Page 53 of Of Brides Of Queens

I dropped the letter.

My body lit. My heart pounded. Mere nights had passed since our fall from aligned romance, but a century of emotion had passed in that time too.

“You frighten me, King See.” I did not look at the entrance of my chamber.

“You are welcome.”

I supposed that I was, but gratefulness eluded me when it came to him. He had betrayed me. “Why have you come to my chamber, King See?”

“A strange thing, your chamber. Not long ago, I faced a blank wall where your chamber used to be.”

Inside, I stilled. Outwardly, I exhaled annoyance and scooped up the fallen letter. “Strange things occur in monsterdom. Why are you here?”

“Perhaps because you are magnificent, and each time I see you, I am reminded of it.”

I faced him. “Why are you here?”

Oh… Oh my.

The blaze of his white face was less than ever before. Betrayal had filled me, and now this emotion had come to interrupt some of my rage.

“What is it, maiden?”

I could see his jaw—the darkness there, like a black beard might cover it. I lifted my gaze to where his eyes likely were. Though how many eyes would he have, the king who saw all? His princes had many eyes between them. “You tell me, King See. It is you who have come to visit.”

“I am here before the week’s end as you demanded, though I do not know myself much better.”

A half-truth. He had used our transaction as an excuse. “You are here to see how I feel about Princess Take spending a day in your palace. That is all.”

Was his touch as silken as his voice? His fingers twitched as if in challenge. “And how do you take such news, Perantiqua?”

I refused to shiver over my name on his lips. He had used the word “take” on purpose. “Itakeit that you have made your choice in romantic companionship, King See, and that your choice is not me.”

He stilled.

Had I surprised him?

I might just go ahead and surprise him again. “I must also inform you that while the timing of your tutorage felt important a few nights ago, I do not feel strongly about the timing any longer. This night does not suit me for your lessons in war. You might tutor me when you know yourself better.”Or not at all.

The air changed.

I had noted this phenomenon in See’s company before, and the repetitiveness struck me because tonight, the air was dry and rain did not threaten.

I was more ancient since stealing a black pearl necklace, and so my mind studied the memories and possible patterns in awhirling, chaotic blink that I had never experienced as a monster or queen.

The air changed when See entered a rage.

My rejection of his tutorage tonight had deeply angered him.

Nothing in him suggested a rage, which was why I had missed this in the past.

King See replied, “What could claim the urgency of your night and thoughts, maiden? What could be more urgent for a new queen than learning to war?”

His composure was monstrous.

“This is a matter of a queen, sir. Nothing more. Our lessons will wait, so if you will excuse me, I have much to do.” I stepped forward and made especially certain not to walk closer to him than I had at our last meeting.

When had See joined the list of kings that must not know too much of me?

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