Page 168 of Prize for the King
I extend my forearm again, tapping my elbow, and then my wrist. Molly makes a surprised, squawky sound. Susan shakes her head.
“Then you can’t take four unless you’re a freak of nature.”
“Whyever not? It’s not like I have them all at once. I don’t think it would be possible.”
They titter and huff, and Susan lights her pipe, puffing out a cloud of smoke.
“True. I once had three lovers at the same time, and it took quite an effort. Of course, none of them was my husband. The old prick hates competition. Not yours, according to Sidonius. You and your husbandsharelovers, do you?”
I think back to that night in Farneer and nod with a smile. “You really must be bored, though, if that’s the only topic of conversation that interests you,” I say, narrowing my eyes.
Susan is not unlike my mother-in-law. I think I like her.
She harrumphs, not in the least offended, and lights her pipe again. “Wait till you grow old and dry, and the only pleasure you get is fromhearing it secondhand from younger women. So, what does it look like? One lover services you, another your husband, and then you switch?”
I look at the women, their eyes rapt, cheeks flushed, and give in. I don’t have female friends to share this kind of gossip with, and frankly, I am curious, too.
“All right, I’ll answer your questions,” I say after downing a glass of chocolate liqueur. “But then you must answer mine. I never had a human man. I want to know what it’s like when it’s… normal.”
“Boring and unsatisfying,” Nasturtia says with a scoff, surprising me. “But then, unlike Susan, I never had lovers. Richard had a talk with me after we married. He said he’d hang the men and chop off my small toes if I ever dallied.”
She drinks her liqueur in one gulp, and I gape, appalled. Susan doesn’t seem surprised, though. She shakes her head.
“Richard has too much of the old emperor’s blood in him,” she says with a scowl. “None of his ancestors ever married outside of the Eleven. That’s why you couldn’t have children, I assume. Who’s his heir, then? I know you had a nephew in Zanvar, but the Tyrant slaughtered him, didn’t he?”
She gives me a challenging look, then turns to Nasturtia again. The queen of Trista waves her hand.
“He was a nasty boy and would have been an atrocious king. Do you know I found him in the stables once, cutting the paws off live kittens? Good riddance. Richard is talking to some far cousin who married a rich merchant across the Amber Sea. I don’t care anymore, and I’d much rather talk about Agnidari men. Now, if you want to know what’s normal, Caliane, you must be ready for a depressing tale. Molly, tell her what your husband does.”
The young, redhaired queen looks at her lap, wringing her hands in embarrassment. I think she’s younger than me, maybe eighteen.
“He, well, he brings in his mistress, usually one but sometimes two, and he, ah, tells her to get him hard because I don’t. And she does, and then he closes his eyes and does it with me, and I’m forbidden from making a sound, because he doesn’t want to remember that he’s, uh, taking me and not her.”
I gape at her, horrified. “But that’s… That’s atrocious! Is he blind or stupid? You’re beautiful!”
She looks up with a gasp, blinking at me with shock. “I’m really not. But thank you. No, he, ah, he prefers smaller women.”
I clench my fists and grit my teeth, seeing in her the exact same confusion and ache I myself felt when Arvi made me call myself beautiful. I stand up and go over to Molly, cupping her cheek in my palm. Her skin is smooth, complexion clear and radiant, and her hair looks like it’s on fire.
“Listen here,” I say, my voice so harsh, she flinches away. I purse my lips and make an effort to speak more gently. “Look at me. You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen in my life. You deserve to be loved and worshipped, and if your husband doesn’t, that means he’s an utter fool. Don’t ever feel ugly because of him. He’s the one who’s wrong. And you are a goddess, radiant and beautiful. I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true.”
I don’t think she breathes as she stares up at me, her eyes glistening with vulnerability. When they fill with tears, I reach for the handkerchief hidden in a small pocket in the fold of my skirts. I wipe the tears that fall down her cheeks, and she sobs, wrapping her arms around me and hiding her face in my bosom. I hold her, stroking her hair.
Gods, I never realized how much my husband and knights did for me. I was just like her, uncertain of myself, bound by rules, scared of punishments. They coaxed me out of my chains with kindness and admiration, making me feel beautiful and loved.
But what would have happened if I had married someone like Molly’s husband? I would feel small, ugly, and stupid for the rest of my life.
And it’s not right. None of that is right.
LI Sisters
It’s long after midnight when Magnar comes to get me. By that time, the other queens have learned a lot about my marital life, and are quite in love with the Agnidari men. When he executes a gallant bow, asking if he may be allowed to kidnap me to bed, they all clap and applaud him, most of them quite drunk.
“I think I made some friends,” I whisper as he carries me up the stairs. “How was your night?”
“I managed not to kill anyone, though my hands itched,” he says darkly. “If not for you, I would revisit my war plans. With those idiots in power, taking the remaining seven kingdoms can’t take longer than three years.”
I shiver. “Do you fancy becoming an emperor?”
