“Ah, yes,” he says with a firm nod. “Definitely stunning.”
He squeezes my hand and glances at me. Our faces are mere inches apart, and his green eyes bore into mine. Mother help me. He doesn’t miss when my gaze darts to his full lips. One side of his mouth tilts upward in a smirk, and my stomach does flips.
“Careful now, Mae,” Koa mutters, his voice low, his eyes fixed on my lips.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t forget who we are. Sex means little to many of us, and most of us were raised to gain every advantage at any cost. If you choose to bed any of my fellow princes, they will likely assume they’ve gained some sort of power with you.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “First of all. This,” I say, motioning between our mouths, “isn’t sex.” I’m not sure what compels me to make my second point, but I blurt it anyway. “Second of all, are you saying I should sleep with each of you to keep it even?” I ask, heat rising to my cheeks at the thought of getting into bed with each godlike prince.
Koa throws his head back in laughter. “Oh, Mother. I think we might be in trouble.”
My jaw drops in mock horror. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re gorgeous. You’re funny, witty even. You’re not afraid to fight back. You’re smart. And that’s a dangerous combination.”
“How’s that?” I ask, leaning closer to him.
His eyes are locked on my lips. His voice is low as he says, “Any smart male would kill to sit beside you.”
He brings his head closer to mine, our lips so close now. His gaze darts from my eyes to my lips as he waits for me to make the first move. I don’t. I pull away from him, a smile on my face. I need each of them to wantme, not just my crown.
A grin spreads across his face. “Probably the better choice.” He stands and holds his hand out. “Ready to get back?”
“Can I say no?”
He smirks. “You’re High Queen, not me. Can you?”
I take his hand and stand. “I wish.”
When we return to the dining room, August and Barrett are deep in conversation about some Ursine political scandal that I pray nobody asks me about. Meanwhile, Asmo and Marik are sitting in silence, staring at their plates, pointedly ignoring everyone at the table.
I take my place at the head of the table. Before I can dig into my soup, August clears his throat. “So, Mae, have you ever dated four different males simultaneously before?”
I sit in stunned silence for a second before I quip back, “I can’t say that I have, August. Have you ever dated four different females before?”
“Augusthasbeen known to get around,” Koa mutters beside me.
“It’s not my fault that you prefer to—”
“Can you two cut it out?” Marik hisses. His earlier smile is gone, and his eyes are now slanted in cold fury aimed at August.
“Marik, it’s okay,” I say, meaning it.
He turns his glare on me. It softens, but not by much. “No, Mae. It’s not. These two aren’t taking this seriously. We’re supposed to becourtingyou. We are supposed to be impressing you, hoping to take your hand in marriage. Each of us is here because we hope to be chosen to rule the kingdom beside you, the highest honor in the land. Meanwhile, these twopetsare treating it like one big joke.” He gestures toward August and Koa, his eyes cold as he stares at them, fury burning in his black eyes.
“Marik, I—”
August holds a hand up to stop me. “If I may defend myself,” he says calmly to me before leveling an icy glare at Marik. “Not even a week ago, our High Queen was ripped from a life of normalcy. I would guess that her world has been turned upside down and that she has been thrust into a world that is utterly foreign to her.”
Barrett looks like he wants to object on my behalf, but I shoot him a look to stop him.
“It’s my best guess that talking to her like a normal person is going to make her comfortable and help us get to know her a little better. So no, Marik, I may not be treating her with the same level of arrogance that I might treat you with, but I amtaking this seriously.”
Before Marik can respond, Barrett stands up and says, “Mae, can we—”
But before he can finish, Asmo cuts him off and says, “Actually, I’d love a turn with you next.”
