Page 43 of Splintered Shadow
Vekele, the noticer of everything, caught the nervous glance she gave the bed.
Shamefaced, Sarah scooted away, putting distance between them. Yeah, she couldn’t volunteer to marry Vekele fast enough, despite Baris making it clear that it had to beconvincingand that they would have to do theirduty.
Like sharing a bed with the wildly attractive prince would be a hardship.
“Is this what you want?” Vekele asked.
“I said I’d do it.”
He stepped closer, standing at her side. A hand landed on her shoulder, presumably to keep her from running away. “But is it what you want, Sarah Krasinski of Earth? To be mates? To share a bed? Share our bodies? To have me inside you, to be filled and pleasured until you can no longer walk? If you are mine, you will be mine in every way.” His grip tightened on her shoulder as he spoke, his voice hot and passionate.
She ached at his words and released a shuddering breath. “Yes, if that’s what you want.”
His hand dropped as he took a step back. The ice returned, erecting a barrier between them.
Oh. He didn’t want her. Disappointment swelled in her chest.
What other conclusion could she draw? He would marry her and go through the motions at the order of the king.
“Then you must understand my family,” he said, producing a blue plastic straw from his pocket. He pinched the ends and the straw unrolled into a tablet. The screen glowed a soft blue.
“That’s a good trick,” she said.
He grunted, because he had a way with words. Writing with a stylus, he said, “This is my great-grandfather, King Edvar.”
Sarah repeated the name, just in case there would be a test.
“By all accounts, a decent ruler. The kingdom prospered. His major failing was having too many children.”
“You don’t hear that criticism too often.”
“Incorrect. Many noble families have been driven to ruin by dividing limited resources between too many offspring.”
“So, grandpa couldn’t keep it in his pants.”
Vekele huffed, sounding amused. “Seven children. I will not bore you with the names. These three were given titles and lands in the core system. The remaining four are in the outer system. It was an adequate solution. The eldest child, Eglan, was the heir. Handsome, charming, and popular. He had been groomed to be the next king, and every account said he would be a good ruler.”
“I’m sensing there’s a twist in the story.”
“He enjoyed microflyer racing,” Vekele said. “He died in a crash. The official report declared the death accidental due to mechanical failure.”
Sarah nodded, listening as Vekele rattled off the details in a cold, dispassionate fashion. This was old news to him, recounting the life and death of his grand uncle. Second uncle? Family trees were confusing.
“King Edvar had his suspicions but never openly accused one of his children of murdering their brother. As it happened, when the king died shortly after—”
“Under suspicious circumstances?”
“Under his third wife,” he said in a dry tone.
Sarah pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Vekele’s lips twitched ever so slightly.
“The crown passed to Eglan’s infant son. The remaining aunts and uncles acted as regents for the hatchling.” He wrote down more names and drew lines connecting them. Sarah couldn’t wait until she got an implant that allowed her to read. “The system worked well enough until the young king came of age and no longer listened to the regents. It went as well as you would expect.”
“Not well at all?”
“The regents resented their loss of power. The council was ignored. The king made ill-advised decisions and implemented unpopular policies. When he died suddenly, no one was too upset.”
“He just died?”
