes. Only then he released me, and I stumbled backward, into Meera’s arms, coughing back bile. My stomach was roiling. Gods, I wanted to vomit. I wanted to shower, and rip off this fucking dress, and then strangle Kane and Imperator Hart with it. But all I could do was stand there, following orders, and watching as he stepped forward to perform some mindless victory dance. Like I was the prize.
The musicians began to play a tune, each note plucked with a kind of vile humor.
Bawdy laughter crashed against my ears, and my hands were clenched into fists at my side with so much tension my shoulders hurt. Then suddenly I was only aware of one thing.Rhyan’s aura, stormy, and cold, but protective, wrapping itself around me. Hugging me. Holding me.
He stood several feet away, his hand linked with Amalthea’s. But his eyes were on me, heavy and pained, his jaw tight. The restraint he was exhibiting was clear in every sharp line of his features. He wasn’t outwardly showing any emotion, not even anger, but it was bubbling under the surface. I could feel it with the same clarity I felt my own. And yet, he was holding back so he could comfort me in the only way he could find.
Emperor Theotis signaled for the musicians to halt, and Kane’s dance finally ended. “Yes, yes, quite a show. You may return to your Ka, Arkturion Kane. Next time you decide to regale us with a dance, bring your bride.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said.
The Emperor’s bushy eyebrows drew together, his eyes like slits. “Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I hear there was maybe somequicknessto this betrothal?”
“You could say that, Your Majesty,” Imperator Hart said, clapping Kane on the back. “The lady did not wish to wait for … all the benefits, shall we say, that come with marriage, once her feelings were reciprocated.”
“Interesting,” said the Emperor. “Considering she waited a whole two years for Lord Tristan Grey.”
By the Gods. Had he just … My cheeks reddened.
The Emperor looked out into the crowd, a hand over his eyes as if he were searching. “Ah there you are, Lord Tristan.” He gestured for him to step forward. “What say you to this sudden development?”
I forced myself to breathe as Tristan complied, walking into the center of the room.
“I was waiting for my true love, Lady Naria, to wake up and see me, Your Majesty.” He bowed. “Clearly Lady Lyriana was doing the same, only for a man she did not yet know.”
“Yet what about,” Imperator Kormac asked, his lips pulled back into a sneer, “the lady’s engagement to my son? The only engagement sanctioned by His Majesty, and Her Grace, Arkasva Batavia.”
The Emperor grinned, his smile more wolf-like than I’d ever seen.
“That is an important question,” the Emperor said. “Perhaps nothing is settled just yet. We must see Lady Meera returned to her homeland at once—now that we can safely see she is quite recovered. We thank Imperator Hart for his hospitality. However, all things come to an end. Lady Meera, please stand now with your Ka.”
“As you wish,” Imperator Hart said tightly. He nodded at Meera, and she quickly gathered her skirts and crossed the room, making her way to Arianna’s side. There they embraced and hugged. A sight that would always leave my stomach twisting.
“Very well.” The Emperor clapped. “Speaking of returns, I see that we have been graced with the presence of Soturion Rhyan. But not just Soturion Rhyan, Lord Rhyan once more.” He continued to clap. “Am I to understand that our forsworn Bamarian refugee, has been absolved of all past crimes, and is now an Heir again?”
“He is, Your Majesty,” Imperator Hart said.
Emperor Theotis watched Imperator Hart for a long moment before he nodded. “Very well. Since that is the case, Imperator Hart, I hope you will control his travels, outside of Glemaria. Do not let him stray so far from home again, hmm?” His eyes flicked to Rhyan, and for a moment, my heart stopped beating. But then he placed his full attention on me. “Now, as for Lady Lyriana. Step forward, my dear. For what in Lumeria, are we to do with you?”
My cheeks heated. I tried desperately to adjust my dress, and retain some level of modesty, as I stepped back into thecenter of the dance floor. I curtseyed before the Emperor, my eyes remaining on him.
“You look,” he said softly, “enchanting. You know, we went years not seeing the youngest of His Grace’s daughters. The youngest Batavia heir. Then finally we saw her on Valyati, then again when she fought so bravely in the arena. Now we get to see her dressed up soelegantlyagain tonight.” His eyes ran slowly up and down my body. “We’ve never,” he coughed, “seen so much of you, my lady.”
The nobles standing closest to me began to giggle.
I breathed in through my nose as slowly as possible, rolling my shoulders back, lifting my chin, and forced my face to remain neutral. I forced myself to forget that my lips were crawling with disgust. Or that my heart was pounding out of my chest.
“Nothing else left to see,” shouted a soturion.
Kane was by my side a second later, his arm slung over my shoulder. “Nothing I haven’t seen up close,” he said.
The Emperor stepped forward, his aura quiet, but commanding. He was displeased. He wasn’t interested in these games. It was obvious from his expression that with all the absolute power he possessed, he considered this beneath him.
“Be that as it may,” he said softly, and wiped his hands together as if he felt he’d gotten them dirty in this exchange, “you know, no wedding for a member of our ruling Kavim is binding without my presence at the ceremony.”
Imperator Hart stepped forward, joining us in the middle of the room. “Of course, Your Majesty. We are well aware. However, we didn’t want theeagernessof our couple to interfere with the Valabellum.” Imperator Hart lowered his chin, and for once, I realized that he might have overplayed his hand. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to gloat, or if I was afraid of what it meant for me. Either way, I was stuck in the centerof it, and between Imperators, there was never a winner. “Full wedding plans are in place for a later time,” he said.
