“Yeah, Kaede, get your assignment a drink,” Masmi taunted. “We don’t want her to wilt.”
Kaede muttered something under his breath before teleporting away.
Masmi returned her attention to me. “Now truthfully, has my brother treated you with respect? I meant it when I said I wasn’t afraid to bite his hide. I’ve heard rumors about how you’ve been treated and want to confirm them myself.”
“Rumors?” That caught my attention. “What rumors?”
She averted her gaze. “I heard rumors that my brother impregnated you and forced you to become his Seedbearer. I didn’t want to believe them, because I know Zirene has always been an honorable male, but I watched a broadcast of your trial on my vidscreen. I saw recordings of you slapping him across the face afterward. How can I deny the rumors, when all the evidence is stacked against him?”
“Masmi,” I replied, trying to decide how much to tell her. “It’s true that our relationship had a hard beginning. However, everything he’s done was with good reason. Zirene did impregnate me without my knowledge, but in a roundabout way, he was right to do so. He knew if he rescued me, the Assembly would try to claim that I wasn’t a citizen with rights, but a product to be used and experimented on. To prevent this, he impregnated me and claimed me as his Seedbearer, giving me my moon as a gift. I know that may be difficult to reconcile, and from the outside, his actions may look wrong and unredeemable, but I’m happy. Though we are still working on rebuilding trust, he has never disrespected me. I’m constantly amazed by how he allows my nestmates to live with me without restriction or complaint. I know how strict the Aldawi can be about relationships—once a male establishes a Seedbearer, the female can have no other male—but he doesn't care. All he cares about is making sure I’m safe and happy, and I am.”
“Are you sure?” She glanced around my room. “You can tell me if something’s wrong. You have my direct link now. When I see your call, I will make sure to answer right away.”
Nodding, I smiled. “Thank you, but believe me, I’m perfectly fine.”
She raised an eyebrow as if gauging whether I was lying. Once satisfied, she returned the smile. “I’m glad. It’s hard being the only female Darcaw.”
“Trust me,” I laughed, instantly relaxing. “It’s hard being the only female around here, too. I have a few female staff members, but they seem to fear me more than anything. I don’t understand why; I’ve been nothing but polite to them since I arrived.” I shrugged. “And Kaede’s sisters are never around. I assume they’re off completing another mission or something. There is Oeta—”
“The Chamber Master’s daughter?”
I nodded.
“Oh my Stars,” she gasped. “You have her with you?”
“Yes. She has been a great help to one of my Favored’s research,” I replied, confused by her intense reaction. “Why? What’s wrong with her?”
Masmi shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong with her; I’m just shocked that she left the space station without her father. If any two females deserve a vacation, it would be you two.”
“I would love to take you up on that offer. In fact, Kaede helped me contact you to propose a deal. I’ve been trying to build Destima into a private resort,” I explained. “I have had an art and entertainment district built to allow artists and businesses to sell their work. There’s space for restaurants, bars, clubs, and such to fill too. My question for you is whether you’re interested in expanding your business on my moon and perhaps send some of your females to sell their products here? I can work out a business contract if needed, but I would need either your brother, Vagren, or one of my nestmates to assist me.”
“Let me make you a deal,” Masmi purred. “Visit my planet’s Harvest festival in a few moons, with Kaede and whoever else you want to bring, and I will have a set of offers ready for you.”
“Princess Masmi, you’ve got yourself a deal!”
Kaede returned shortly after I ended my call with Masmi. I assumed that he’d been listening in to the entire conversation and had been waiting for us to say goodbye before he nonchalantly teleported back—without my drink.
I made him leave right away to fetch one, and this time he returned almost instantly with a glass of Xowyn.
“Is there anything else I can get for you, your highness?” he asked mockingly, bowing at his waist.
“You haven’t given me a foot massage lately,” I said, wiggling my toes. “How about you give me one as an apology for abandoning me during that meeting?”
“I was there. If I hadn’t been, you wouldn’t have been able to move past introductions.”
“Fine,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t give you one.” He jumped onto the bed and kneeled before me, his intense neon-green eyes tracing my body. “How about I do something better?”
“And what would that be?” I studied him, wondering why he was playing along.
“How about I give you a back massage that would make your nestmates jealous?” he teased. “I know how much you loved my foot massages on the Destiny, and I’d like to see how my backrubs compare.”
I was almost afraid to ask but did anyway. “How many back massages have you given?”
“Of course you’d love to know,” he chuckled, stretching. “My sisters used to ask me for a backrub whenever we finished a mission. Now that we hardly cross paths anymore, I don’t have anyone to keep my skills up.”
“Uh-huh, that sounds plausible,” I snorted, unconvinced. “You just want to put your hands on me.”
“You caught me!” He raised his hands in a mocking surrender before laughing hysterically, almost falling over. “No, I was hoping if your nestmates felt your pleasure, they would come home and relieve me from my duties so I can get some
