Chapter Eleven
Evston had told herthat key staff in the castle knew he had a new pet. And they likely expected her, who always came and went in a hooded cloak, to be the last one for him, since he’d told them he intended to marry at the end of the year.
What his staff did not know of course was that his cloaked pet was his future bride whom he currently had locked in the pet chamber as a punishment. They also did not know what havoc the pet training was having on his brother’s marriage bed.
Brande snorted with laughter over Melsint’s tale of the way a rude winemaker had been scared senseless by the commander who’d caught a few of her barbed remarks to his wife.
“Kitten?”
Brande jerked at the enormous shadow at the gate.
“Hi, Sir. We were just talking about you,” Melsint said sweetly.
“What are you doing in there?”
“The princess doesn’t like sleeping in here alone, especially when she’s upset.”
“Then maybe she shouldn’t get herself into trouble with her master. Come out of there.”
“He’s not technically her master though, is he? And also, she’s princess to all of us. So I can’t really be expected to just ignore a royal request. That wouldn’t be right.”
“Brandese,” he said.
“Yes, Commander?”
“Would you like to return my wife? Or would you like for me to join the two of you on that cushion?”
“There’s hardly room for someone your size with both of us here.”
“No doubt it’ll be a very tight squeeze. You’ll both probably spend most of night beneath me.”
“That would be ironic indeed,” she said softly. “Go ahead, Mels. We’re caught, and your husband is too selfish to share you.”
“On the contrary,” he said with a yawn. “You are welcome to play with my kitten all you want, provided I can watch.”
Melsint rose, clucking her tongue. “You know you wouldn’t just watch.”
“What’s going on here?” Evston said. “Locking her in the chamber alone is hardly effective punishment if you join her.”
“Now, I would be happy to just watch,” Melsint said. “Really quietly in fact.”
“Are you on their side?” Brande exclaimed. “How can you be? He’s your husband.”
“And he always will be.” She shrugged. “It would be okay with me if you wanted to see what it’s like to be shared. Aren’t you curious about it?”
Brande dropped back onto the cushion and flung an arm across her eyes. “Even if I were, I have more sense than to act upon it. We have to face each other all the time. What if something went wrong? Also the commander is huge. It’s terrifying. Everyone, please go.”
The gate closed, and she lay still for several moments, until someone cleared his throat. She raised her arm and found that Rocurt was alone in the chamber with her. She inched back.
“Let’s settle some things,” he said, dropping onto the cushion.
She rolled off and stood, moving to the far wall.
“Come here, pet.”
“I’m not comfortable with this.”
“Obviously. Come here, and I’ll lie still while you get to know me.”
