“My son has never been with a woman. He’d be able to soar higher if he had been. Once he finds a life mate, he may be able to touch the sun. But if...” He didn’t finish.
She knew what he meant. They were Order of Swans and swans mated for life. They might have a tryst here and there—as Tanek had with Mekos’s mother—but a love commitment was forever. If later, a male swan’s mate was taken from him or died, he stayed alone for the rest of his life. If Mekos fell in love and that woman married another... Kaley didn’t want to think of what the consequences would be to Mekos. An entire life without his chosen partner?
Tanek turned her in his arms. “We must not think of thatnow.” He ran his hands up and down her back. “Unless you want to change rooms. Mekos and I could be together and you can stay with the princess.”
“Nope!” she said firmly.
Tanek smiled. “Speaking of babies, my ears are fine but my next son may have ridges.”
“Oh? And what if it’s a girl? Maybe she’ll have wings like a Never.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see what we can produce,” he said as he began kissing her.
“This place is great!” Mekos said from Aradella’s bedroom doorway. “The house, the outside. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
In Aradella’s life, she was rarely allowed privacy, but even so, she wasn’t used to males being in her room. Or in her house. Or for that matter, on her island.
He was eating an orange and had another one in his hand. “Here!” He tossed it to her.
Aradella had to stretch, but she caught it.
“Good catch.” He sauntered into her room and looked out the big window. “Where do you want to go first? Wonder if the markets are held every day? It’s nice to think everything is free. I could get Grandpapá something. Or we could go see where the steam from the volcano comes out. I heard they have festivals there.” He turned back to look at her. “Which one do you like? Or do you know of something else?”
On the bed was a big cloth bag and she’d pulled out a few dresses.
“Is that all you have to wear? You need pants like Kaley wears.”
She had no idea what to reply. The idea of being free to walk wherever she wanted was beyond her comprehension.
“What are you doing here?!” came a shout and the two young people looked at the doorway. Standing there was a large womanwith crinkly gray hair pulled tightly back. Her dark eyes were full of anger. “You!” She sneered at Mekos. “Get out! How dare you put yourself near the Honored Girl? You cannot—”
Aradella was so used to attacks from people that she reacted quickly. “Queen Olina has ordered that he is to stay with me. For my protection.”
“You need no protection here. Valona is all the security anyone needs.” She was obviously insulted.
“I’m sure that’s true,” Aradella said calmly. “However, I must send word to Queen Olina that you will not comply with what she has arranged for me.” She raised her left arm where the chip was. “I will tell her now. What is your name?”
It took the big woman a moment to recover, then she lowered her voice. “Valona said that you are to stay with me.”
Aradella had her fingertips on the chip that was buried under her skin. “I understand. I’ll tell my aunt, the queen, that Valona’s orders supersede hers. And your name is?”
The woman seemed to recover enough that she stood up straighter, then gave another sneering look at Mekos. “He is to stay away fromme.” She stomped out of the room.
Mekos went to Aradella. “That was wonderful! You were so very clever!”
Aradella felt her face turn red at the compliment. She wasn’t sure what to say. “But I wasn’t good enough for your father” came out of her mouth.
Mekos took a step back, looking as though he’d been slapped. “He and Kaley...” He didn’t finish.
Aradella was embarrassed at what she’d said, but she didn’t tell him that. Instead, she followed the big woman into the open living area. Mekos was behind her.
“I am the guide. You need to know nothing more,” the woman said. “Come! I will lead you to see this place.”
What followed was thirty minutes of the guide raving about what a spectacular place the Lair was—and all of it was due to the magnificent, glorious leadership of Valona. They were toldof her beauty, her wisdom, her kindness. “She is generous to a fault. She gifts us with holidays and ceremonies that others can only dream about. Whatever we have, it is due to Valona.”
Aradella’s eyes seemed to grow wider with every word. Olina ruled by fear, but Valona seemed to rule by love and kindness. How was that done? When she looked at Mekos, he gave a gesture of vomiting. Aradella clamped her lips together to keep from laughing.
When they entered the village, they saw that it was perfectly kept. There wasn’t a weed in a flower box, a pebble in the trimmed grass, an unwashed window. As for the women, they were all clean and tidy—and they abruptly halted and stared at Aradella. “Good Day of the Moon to you,” one woman said softly. “Is that her?” asked a very pretty girl. When the woman nodded, the girl mouthedthank youto Aradella.
