She nodded more to herself than me.“What else do you want?Power?”
“No!”
“Do you wish to replace me as Queen?”
“No, why would I?”What was she getting at?Karim and I had just kissed for the first time, and she was acting as if we were getting married and becoming the royal couple tomorrow.
She narrowed her eyes at me.“Why would you not?”
“It would be foolish to want something that would drain the joy of living.”She wanted the truth?There it was.One look at her face in the mirror would tell her everything she needed to know.
The Queen turned abruptly toward Karim to her right, her jaw clenched tight.I didn’t think she realized she’d lost her own eye challenge.“What have you told her about me?”
“Nothing.Jasmine is very perceptive.Just leave her be, Mesia.”
No such luck.She went back to grilling me, and with renewed fervor.“What could you possibly want from my brother, then?You enjoyed his touch so much?”
“Uhh…” I instinctively looked his way for guidance, but he looked as interested in hearing my answer as the Queen was.“We haven’t actually… interacted–”
“You desire him, then?”
Did she notice the tips of my ears grow darker?“Yes,” I confessed awkwardly.
“You find his looks, so different from a human’s, attractive?”
“Yes.”
“You find his personality attractive?”
“Yes!”This time when I looked Karim’s way, I saw the ghost of a smile soften his features.At least, something good came out of this interrogation.
“Final question, human.Are you fertile?”
I gaped.So in addition to marrying us off, she was already planningour children?
“That’s enough,” Karim interfered.
Thank heavens.
“I’m simply looking out for you, brother.”
He gave her a pointed look.“This is about the Kingdom, not protecting me from heartache.”
She lifted her chin.“Can you blame me?Someone has to put our Kingdom first.And that someone obviously isn’t you.”
Karim sighed.“You’ve made your point, sister.Now that you’ve gotten your answers and everything has settled between us, you may leave.”
“Your hospitality is touching.”The Queen headed for the exit.I nearly exhaled in relief–until she paused at the door.“You may wish to offer better hospitality to our guests tonight.”
Guests?
“What guests?”
I caught a flash of satisfaction in the Queen’s eyes.“If you hadn’t beentaking a bathat the time of Katsia’s visit, she would have told you.”At Karim’s sharp look her way, Mesia went on.“Katsia was supposed to pass on the message I received earlier today.The gargoyles have agreed to hold the negotiations here.”
Surprise and excitement flickered across Karim’s face.“They will come to our territory?”
The Queen nodded.
