He stood alone and faced the gathering.
“To friends old,” he said, raising his gobletto where Pyotr and Serge sat at a table a few rings back from thetitled, “and to friends new.”He raised his goblet to Munir, whosat at the end of the royal table with Halah.He raised his gobletto the queen and the king.“To my generous and honorable hosts,” hesaid, and then lifted his goblet to Prince Asim and his wife, “andto the newest and cherished son of this esteemed family.”He lookeddown at Sahar and lifted his goblet high.“To Princess Sahar, whorode as good a race as any man, and who saved my life as surely asI saved hers.”
The gathering clapped and whistled as Saharslowly stood, a fine sheen of sweat beading on her flushed cheeksand forehead.Aleksi started to sit, and stopped when she grabbedhis hand and held on tight.She took a sip of her wine and clearedher throat.
“To my family,” she said.“For believing inme enough to let me go and loving me enough to bring me back.”Herfather chuffed and her mother smiled and swiped at her tears.Sahar’s voice caught and cracked.“To my—my brother, and his lovingwife and their glorious son, born of their love.I am so very happyfor you.”She sniffed and Aleksi gave her hand a gentle squeeze.“To Aleksandr,” she said.“Who could have easily won the last andmost prized of the races, but who chose to come after me instead.”She raised her goblet to him.“He saved me from evil men intent onevil deeds.”
Aleksi lifted her hand in his and placed hislips on the back of her fingers, inhaling her warm, exoticfragrance.The hall filled with a mixture of applause and whispers,rent by a shrill feminine twitter.
“Are you courting the princess now, mybastard half-brother?”
Aleksi lowered his and Sahar’s hands, butdidn’t let go.“If I was, Anastasia,” he answered her evenly, “itwould be of no concern to anyone but myself and Princess Sahar’sfamily.”
“What of your family?”she insisted with suchhigh-handedness that Aleksi bit off a snort of laughter.
“What family is that?”he said.“I’m thebastard son of a king who does not claim me.I have no family.”
Wearing nothing but a loose bed tunic, Aleksiwent to the door of his chambers that led to a small balconyoverlooking the inner courtyard and opened it at the light butinsistent knocking.
“Sahar?What are you doing here at this timeof night?”
She nodded toward the hundred-year-old cedarthat ruled over the courtyard gardens.“Get dressed and meet me inthe tree,” she said, and then slipped back over the balcony walland down the trellis she’d climbed to his rooms.
He quickly donned a pair of breeches and wentover the balcony wall to the hand and footholds carved into theancient cedar’s trunk.He climbed up, then pushed open the trapdoor to a platform built amongst its sturdy branches.There hefound a small gallery with high rails, two benches and a pile ofpillows and blankets strewn about.Sahar was sitting cross-leggedon a blanket on the floor, her back against one of the benches.Aleksi sat, crossed his legs and leaned his back against theopposite bench.
“I’m sorry if I woke you,” she said.
He shook his head.“I wasn’t sleeping.I findI’m not used to such comfort.In truth, I find my bed too soft andtoo empty.”
“I find my bed too empty these past nights aswell,” she admitted.
He reached out to pull her to him, and sheheld out a stiffened arm.“That’s not the reason I asked you tomeet me here.”
“No,” he said, pulling his hand back andsplaying it against his thigh.“I didn’t think it was.”
“What are we going to do?”she asked.
“What we agreed to with your father,” he toldher.“I’ll stay until we know if there is a babe.If there is,we’ll marry.If there’s not, we won’t.I’ll return home with mystring of broodmares and purse full of coin, and you’ll stay in thebosom of your family, free of me or any other man you do notwant.”
“You know that’s not true.”
“Which part?”
“The not wanting you,” she chided.“That’swhat got us into this mess.”
He laughed, short and quick.“True enough,”he agreed.He met her gaze and held nothing of what he felt for herfrom his.“For my part, my tigress, I don’t regret giving in toyour want of me, or mine of you.No matter what comes of it.”
Sahar blinked, swallowed and sniffed.Thenshe sat up straighter and squared her shoulders.“If we do marry,where will we live?Will our child be raised here, a royal withwealth and position in the loving bosom, as you put it, of myfamily, or do you intend to take us back to your home, where ourchild would grow up with toil and uncertainty?”
“Nothing in life is certain, my tigress.Mineis the perfect example of that.Our child will not have nothing buttoil, not that a little toil is a bad thing.Our child will grow upstraight and true and strong.Well-fed and well-loved in a homebuilt by their father’s sweat and ambition.Not some soft, selfishroyal who knows more of palace gossip and intrigue than the hardwork of real life.”
“How is palace life not real life?”
“A handful of people who have servants totake care of their every whim versus thousands who do not eat lestthey grow, harvest, and cook their own food.Who haul their ownwater and who shovel their stocks’ manure to grow that food.Whoempty their own piss pots.You tell me.”
“That same handful of royal people make surethere are trade pacts so the thousands can trade that food or craftor other essentials.The royals make sure the people are safe whenthey haul that water with laws and alliances and pay people aliving wage to empty their chamber pots.”
Aleksi snorted.“Your father’s palace may paypeople for their work, but how many other kings do?”
