Page 35 of Taken By the Storm King

The pearl warmed against my skin as he spoke, and suddenly I understood more than his words---I caught the undertone of betrayal in his voice, the cultural weight of what such disloyalty meant in a society built on clear hierarchies.

“You’re worried about traitors,” I said softly. The pearl didn't just offer the word; it resonated with a cold echo of Thalassar's own feeling, the profound cultural weight of disloyalty.

He looked at me sharply. “How did you...?”

I touched the pearl. “I don’t just understand the words. I feel the meaning behind them.”

A sharp tap at the door interrupted us, three quick raps that sounded urgent. Thalassar instantly tensed.

“Just a moment,” he called, rising quickly and grabbing a robe for himself before tossing me one of his tunics. I pulled it on hastily, the silk cool and slippery against my skin.

Once we were decent, Thalassar called out something in his language that I now partially understood as permission to enter.

Maris stepped in, her eyes carefully averted until she confirmed we were clothed. Then she spoke rapidly in their language, the words flowing too fast for me to catch more than fragments---“bodies,” “identified,” “clan markings.”

But the pearl worked its magic, feeding me not just words but concepts, helping me piece together her message.

“They’ve identified the attackers?” I asked before Thalassar could translate.

Both of them turned to look at me in surprise.

Maris recovered first, nodding and continuing more slowly. I understood now that they had confirmed the attackers belonged to a specific faction of the Mersai---one particularly opposed to any outside contact.

“The council requests your presence immediately,” she finished, looking at Thalassar. “They’re gathering to discuss security measures.”

Thalassar nodded. “I’ll be there shortly.” After Maris left, he turned to me. “You should rest. It’s been an eventful day.”

I stood up, letting his tunic fall to my thighs. “I’m coming with you.”

“Lucy---“

“I was the target,” I said, chin raised. “I deserve to know what’s happening.”

His expression darkened. “This isn’t your concern. You need to recover.”

“Not my concern? They tried to kill me.”

“Which is why you need protection, not exposure.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. “I’m not some fragile thing to be locked away.”

“I never said---“

I cut him off, the words forming in my mind with the pearl’s assistance before flowing from my lips in his language: “I am not fragile.”

Thalassar’s mouth fell open slightly, shock evident in his expression. Then something like pride flickered across his features.

“Your pronunciation was perfect,” he said after a moment.

“Then stop treating me like I’ll break.” I moved to where my clothes had been discarded earlier, gathering them up. “I’m coming to this meeting.”

He watched me for a long moment, then sighed. “As you wish.”

We dressed quickly, preparing to head to the council chambers. As we approached the door, I heard voices outside---guards speaking quietly to each other in their native tongue.

With the pearl’s help, their words crystallized in my mind with startling clarity.

“---first time he’s brought someone to his private chambers.”

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