Prince Zadkiel, page 23
Despite our differences, she pulled me into a deep hug. My chin rested on the top of her head. Even Baby Anna, since her recent growth spurt, reached our mother’s height. It was humorous to me that my mother was usually the shortest person in the room, yet commanded respect in her mannerisms, speech, and presence regardless.
“Go on now. We can discuss it more later. I’ll take care of the press. Have fun.” She pushed me along.
Grace, Princess of Tildon
Human. Age 18. Fluent in five languages in their native accents, knowledgeable in military tactics, law, & foreign relations. Interests: archery, fencing, horseback riding, playing the harp, dancing, & singing.
The RMC schedule was backward today. My private date with Grace was during the day and the group date was at night. It was always refreshing to spice things up a bit.
We met by the stables, where the stable girl waited with the black stallion that Pyper had given me, all prepped and ready to go.
Grace was dressed in a deep green gown with a high-neck collar winding behind her head, and, as usual, a neckline so low it drove me crazy. Her lashes fluttered while she curtsied ever so gently. Any lower in her curtsy and I would see down in her . . . I quickly bowed to distract myself.
The paparazzi sketched pictures as we brushed the horses, fed them apples, and smiled lovingly at each other. Many reporters tried to get me to come over to answer questions about the Nololay issue, which caused my muscles to tense up.
“Prince Zadkiel, are the rumors true?” They cared nothing about our date as they pried for information I couldn’t give them. “Has Nololay seceded from the empire?”
“Will you allow Baylor to leave, or risk our soldiers’ lives in a useless war?” another asked.
We ignored them and mounted the horses in hopes of a quick escape. Grace rode sidesaddle. Even my mother rode astride and usually wore trousers, often with a mullet skirt in the back, but Grace remained true to tradition.
Our horses galloped through the rolling hills and grassy meadows, which stretched for many miles. It was a refreshingly cool day, as the sun hid behind stratocumulus puffs. Dewdrops sprinkled our faces as we rode in and out of the misty clouds that grazed the hilltops. After more than half an hour of riding, we slowed to a halt at a picnic area set up for us. A checkered, wool blanket was laid out underneath a towering cottonwood tree next to a stream.
“I am glad the horse ride took your mind off things,” Grace said as she fluffed out her skirt.
I opened a basket of food and pulled the contents out onto the blanket.
“Could you tell?” I scratched the back of my head. A nervous habit.
“Would you like to talk about it, so you can get it off your chest and fully enjoy the day?” she asked. “After all, I hope you can confide and trust in me completely.”
Whoever I married, I also hoped we could talk about everything together, like my parents. Yet I still didn’t know who I could trust and who I couldn’t. My mother would surely have a fit if I confided anything too deep about Nololay with someone prematurely, especially Grace. After all, Grace could be a spy herself. What if my mother was correct, and the Grand Emperor had trained her to get to me? There were too many variables yet unknown, and the meeting today had put me on edge. I became suspicious of the Perfect Princess’s motives. All I knew was that I wanted her to turn out as perfect on the inside as she was on the outside.
“I imagine you’ve read everything in the newspapers by now?” I looked down.
“Mmm,” she affirmed with a hum.
“What is there to talk about?”
“Although you probably cannot reveal your next steps with me . . .”
She was right about that.
“And I would never pressure you to offer me any information that I have not earned yet . . .”
Very cordial of her.
“To ease your tension, however, you can discuss with me what I already know from the newspapers. Or ask for my input.”
I fiddled with a biscuit, pulling it off the plate and then dropping it back down. She certainly knew how to pull me out of my shell. Maybe I should open the discussion, if anything to see what her view on the matter was—that way I could get to know her better without revealing details myself.
“Where do you think all of this will go?” I asked.
“Assuming the papers wrote something true for once,” she said, “I assume Baylor and possibly Tildon will withhold all taxes this year and test Empress Qloey’s response. Perhaps they might create an alliance and declare that they too are leaving the empire.”
“Do you really think Tildon will do all of that?” I lay across the blanket. My elbow held me up as I cracked open a nut and listened to her answer.
“Nobody wants to be under the control of another. If they separate, it means they can make their own decisions, have their own power back, and keep taxes for their own wealth. So yes. We are at a critical juncture in our empire. It can go any which direction.”
“Similarly, no human wants to be under a government’s control,” I said, countering her view. “They want to make their own decisions and keep their own money. Perhaps we shall do that for every citizen as well and allow the peasants to withhold taxes?” My remark was more sarcasm and frustration than meant as a realistic point of view.
“Perhaps there is a better way for humans to live than how we currently do,” she said. “Why not consider the different realities we can create for ourselves? At the end of the day, if you wish Tildon to remain in the empire, you must offer them something worthwhile in return. What will they get out of it?”
That was a very good point. I threw the peanut shell down. A squirrel climbed down the tree and looked at us, wondering if we could share some of our goods. Shall I or shall I not share nuts with the squirrel? Would it help the squirrel become more abundant or become more dependent on us?
“What does Tildon want? What do you want?” I asked her.
“Tildon wants what all politicians want: more power and wealth, and to influence the minds of the people in order to structure society according to their viewpoints and agendas.”
“That is a more honest answer than I expected to hear from you.” I started to open the shell of another nut. “But not all perspectives are beneficial to society. I suspect most humans, elves, and dwarves think their view is the best, and thus everyone else must crumble beneath their weight, or die resisting. The ego is most tyrannical, is it not?”
She bit into the side of a juicy, red cherry, but didn’t put the whole cherry in her mouth, for then she’d have to spit out the seed in front of me. Pegasus forbid! That would be uncouth. Instead, she took five small bites to consume the entire thing. After taking the last bite, she answered the question. “The ego is selfish. To have a centralized council making decisions that are of benefit to all of society is a greedy task indeed. Most councils and governments do not make decisions for the greater good of everyone, but for their own pockets and families to benefit. Even if a benevolent government can be accomplished in our time, eventually it will become corrupted. People are tempted by the idea of wealth and power, and often do not understand the implications of their bad decisions. So then”—she looked straight into my eyes—“is your goal to create policies for the betterment of our people and the elven people of Nololay, and to keep the empire together without being tyrannical, or do you have other ambitions?”
I turned onto my back and watched as the mist floated by.
“That is a good question. I suppose that has been my goal—to be a just leader, right wrongs—even though I hadn’t made a point to define it for myself as such yet,” I said. Talking with her did help provide clarity and insight without me having to reveal my deepest secrets. That took skill. “I’m lucky to have such a loving family to teach me values like love, trust, and compassion. This will help the people. And I do think that my opinions are the best. Who doesn’t?”
I was honest, for why would someone have an opinion on something if they didn’t think it was the best way? I suppose if they were greedy and didn’t care about the “best way” then their opinion was a means to enact control over others or gain materially.
“If you want to keep Tildon on your side, you must offer them what they want in return,” she said, maintaining perfect posture despite the conditions of our seating arrangement. “Otherwise, no matter how glorious or benevolent your vision as a ruler may be, if you force your way on them and do not offer them anything in return, you will become a tyrant yourself, and not benevolent at all.”
“Ouch.” I poked at the peanuts in the bowl and the thoughts in my mind.
“I meant it not as an insult. Only to point out the reality of the situation,” she said.
“And what do you want to happen to the empire?” I asked.
She took a deep breath before answering, “I want to see my people given a voice, which they have had to suppress for the last two hundred years.” She referred to when my ancestors first conquered her people. It was amazing we’d held on to the empire this long; most ancient civilizations saw a breaking point after two to three hundred years. “If you allowed each city a seat on the council, it would offer them what they desire. Right now, your mother’s council has too much power and influence toward Nololay. You would have to rewrite some laws concerning the council and how laws are passed.”
“In that case, I also might as well offer each species a seat on the council, including dwarves. Could you abide by that? Could you and others sit next to a dwarf?” I was being a little harsh with Grace. Everything surrounding Nololay was leaving distressed me. It was a sticky situation, but I shouldn’t be unfeeling toward her just because I was stressed. Yet some people wouldn’t be willing to do such a thing.
“If this solved our many issues, yes.” She shifted her weight onto her other leg, probably so it wouldn’t fall asleep underneath her.
“Does all this mean you wish to have power and wealth yourself?” I asked.
“Nay. For myself, I wish only respect and to make my family proud.”
“To please other people by marrying me,” I said, and continued to prod at the nuts. She said nothing to this comment, upon which I realized my great insincerity. “I’m sorry. That was so rude of me. You don’t deserve that. I didn’t mean—oh, gee . . .”
Why did I say something like that?
She looked to the ground. “I imagine it has come to your attention, as it has come to mine, what people say of me.”
I remained quiet, not willing to be the one to say it aloud.
“How I am the spitting image of your mother. And that it irks the empress so,” she said. “How people think I am here on the Grand Emperor’s orders to woo you so that my family can gain power.”
Yes, yes, aristocrats didn’t hide their opinions on the matter.
“But I want you to know,” she continued, “I am not here to mimic your mother. I did not choose the harp as my instrument, or for archery, sword fighting, or horseback riding to be my specialties. They were forced on me. I had no choice. I am not here because your grandfather wanted me to infiltrate your palace.”
“I suppose you had no choice in the matter of coming here either,” I said.
“True. But that does not mean I do not admire your great intelligence and honorable intentions, or that you do not take my breath away every time you enter the room, or that I do not find the attractive frame of your body, or the strength in your arms, or the way your long, black hair falls in front of your gorgeous blue eyes, appealing to my senses. Or that I don’t suffocate with envy every time you draw nearer another woman. It does not mean I do not anticipate the next time your arm will accidentally brush against mine, or desire to feel your body heat in some passionate embrace. I have every reason in the world to desire you to become my husband and to savor every waking and sleeping moment by your side. And I hope my chances are not gone simply because of my relations or because—”
“No.” I put a hand on hers. Then I moved the bowl to the other side so nothing laid between us. My hand gently stroked her face and moved a fallen hair from her cheek. “I want you. I want you with a passion.”
She looked into my eyes. “As I want you.”
“I respect you, Grace. And I trust that you’re here for the right reasons. I’m sorry for what people say.”
“I put one hundred percent of my faith in you.”
“And I desperately want to kiss you,” I said. “To know you more.” My nose brushed against hers. Instead of retreating, she leaned closer and parted her mouth. Inviting me in. “May I kiss you?”
Grace hummed like a little bird in acceptance, begging me to commit to my desires.
My lips softly met hers, satisfying my yearning to have her in my arms at last. I pulled myself on top of her and cradled her neck in my hand, then slowly traced my other hand down until it felt the curve of her waist. She moaned in yearning, driving me insane for not being able to have her completely right here and now.
Chapter 26
Testing the Waters
“If you could have chosen your own musical instrument, what would it have been?” I asked Grace after we returned to the palace. We walked through the large hallway with our hands clasped together. Our date had lasted several hours and I didn’t want it to end, but time was approaching for the group date, so we had to dress down for our trip outside the palace.
“The violin.” Grace’s eyes sparkled in response. “But my family would not let me. The Grand Emperor had ideas of what a lady should and should not learn, so I was restricted. But the way Makayla played during the talent show . . .” Sparkles fluttered in her eyes with deep longing. “How I wish to have that kind of freedom and spontaneity.”
“It seems freedom is also something you desire,” I said, prying her thoughts out from the deepest regions of her mind. “Freedom to choose.”
“I suppose that would be wonderful.”
“And what would you do if you could choose your own hobbies?” I asked.
“Hmm, I would learn to shoot a pistol. Again, it was unladylike, so it was forbidden to me. And I suppose sailing as well.”
“Sailing?” My voice raised in curiosity.
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “I want to see the ocean and experience seasickness.”
At this, I cracked up laughing. “Seasickness isn’t something worth experiencing. I know, I’ve had it.”
“Well, lucky you,” she said. “My family kept me confined. ‘For my protection,’ they said.”
“Maybe I’ll make it happen someday,” I said, teasing her, then stopped her before we turned the corner. The girls’ bachelorette pad was around the corner and I didn’t want any of the other girls to see what I was about to do. My finger traced her lip before I reached down to kiss it.
There was one thing that Grace lost composure with, and one thing only: when we kissed, her eyes closed as her body fell completely into mine, as if enjoying a bite of the most delicious, creamy chocolate in the world. Everything about her set me ablaze.
“I’ll see you in an hour.” My head rested against hers before I reluctantly pulled away from our bliss.
Saqoiya exited her bedchambers and came into the hallway at the same time as I did.
“Whoa!” I grew alarmed as she turned to face me. She wore a low-cut dress like Grace always did, her bosom pinched tightly together and on the verge of falling out. It made me slightly uncomfortable, only because I knew from experience that once her date saw her, his thoughts would fall directly to his groin. True, I enjoyed seeing girls wear these clothes, but . . . she was my sister, and I had a duty to protect her from other men’s wandering thoughts. “Going on another date with Zain?”
“No, Esperanza’s brother,” she said. “Poop, ant larvae, gryphon testicles, and maggots. It’s all on tonight’s dinner menu.”
Ah! That brought back many happy memories from last night. I gleamed with delight, knowing Aaliya was so satisfied by her delicious dinner.
“It was all a matter of international relations and diplomacy.” I chose to tell myself. “Official business.”
“You better hope Aaliya never finds out what she really ate last night.”
“I’ll bet she doesn’t even remember the names.” I chuckled. “What happened with Prince Zain? You don’t fancy him?” I crossed my fingers.
“Too slow.” She lifted her skirts to walk and I followed. “He didn’t follow up after our date.” She gulped and looked down, as if hurt by something.
Did he do or say something to her?
She flattened her dress, then looked up again. “There are plenty of boys around here. He needs to act. In any case, Zain can be a prick. He thinks he’s better than everyone else.”
“Now who does that remind me of?” I asked.
Her eyes narrowed as she sent daggers my way, but it only made me chuckle.
Saqoiya stopped to push up her breasts in the mirror, making me feel very uncomfortable all over again.
“You should wear that turtlenecked dress tonight. The one that covers up your chest,” I suggested.
She rolled her eyes as we kept moving along.
“What is up with women and the . . .” My hands moved above my chest, trying to find the right words to describe her low-cut top. She was my sister. I didn’t want to see her . . . stuff, any more than I just did!
“I feel more confident in this,” she said. “Plus, it’ll drive him crazy.” She smugly raised her eyebrows.
