Zeke doesn’t talk to me after that.
In fact, I barely see him.
He doesn’t bring women back to his suite, he doesn’t show up for breakfast, and he doesn’t ask me to get him anything. I pass him a few times in other parts of the castle, but never his bedroom. I suspect he’s staying somewhere else, but it doesn’t make sense to me. Why wouldn’t he just reassign me somewhere else if he doesn’t want to be around me?
May doesn’t know we slept together. I see her a few times when I run to the kitchen for supplies or when I’m doing laundry, but aside from that, our contact is minimal.
My contact with everyone is minimal.
It’s driving me crazy.
“There’s a party tomorrow night,” May tells me one morning. We’re walking around outside the castle. Apparently, once an Earthling has been on Taneyemm for a full month, she’s allowed to leave the castle as long as she wears a security tracker bracelet. Mine is purple and it glows with a little green light.
May doesn’t need one.
She knows exactly how far I’m allowed to go without setting off the alarm, but I’m overly cautious and stay close to the walls. She chuckles, knowing I’m terrified of getting in trouble. I don’t want to be sent away. I don’t want to go anywhere else. Now that I’ve had a taste of what my King’s castle offers, I have no interest in going anywhere else.
“What kind of party?” I’ve been to several in the past few weeks. Most of them are extravagant, but not as fancy as the one the king threw for Dane and Star. Apparently, that one was especially huge since the king and Dane are childhood friends.
“A birthday party,” May says. “It’s for Star.”
“How old is she?” I ask automatically, even though it’s considered rude to ask a dragon their age. May isn’t a dragon. I feel comfortable asking her. She just chuckles, though, and shakes her head.
“Of age. She’ll need to choose a mate soon.”
“Why?”
“She’s royalty, of course.”
Star’s royalty? I didn’t know that, but I should have. I know all about the history and royal families on Taneyemm. Although Zeke is King, the planet is actually divided in four smaller countries which each have their own ruler. Zeke’s castle is basically in the center, where all four connect. The rest of the planet is pure water: ocean after beautiful ocean.
The rulers of the countries and their families are considered to be royalty, even though they aren’t in line to rule over the entire planet. Each only rules their own small section.
“Yeah, her father rules Halenthram.”
“Halenthram?” How could I not have realized it before? “I thought her name was Star. Isn’t the princess called Samantha?”
“That’s her. She goes by Star now. I don’t know why. Someone gave her the nickname and she liked it, I suppose.”
“So that would make Dane…”
Fuck.
I made out with the Prince of Halenthram.
Ugh.
No wonder Zeke was mad. I’m a little surprised he didn’t have me executed on the spot. He could have if he had wanted to. Peasants can’t just go touching royal family members unprovoked.
Then again, I suppose Dane did instigate things, at least a little. He was a good kisser, too. I wouldn’t mind kissing him again, but despite the way things ended with Zeke, I really can’t get my mind off him.
I just wish I knew where he was.
I might still be living in his suite, but I don’t feel like “his human” when I can’t even see him, talk to him, deal with him.
“Security is going to be pretty high,” May continues calmly. I wish she would tell me more about her past. She’s been here so long that she knows just everything there is to know, but I don’t know anything about her or where she comes from.
“Why? Are there death threats?” Maybe that’s why I haven’t seen Zeke in awhile. Maybe he’s been busy with work. He does run a planet, after all. I’m surprised that guy has time to sleep, let alone fuck all the women he runs through his suites.
“Star needs a mate. Everyone wants to marry her. She has many suitors, but she won’t choose one.” May smiles sideways at me. “Remind you of someone?”
I roll my eyes.
“Why are dragons so fussy about their mates?”
“Because they mate for life. There’s no divorce on Taneyemm, no wishing you were with someone else, no cheating. Dragons are serious about the ones they choose. When they mate with someone, they will be with them until death. Even after death, they will never remarry.”
“Serious stuff,” I murmur. Somehow, this wasn’t covered in my training. Ruby and Jenika were much more worried about me learning the dance of the dragons than about how divorce works – or doesn’t – on the planet.
“Many people will try to come to the event tonight who should not be allowed in. You’ll need to stay indoors after this walk. We all will. There will be guards wandering around to make sure no one comes in the castle who isn’t allowed. The guest list will be carefully vetted and guarded.”
“The guest list will be guarded?”
“Yes. The princess needs to be protected at all times. Should someone get a copy of the list, it would be easy to bribe someone on it. It would be easy for someone to steal her away.”
Kidnapping?
“Poor Star,” I murmur. “It’s her big day and she has so much to worry about.”
May and I walk in silence through the gardens for a few more minutes. They’re beautiful. In the distance, I see a few dragon-shapes flying through the clouds, and I wonder who they are, where they’re going, what they’re doing.
Almost everyone can shift and fly, but many dragons still like to keep a low profile and choose to drive cars instead of flying.
If it were me, I’d want to fly everywhere.
If it were me, I’d want to feel free.
We return to the castle after our walk and I help May prepare the rooms for Star, Dane, and their assistants. In total, we make up 20 bedrooms. By the time we’re finished, I’m sore, sweaty, and tired, and head back to my room. When I open up the door to my bedroom, I’m surprised to see Zeke sitting on my bed.
He’s wearing a wrinkled suit, his jacket is off, and his hair is a mess. He looks up at me with weary eyes.
“We need to talk.”