Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“Hey!” Phoebe gasped, snatching at the strands. It was one thing to flash her mentor from time to time with a naughty glimpse of her nipples—it was quite another to have her breasts put fully on display in a public place where anyone could see them.
“Hmm, so your collar speaks the truth. You really are a virgin,” Lady Scornfoot sniffed disdainfully. “So ridiculously modest.”
“No, I’m not!” Phoebe denied. “I just don’t want anyone but Sir touching me!” She felt an immediate flush of embarrassment as she said the words but they were true, after all.
“Well, you’ll never get into the Emperor’s palace wearing a white collar, I can tell you that,” Lady Scornfoot said.
She was dressed modestly enough herself, in a long blue cloak that closed in the front and didn’t show even a hint of skin. But maybe she had earned the right to modesty—after all, she was supposed to be one of the only women on the planet who had autonomy and social status in her own right, Phoebe reminded herself.
“What’s wrong with a white collar? I don’t want other males seeing or touching my woman.” There was a low, possessive growl in Sirex’s voice that sent a shiver down Phoebe’s spine.
“Well then, you’re never going to get into the palace and you certainly won’t make it past Thruck. That’s the Emperor’s right-hand male, in case you didn’t know,” Lady Scornfoot added in a condescending tone. “He demands the right to inspect any female who will be in the presence of the Shining One, so that his Majesty’s eyes won’t be offended by ugliness.”
“That’s just rude!” Phoebe exclaimed. “Why does he have the right to judge people by their looks?”
“Because the Emperor gave him that right. And also because he has five eyes—three in one head and two in the other,” Lady Scornfoot said.
“What? Two heads?” Phoebe asked.
“Of course. He’s a two headed Trollox but it’s the right-hand head—the one with two eyes—that you have to look out for,” Lady Scornfoot told them. “The left-hand head with three eyes is completely mad and just hums and drools all day. Every once in a while, it speaks, but mostly in riddles that no one can understand, so you can just ignore it. It’s the right head that makes all the decisions.” She motioned at Phoebe and spoke to Sirex. “And it’s the right head that’s going to insist on inspecting your woman.”
Phoebe could see her mentor was about to refuse so she spoke up quickly.
“So there’s no other way to get to see the Emperor?”
“None. The only way to the Shining One—as we call our beloved Emperor—is through Thruck. I can’t tell you how often I had to let him ‘inspect’ me when I was one of the Emperor’s favorites.” Lady Scornfoot made a face. Then she straightened her shoulders. “However, it got me where I am today—an independent woman with a house and servants of my own. So it was worth it.”
“This inspection—will he be content just to look or will he want to…to touch me too?” Phoebe asked.
“Well…” Lady Scornfoot gave her a speculative look. “You’re clearly not from our part of the galaxy and you have lovely skin—all one color, too, which both Thruck and the Emperor like.” (Lady Scornfoot had smooth, pale pink skin herself.)
“Which means what?” Sirex asked impatiently.
“Which means that he’ll probably be content just to look. But you’ll need a color changer for your collar so you can fit in with the rest of the Royal Court,” Lady Scornfoot remarked. “Luckily, I have one you can use.”
She reached into a pocket of her voluminous blue cloak and withdrew a small, flat disk about the same size as a quarter. It had a sheen to it that reflected rainbows around the vast room when she moved it back and forth. There was a silver clip on the back of it. Lady Scornfoot reached up and attached it to Phoebe’s white collar.
“There—now you can have whatever color collar you want,” she said. “Watch—green!”
The moment she spoke the color, Phoebe felt a slight vibration in the collar around her neck. Of course, she couldn’t see it, but Lady Scornfoot nodded her head in apparent satisfaction so she assumed her collar must have turned green.
“So it turns whatever color you say?” she asked.
“Indeed. Try it yourself,” Lady Scornfoot invited.
“White,” Phoebe said and looked at Sirex with raised eyebrows.
He nodded.
“It’s white again.”
“See? It’s so much easier and more convenient than changing collars all the time,” Lady Scornfoot said. “I’d keep it on green if I were you while you’re in the palace. Just be sure you don’t turn it any other color. One of Thruck’s favorite punishments for girls who displease him is to put a black collar on their neck and send them naked through the palace.” She shivered. “It rarely ends well for them.”