“Besides, it won’t just be her embrace. I’ll be there, too,” Astrid reminded me.
“What if I don’t want this?” I asked.
“I recall you saying you would enjoy something very much like this back at the Academy,” Astrid said, pouting.
“That was a long time ago,” I countered. “And I recall wanting to marry you, and you wanting to help me find a wife while remaining my mistress.”
Astrid waved my clarifications aside. “It was not so long ago, and I wanted to be your Consort, as you are now mine. Besides, you cannot tell me you don’t find her beautiful.”
I could not deny it. One of Lady d’Lyre’s dress straps had fallen from her shoulder, exposing a tantalizing portion of flawless breast.
Astrid put her hand under my chin, directing my eyes into hers. “Besides, this is what I want. I never had a chance to take you and Maja at the same time back at the Academy, so I’m going to make up for it now.”
I remembered discussing Astrid’s sexual fantasies twelve years ago, back when she started opening up to me, startedadmitting what she wanted even to herself. It had been exciting, discussing her burgeoning sexuality, exploring her desires. It felt like a childish dream now, the erotic whims of an overstimulated adolescent. I opened my mouth to say so, but Astrid stopped me.
“What use is being Emperor if I don’t occasionally get what I want?”
I looked at d’Lyre. “And you don’t mind being used like this?”
Bridgette shrugged and grabbed my tunic lapels. “We all use each other in the end. The only question is how enjoyable can you make the experience?”
As both women guided me to the bed, undoing the belts and buttons of my uniform, I thought she made a disturbing sort of sense.
PILLOW TALK
THE MORNING AFTER,Astrid, Bridgette, and I lounged in bed as the sun rose, enjoying refreshments brought by Astrid’s hordling servants. The variety of miniature breakfast foods brought before me was staggering – tiny bagels with cream cheese and lox, minuscule egg and bacon sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a dozen more besides, along with any sort of biscuit you could want. The drinks on offer were also varied. Astrid enjoyed several cups of hard coffee, and d’Lyre sipped a pineapple mimosa. I alternated between milky tea and orange juice, avoiding alcohol in favor of fluids and energy, although I secretly thought an IV saline solution might better replenish me. The night had been active, and I felt like a withered husk of a man, a shambling zombie in need of a meal and a nap. At least I could acquire the former, but neither Astrid nor Bridgette showed signs of weariness, and if they were awake, then I had to be. I could not risk falling asleep and letting the two of them negotiate without me.
Lady d’Lyre had teased her supposed information between bouts of sex all night, but every time we got close to getting her to reveal what she knew, she managed to enflame either Astrid, or, I’m ashamed to say, myself into starting another round. Not that Astrid was innocent of such behavior – whenever d’Lyre pressed the Emperor too hard on what she’d be willing to trade for the information, Astrid would cut the conversation short. As for me, well, the last ten years had not prepared me for such subtle diplomacy, nor such enthusiastic amorous acrobatics. I had the sensation of slipping to the side, of being left behind in the conversations, both the verbal discussions as well as the unspoken side talks conducted entirely through body language.
Sometime after sunrise, the two of them started drifting in that direction once more. Astrid asked about d’Lyre’s information, d’Lyre asked what the Emperor would give in exchange, and as they started to move towards one another, I dipped my fingers into my glass and flicked ice water at them.
Both Astrid and Bridgette exclaimed in surprise and gave me negative looks, a glare from Astrid and a pout from Bridgette, but I wasn’t affected. “Stop it. Please. You’ve been jockeying for position all night.”
“I rather remember you doing most of the riding,” Bridgette accused.
“Don’t tell me you aren’t enjoying yourself,” Astrid said, “because I know that to be a lie.”
I sipped my water, trying to rehydrate, before speaking. “You’ve sized each other up long enough. As much as I enjoy a good romp, I like sex to be for sex’s sake, not this perverted diplomacy. Now, Bridgette, you say you have information for us? Say it, then we can discuss what the Emperor is willing to give you for it.”
Lady d’Lyre pouted. Astrid looked disappointed, butdisentangled herself from Bridgette’s embrace. “Spoilsport,” d’Lyre said, then she fetched herself a plate of mini-quiches. “I’m not in the habit of giving information away for free.”
The Emperor’s mood cooled. “And I’m not in the habit of buying mysteries and shadows. Too often they turn out to be empty air.”
Lady d’Lyre opened her mouth to argue, but I’d heard it all during the night before. “We’ll get nowhere if you don’t give us some hint of what you know. At least tell us the nature of your information. Then we’ll decide what it’s worth.” D’Lyre still hesitated, and I felt an emotional weak spot open up. I launched a mild verbal attack. “Now don’t be coy. It doesn’t suit you. We already know it involves New Melbourne.”
Astrid spoke up. “And we all know that without whatever proof you have squirreled away, what you say here has no meaning. You could make up any story you like, but until I have proof in my hands, any deal we may strike will be null and void.”
“We’re striking deals?” I asked, nonplussed.
“That depends on what Lady d’Lyre has to say,” Astrid replied.
Immediately, I knew Astrid had made a mistake. Her words gave d’Lyre the conversational initiative. I hoped we could recover.
Lady d’Lyre let Astrid and I wait as she carefully chewed a mouthful of her breakfast. She played with her fork, considering whether or not to take another bite, but decided against it.
“The Despotate detonated the Fall device,” she said bluntly. “The Urgans have decided to adopt a scorched-skies tactic. They decided they didn’t want the Empire to conquer another Urgan world, so they destroyed it instead,” Bridgette replied.
Astrid swore, eyes hard, jaw set. “Those fucking lunatics, they’d risk extinction to keep me from winning?”
