While Hal and Jenika’s training program didn’t prepare me for life with the King or his ridiculous mood swings, it did prepare me for life on the planet. I quickly settle into a predictable routine of cleaning, serving meals, and cooking for the King and his many, many mistresses.
The King doesn’t speak of my first day in his quarters and I never bring it up, instead choosing to keep our interactions as polite and non-touchy as possible.
I’ve been at the castle for nearly two weeks when May comes to my room with a bright red gown.
“No, no, no,” I say, shaking my head as she walks in the room, but May just rolls her eyes.
“There’s a ball,” she says. “Tonight. You’re going.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?” I whine. I could have faked sick. A ball? The last thing I want to do is parade around a ballroom full of douche-lords who view me as a sex toy and nothing more.
“The King’s childhood mate is in town unexpectedly. The ball is a last-minute event; however, you still must look your best. You’re his human.”
His human?
I’ve been at the castle for a short while, but this is the first time anyone has labeled my presence so succinctly.
I am the King’s human.
While he beds other women nightly and sometimes in the afternoon, I’m his human. No one else touches me or asks me to do anything. The only person I answer to is the King and to be honest, it’s actually kind of nice.
Do the others assume we’re fucking?
May has never said anything and I’m too scared to ask.
“Okay, let’s take a look at this ugly thing,” I finally concede. May comes into the bedroom and closes the door behind her. I strip off my daily dress. It’s plain and simple, but I like it. It makes me look youthful and hopeful. At least, I think it does. Today, though, I was cooking for his majesty and all of his royal guests. In other words, I had to bake cookies for his whores, so my dress is dirty. May picks it up off the ground with a single finger and frowns at it.
“Go,” she motions toward the attached bathroom. “Shower. I’ll get everything ready.”
I go into the bathroom and start the water. Unlike Earth, the water on Taneyemm is always hot. I try not to take advantage of it, but sometimes it’s really hard. I’m always afraid I’m going to wake up one morning and there will be no more water.
Four years isn’t long enough to forget what it feels like to have nothing.
Even though the King has been generous with the space he has provided for me and the clothes he keeps in my bedroom, it’s difficult for me to get attached to anything.
Hal used to shake his head at me because I struggled to accept gifts from the others on the ship. I was always nervous about it. It’s because I didn’t have anything at all to my name on Earth. Anything of value had been sold to care for my mother and then for Father. While we had a few belongings, nothing was more important than family.
Nothing.
I finish showering and dry my hair, then go back into the bedroom where May is standing in the center of the room. On the bed is the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever seen.
It must have cost a fortune.
I wonder if it cost more than me.
“I can’t wear that,” I say, but May holds up a hand.
“It’s already late. We have one hour to get you ready, so put these on and sit down.” She throws some lingerie at me and I quickly wiggle into it, glad I’m not modest or afraid of being naked in front of another woman.
Jenika and Ruby kind of cured me of that.
I squirrel into the lingerie, but don’t take the time to think about how soft or sweet it feels against my skin. I usually don’t have the opportunity to wear undergarments, so this feels like a special treat. Instead of basking in the moment, however, I sit down at the vanity and May starts working her magic on my hair.
“You know that you’re amazing, right?” I say. “You can do everything in this place.”
“Yeah, I’m the best. It’s why they pay me the big bucks,” she grins. I like it when May uses old Earth slang she’s picked up from the other humans over the years. She’s still never told me where she’s from. Maybe I’ll never know, but I’d like to.
Someday maybe we’ll be close enough for her to confide in me.
May curls my hair and pins up half of it while the rest flows down over my shoulders. She does my makeup and when she’s finished, I really don’t recognize myself.
“I have no idea how you did that,” I whisper, reaching for the mirror. I hold it for a few seconds before May hurries me up and helps me into the dress and matching red pumps.
“You look fucking gorgeous. Very fuckable,” she adds, and I roll my eyes at that. She knows the King hasn’t fucked me, even if other people think he has. He hasn’t even expressed any interest in me since my first day in his employ. Our relationship is purely professional and very, very hands off.
“Well, maybe I’ll meet a nice dragon tonight,” I murmur, and May smiles.
“What about you? Are you coming to this event?”
“Sadly, I’ll have to miss all the ass-kissing and schmoozing. I’m working the kitchen. Gotta make sure all the assholes have everything they need.”
“So, lots of booze?”
“And pie. Booze and pie. Who would have thought dragons had such particular appetites?”
Not me.
“May?”
“Yeah, Riley?”
I bite my lip and hesitate for just a second. Do I really want to admit weakness? Not really, but this is May. She’s my friend. She’d never use my weakness against me. Never.
“I’m scared.”
“What in the hell for? You look great, hon. You’re gonna knock ‘em dead.”
“Sometimes I wonder if this is all there is. I kind of thought Taneyemm would be a little different, you know?”
“You thought you’d find true love?” Her voice is knowing, but not judgmental.
“Something like that.”
She sighs and sits on my bed, then takes my hands while I stand in front of her.
“Let me give you some free advice, kid. I’m a little bit older than you and a little more experienced, so don’t take this the wrong way, but you can’t wait around and try to find true love. That doesn’t exist. Not anymore. If you meet someone tonight, don’t be afraid to go for it.”
“Go for it?”
“Remember the day in the business meeting?”
“With the flirting and the napkins and the touching?”
May nods, a smile playing on her face.
“Let’s just say, I know you can do better than that. There are going to be a lot of eligible dragons at the party tonight. The King might have said you have to go, but he didn’t say you couldn’t get yourself some dick.”
“May!”
“Just saying, just saying.”
She stands and takes my hands again, giving my outfit one more look. Seemingly pleased, she leads me toward the door.
“Now come on,” she says. “It’s show time.”