Page 24 of Golden Queen
I had spent enough time contemplating the idea of finding someone—someone with whom to lose my virginity so that I did not go into a cold and passionless marriage never knowing what it felt like to choose someone—someoneI wanted.
"You're blushing, Aelia."
I looked up sharply. Petta was smiling at me knowingly, her grin just as wicked as the thoughts swirling in my head. "I am not blushing!" I had to fight hard not to smile at the very blatant denial of the obvious.
"Oh Aelia, do it! For yourself. It might very well be your last chance."
I didn't answer her right away. When I met her eyes, she smiled wider, knowing she had won.
"So, eleven thirty?" she asked.
"Or now." I let the smile spread across my face then. I couldn't help it. He wanted to see me.
Petta squealed with delight.
Four
Ileft the castle through an unused servant's stair that led to the cathedral. It required a small amount of climbing across the rooftop to reach the forgotten little staircase, but once I was in the Presarion's great cathedral, it was easy to blend in as one of the faithful exiting the holy temple.
I met Petta on Merchant's Square. She lived in the wealthy residential district of Albiyn, so she had no need to sneak out. Her parents cared little about where she went during the night as long as she was home for official court functions.
I hopped up into the carriage to find Rhychulson seated across from us. I greeted him with a smile, and he responded with one of his own. The lascivious wink he added told me Petta had filled him in on all the details.
I looked at her accusingly. "You have a very big mouth."
"Oh, like either of you would be able to keep the fact that you're going to have a tryst with the fair folk a secret from me?" Rhychulson said with a smirk.
"It is not a tryst!" I insisted.
"It had better be a tryst," Petta said. "I have seen those stodgy suitors of yours. You need to get in there and have some fun before it's too late." Like Arkadian, Petta had no qualms about taking her pleasure wherever she chose.
Rhychulson gave her a look that I interpreted as a warning. Her words did hit a little too close to home in regard to my lack of choices.
I gave her a reassuring look, though. "You're right. They are a boring lot. I won't pretend that I haven't thought about finding someone to...well, take my maidenhead so that I don't have to give it to one of those dull-eyed half-wits. But I'm not sure I could ever truly manage..."
I trailed off as Petta suddenly looked shocked that I had said the words aloud. It gave me a sense of annoyance to realize that she didn't think I was actually capable of sleeping with someone, no matter her teasing.
Rhychulson chuckled. "Oh, I think you'll manage. But if you're just looking to give it away for the taking..."
"Oh, shut up, Rhych!" Petta said, tossing her glove at him.
I laughed.I knew Rhychulson was teasing me. We had known each other for far too long for me to believe that his interests in me lay any deeper than friendship.
I caught him looking at me in a rather strange way though, and I began to wonder.
I didn't have long to think about it as we pulled up in front of the Mouse's Ear. A servant opened the carriage door and Petta hopped down. I moved to follow her, but Rhychulson caught my arm. His face was uncharacteristically grave.
"You do know, Aelia..." he said, his voice low and husky as he held my gaze. "If I was notonlythe son of a knight, I would walk through literal fire and slit the throats ofallyour suitors from ear to ear—just to get the chance to be that dull-eyed half-wit waiting for you in your marriage bed."
I didn't speak, only looked at him with wide, astonished eyes. He reached out and ran a finger down my cheek, following the line of my jaw.
"AndifI was that dull-eyed creature, I could promise you that your marriage would be anything but passionless."
Petta reached into the carriage and pulled me outside.
"You could have worn a gown," she said, trying to look as though she had not just overheard Rhychulson's wild confession. I was still too stunned to respond as he climbed down from the carriage and joined us.
Petta was eyeing my dark trousers and knee length coat over yet another linen tunic. This time I had worn one with dark laces at the neck as though it might make me look a little less like I was wearing men's clothing.
