Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
She shot him a dazzling smile.
I felt bile rise in my throat.
They had…
At an orgy…
Piccola chirruped.
I stood.
“Please, do not allow me to further interrupt this reunion,” I said, right to her. “It is clear you’ve spent some time apart, but were once very close, and you wish to bond over shared memories. I would simply love to know all about these, in detail, but I’m afraid I have a number of letters to write before I can be to bed. Though it was such a delight to meet you, Ines. I will be certain to mention you to Farah, one of the letters I shall be writing, you know, queen to queen. Now, please enjoy your visit to the city and the celebrations of Miet.”
I then turned to Mars, bent to him, Piccola swinging from the lock of my hair, and I caught the point of his beard in my grip.
His brows shot up.
I bent, pressed my mouth hard to his, straightened inelegantly the second I felt his hand touch my waist, and mumbled, “My king.”
“My queen,” he mumbled back, eyes dancing.
Eyes bloody dancing!
Of all the cheek!
I glared at him, twirled, Piccola chirping gleefully as she went swinging, and I smiled as sweetly as I could at Ines.
“Goodnight,” I bid.
“And a goodnight to you too,” she replied on a nasty grin.
“My queen,” Mars rumbled.
I turned to him.
But he was not addressing me.
He was looking at Ines.
“Scusa?” she asked.
“As you’re aware, you could also address Silence as ‘Your Grace’ or ‘Your Majesty,’” Mars declared. “But it is one of those three until she gives you leave to address her elsewise. You have slipped in this during our discourse, and Silence is too kind to correct you. That left doing so to me.”
Ines’s face hardened before she said dutifully to me, “And a goodnight to you too, my queen.”
“Mm,” I hummed before I began to make my escape from the room on a billow of the pale pink silk of my frock.
I did not make the doors before Mars called, “Do not remove that gown.”
“I’m sorry?” I asked, turning his way.
“Do not remove that gown,” my husband repeated. “I’ll be doing it.”
I felt heat hit my cheeks, my eyes becoming slits, and then I turned again and swanned (I hoped) out of the room.
After the attack on the palace, Mars was taking no chances, so the hall was rife with guards, and thus I could not run to my chambers.
However, try as I might, I did not exactly walk sedately.
Upon arriving behind the doors to my chambers, I did run.
Directly to my dressing room, through it, and I knocked on the door to Tril’s room.
All right, I banged on it.
She took her time but opened it.
“Are you ready to prepare for bed, my queen?” she asked flatly.
“I was horrible because I’m quarreling with Mars, I do not know what Miet is, Elpis is at least a week away from arriving and…and…so much more I have not told you, my head is swimming in it.”
Her deserved pique instantly melted away as she moved into the room, saying, “Let’s prepare you for bed and you can tell me all about it,”
There was too much to tell for I hadn’t even told her about my father and my mother and…
With these thoughts, something unpleasant slithered through me.
I pushed them to the back of my mind and shook my head jerkily.
“No, I think Mars will be here shortly,” I told her. “And I think…I think that is good, for we need to get a few things straight.”
“Can I suggest you loosen a few things before you get them straight?”
I pushed thoughts of loosening things to the back of my mind as well, for I very much missed getting loose with Mars.
And to accomplish burying these thoughts, I wrapped my hand around Piccola, pulled her from my hair, cuddled her to my cheek and then held her out to Tril.
“You could take care of my darling for me.”
“I will,” Tril said, taking hold of Piccola. “And Silence.”
When she spoke no more, I asked, “What?”
“He adores you,” she said quietly. “Whatever you’re quarreling about, remember that.”
I drew in breath and wondered what manner of adoring man made his wife sit opposite his former lover at dinner.
I then nodded.
She nodded back, lifted a hand, cupped my jaw briefly and then walked to the door of her room.
She stopped there and turned back.
“And I am always and forever here to listen to you, to help you, to do anything for you,” she reminded me.
I bit my lip to stop the sting in my eyes.
“You know that?” she asked.
“I do,” I answered. “And I am the same for you.”
“I do not have to figure out how to host an orgy in my garden,” she mumbled.
Eep!
“What?” I asked.
“For later, my love. I wish you luck.”