Nnati was speechless. I had to goad him. “So, what do you say? Will you help me?”
Nnati fumbled for words, trying to be my friend while at the same time trying to speak to a queen. “Yes, Kaelyn. I mean, yes, my queen. Yes, Your Most Supreme Majesty.”
“Cut it out,” I said. “We’re alone. Can’t we just be normal?”
He let out a massive sigh and sagged over himself. “I was hoping you were going to say that. I can’t stand being fake, and I don’t think you can either. Can we talk about something normal before bed?”
“Of course,” I said, happy Nnati felt the same as I did. It would be nice to have a real friend on the inside. “What do you want to talk about?”
“How’s Zawne?” he asked. “How is your relationship?”
I opened my mouth and paused. I didn’t have an answer. We had been so busy the last few weeks that we hadn’t had much time to be a couple. We slept in the same bed, went through the same routine, but were often very distant. I said to Nnati, “It’s been a whirlwind ever since we got engaged.”
“I bet,” he said. “But what abou—?”
The smell of sweet toffee swirled into my nostrils, and my eyelids fluttered. Oh no! Roki was in the room! He was right beside me, masking everything except his scent.
I blurted into the visin, “Sorry, Nnati, got to go.” I got a glimpse of the shock on Nnati’s face as I hung up.
It was quiet, but I could feel his eyes watching me. I tried to steady my breath, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I whispered, “Roki, are you here?”
Chapter 10
NordHaven couldn’t hold a candle to the absurd grandeur of VondRust Palace. Our private estate within VondRust was three stories tall, had eight sleeping quarters, twelve bathrooms, several large dressing rooms, two kitchens, a tennis court, a home theater, a vast wine cellar, an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, a gym, and a sauna. Not to mention the flyrarc pads on the roof for the king and queen’s personal flying machines. We even had our own miniature atmospheric bubble, scenting the air, controlling the temperature, conjuring rain or sunshine at will. The place was epic. Wandering through its halls was dizzying, and I could hardly get used to it. I kept thinking, Do I really deserve all this? Does any one person deserve such massive excess?
Either way, it was ours. VondRust could have been a city of its own for all the various manors and structures, the guesthouses reserved for clan leaders, and the huge government building in the center of the flowery courtyard. Everything was connected via well-kept pathways. Zawne and I even had hover scooters so that we didn’t have to use our royal legs. Spoiled is what I called it. I often missed my old apartment and my daily commute to GMAF. All the people I’d known in the city were probably still living in tiny pods stacked up like bricks, and there I was, in my own subcity.
But hey, the view was nice. I stared out the window of our bedroom the morning after the coronation, admiring the mountain peaks in the distance, the snowy inclines and patches of firs. It was a tranquil scene after such chaos. I liked listening to the water run through the pipes as Zawne showered in the other room. I felt introspective.
“Morning, beautiful,” came Roki’s voice.
I whirled around to see Roki sitting on the edge of my bed. I felt panic rise in my chest, then remembered Roki could vanish in a split second if he needed to. “What are you doing here?” I asked. We had talked for two hours last night while Zawne slept. I felt guiltier than words could describe.
“Don’t feel guilty,” Roki said, reading my thoughts. “We’re friends, remember?” He looked sad as he said this, as if I had shackled him, made him a prisoner of friendship when we both wanted something more.
Then Zawne yelled from the shower, “Who are you talking to?” He had turned off the water and was likely toweling himself dry.
“Nnati,” I said hurriedly. “I’m on a call.”
Roki was grinning at me. He loved the thrill of being bad, of being in the same room with me while my husband dried his naked body less than twenty feet away.
“I had another reason for coming,” Roki said, not even bothering to hush his voice. It was like he wanted to get caught!
“What is it?”
“I’ll see you tonight in Shiol. I’ll also be with you all day during your council decisions. It turns out I really love watching your lips move. I love watching you, giving you a whiff of my scent but not showing myself. It thrills me. I’m obsessed with you.”
Zawne emerged from the bathroom. Roki was gone. “Finished your call?”
“Yes,” I said, but I didn’t sound very convincing. I swallowed hard and changed the subject. “You look wet.”
Dumb! Who says that?
But it was true. Zawne wore nothing but black briefs, his muscled form moist from the shower. I wanted to consume him on the spot. Let Roki watch. Let him discharge his earthy scent while I shoved my tongue in Zawne’s mouth and we became lost in a frenzy of love.
It was almost as if Zawne could hear my thoughts. He strode across the room without saying a word and scooped me up. He was so rough when he wanted to be. “I don’t think I got all the way clean,” he said, and carried me giggling into the shower.
Breakfast was laid out in the main dining room downstairs: fried eggs, bacon, blueberries, pancakes, strawberries, and tea.
“Wow,” I said to the chef, a short fellow in a white smock. It was rare to see a human chef when so many were Protectors now. The palace must have been paying him a fortune. “How did you know what I like?”
“We know everything
