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Jace shakes his head. “Dinner is in five minutes.”

“That’s about an hour!”

“That’s five minutes of you being hungry.” Looking up, he raises a hand, signalling to someone. “We shall eat early today, but, my queen –” He grabs my chin, lifting my gaze. “Do youremember what I told you would happen if you let yourself go hungry?”

He leans in. My pulse hammers in the base of my throat. I half expect him to make me get on my knees right here and now.

And fuck. I half want him to.

In front of all these people.

No.

No. That would be bad.

So bad.

My lips parting, I lick my lips. His eyes latch on to my mouth before he leans in so close to my ear that our cheeks brush. “I asked you a question, my queen.”

“That you’ll fill…” I struggle to form the words. My skin hot, I flush deep. “My stomach yourself.”

“So… Which one do you want me to do first?”

Pressing my thighs together, I try not to take a step back as I recall I also have the punishment of twenty-one spankings. “For now or later?” I squeak.

“You want them now?”

Before I can answer, a loud voice announces that dinner is ready to be served.

Stumbling back, I turn towards the caller. “I think that’s for us,” I babble. “And a good little slut always listens.”

He grabs my wrist and spins me back around. “To her king. A good little slut always listensto her king.”

I gulp.

Fuck.

I am so getting fucked tonight.

Eighteen

It is illegal to commit suicide. Those who break this law will be resurrected into servitude.

People should be able to choose when they die.

- King Richard

The soup served for the first course of dinner, a carrot and squash blend, doesn’t look anywhere near as tasty as my wife. As I sit at the other end of the table to her, I watch her giggle over something said by Warress Anne Fahy – a fairy well-known for herappetite.

My eyes on them, I barely register the chef coming out with the servers. A bowl is placed in front of me. A royal tester reaches forwards with a spoon. Resisting the urge to drag Arienna’s chair over here, away from Fahy, with her flirtatious smile and soft, gentle touches, I shift in my seat.

Fabia stands somewhere behind me – the only guard on my end, something Jace protested given he knows someone in the Court is trying to kill me again. But I wasn’t about to leave my wife without adequate protection when she has to be on the other side of the fucking room.

Besides, if the Court does manage to kill me, I want Jace to be forced to protect my queen rather than save me. I need him to help her navigate Raza in my absence and to kill the Court and anyone else who tries to manipulate her.

Fuck.

This vote cannot come soon enough.