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  Mentally shaking myself, I forced my gaze away from that tempting pulse and looked at the hint of stubble. I knew he had shaved and if I touched his chin, I wouldn’t feel anything other than perfectly smooth skin, but I could still see where the line of his beard would grow if he let it. I allowed myself to wonder what it would feel like against my own skin. Once again, I found myself blocking that unbidden thought and distracted myself by looking at his neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. A flutter of a pulse showed on his neck. He turned his head in the course of the dance and I admired the lines revealed as the muscles shifted.

  He was too perfect. I needed to stop looking away from him, and at least put on a show of admiration for my husband in the eyes of the visitors, so I let my gaze trail up his face. His mouth was closed, but looked relaxed, and oh so tempting. Knowing if I focused on it too long it would be the end of me, I forced myself to meet his eyes.

  He smiled the second our gaze met, revealing a crinkle around his eyes. I frowned then bit my lip. Did he have any idea the power he could have over me?

  I’m not that bad of a dance partner, am I? Marcus asked through my mind.

  Of course not. I patted his arm and allowed myself to move my hand up higher onto his shoulder. I needed to get the feel of his biceps out of my mind. You are a superb dancer.

  Then why have you been so tense? Why are you watching my feet and body movements and not maintaining eye contact? Are you worried I’ll misstep?

  I glanced away to focus on others dancing around us to allow myself some time to soothe my mind. Deciding I should tell him part of the truth, to sidetrack him from what I would never willingly admit, I tried to explain myself. Honestly, I am nervous. It has been a while since I have danced in such a formal setting, and I appreciate your ability to lead while I’m lost in my own thoughts. I know the introductions have gone well, and our guests seem to be enjoying themselves, but the night is still early. We have so much to see to completion. I don’t think I’ll relax until it’s over.

  Marcus hummed his agreement and did a complicated spin, catching me off guard. I let go of all thoughts and allowed him to carry me through the moves. If you let yourself get worked up, everyone will notice. Stop over-analyzing everything. You are doing fine. Our partnership is believable and no one is as obsessed with us as you think they are. You are your strongest critic.

  He spun me again and then pulled me close to him before bending me back into a dip. He pulled me up slowly, his face inches from mine. His chest against my own, our hearts pounding in rhythm. He looked deep into my eyes and whispered. “Allow yourself to enjoy the evening and it will be over before you know it.” The music stopped and I lowered my lashes in disappointment that our dance was over. Protocol dictated we would spend the remainder of the evening dancing with other nobles and dignitaries. I found myself wishing I could begin the dance once more. To revel in every second in his arms.

  He released his hold on me slowly, and I suddenly felt cold as I stood apart from him.

  Thank you for the dance, my lady. Marcus bowed low and I curtsied in reply. He took my hand in his and led me off the dance floor toward the throne. Our next dance partners intercepted us and Marcus placed my hand into Itury’s. At least with Itury, I would have a moment to collect my thoughts before being required to listen to the expected requests each dignitary would lobby for. I glanced at the clock knowing I had more than an hour before the dinner would be served. And after that we would have another two hours of mingling and political maneuvering.

  Let yourself enjoy it. Marcus’s thoughts intruded on mine once more. I glanced his way and he winked at me before turning his attention back to his dance partner. Deciding to follow his counsel, I focused on Itury and allowed myself to be in the moment. With a partner on the throne such as Marcus, I didn’t have to feel as overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of the kingdom as I had before.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Progress

  Itury led me through the dance with as much grace as someone his height could manage. It was odd to feel short compared to my partner.

  “How are you holding up, Your Majesty?”

  “I’m doing well, thank you, Itury.”

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking now, but have you given more thought to our request for Healers?”

  I nodded. “It is a wonderful offer, and I have contacted a number of those with the Talent of healing. Though I’m not sure we’ll be able to send you the hundred you are asking for, I know of at least twenty that are interested. They of course would want time to learn the details of the arrangement, but I believe you will be fortunate enough to have some soon.”

  Itury smiled wide and nearly missed a step in the dance. I steadied him and we continued on. The conversation moved to comments about the ball and the upcoming menu for the banquet.

  As he led me off the dance floor, I was intercepted by the assistant to the dignitary from Dempka. Master Lecity bowed and took my hand even though Lady Berkum danced with Marcus. Hopefully no one would mind both of us dancing with representatives from Dempka.

  He was a small man, on the scrawny side for the people of his planet. He came to just above my elbow. His hair was thin, but well set. His sharp eyes would be watching for any signs of weakness in me.

  I smiled and waited to see if he would speak. With Dempka, it was more polite to wait for an opening. He positioned himself in front of me and placed one hand on my hip then held his other arm outstretched to accommodate my hand in the proper formation.

  I bent my elbow to ease the distance.

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Master Lecity nodded his head. “We are impressed with the warm welcome we have received. We again offer our condolences on the death of your father. He was truly a friend to Dempka. We were exceedingly distraught to learn of his passing. Though, of course, much less than you have felt at his loss.”

  I lowered my eyes, knowing the words were only used to slip into his true purpose. “Thank you for your kindness.” I waited for him to get to the point, knowing he would eventually tell me what it was Dempka wanted from Rommader.

  “Before his passing, before his illness in fact, your esteemed father was in the process of negotiations with Dempka. It would be in both our worlds’ best interest to continue on with the discussion. I understand from my time working with him and his advisers that it was important to your father as well.”

  I took a slow breath, wondering how best to approach this situation. I was not aware of any negotiations happening with Dempka. Not since the previous ruling body. They switched houses or factions almost every generation. My father could have been in negotiations with the previous ruler for all I knew. But should I admit as much?

  “Perhaps you would tell me what it is you would like to see happen from this point on?” I smiled at the couple dancing past us then looked down at Master Lecity.

  “We have always had an interesting relationship with Rommader. In the days since we discovered Space Travel, we have always been in contact. Sometimes you come to us, sometimes we come to you. But we’ve had an open communication since that first day centuries ago.

  “Throughout that time, we have never asked much of each other, but have found our interactions to be mutually beneficial. We have zast ore used to fuel your ships. You have rodite to power our gravity boosters on board and yoshida to stabilize the radioactive cores. That continues to work well and we want to make sure in the far future we can continue with our trade agreement.”

  “Master Lecity, we already have a trade agreement. And unless you declare war on us, or we on you, that agreement stays in force.” I leaned back. “Do you intend to change things?”

  He shook his head vigorously. “No, Your Highness. I am suggesting nothing of the sort. I am merely making sure it is still valid with the change in leadership here.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You have either not read the agreement, or you are trying to work into something else by bringing that up. Te
ll me what your true purpose is.”

  He blinked and swallowed hard enough I could see his throat move. He looked toward Lady Berkum still dancing with Marcus. She was holding him pretty close for this particular dance. I frowned then forced myself to look away and focus on Master Lecity instead.

  He swallowed again and took a fast breath. I felt sorry for him, but was frustrated I was wasting my time on this obnoxious man. Why wasn’t he waiting for Lady Berkum to bring it up in our meeting scheduled for later this week? Or was she digging for information with Marcus right now? I glanced at them, but it appeared they were in a pleasant conversation, nothing as serious as what Master Lecity was discussing.

  I determined to try another tactic. “Master Lecity. Aside from the trade agreements, we also have an understanding that we will aid one another in the case of an emergency. Do you feel there will be need to call upon us in the future? Has someone made a threat against you?”

  Master Lecity turned white, then blushed a furious red. He shook his head and fumbled through the steps of the dance. “No, of course not, Your Majesty.”

  “Is there another service you want us to provide? Do we have something you want to make an offer for?”

  Master Lecity took a slow breath. “Actually, we had heard there was something that allowed you to hear another’s thoughts.”

  I smiled. The Densinne was a coveted plant. “You are aware that given our differences in biology, the Densinne does not work for your race?”

  He frowned and glanced around the ballroom. No one was nearby, but he whispered, “We have also heard of a development that allows someone to disappear…”

  My heart stopped for a second, but I tried to cover my surprise by laughing. “Invisibility? Oh, wouldn’t that be something.” I smiled widely and watched Lecity’s face as it went from surprise to chagrin. “That would be the most amazing of discoveries, wouldn’t it, Master Lecity?” I sighed. “If only it were true.”

  He nodded and then glanced at Lady Berkum. “You know of nothing that does that?”

  I shook my head. “Only in the imaginations of dreamers.” I waited for the next request or odd question from Master Lecity, but he continued the dance in silence.

  As the music ended, he bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for the pleasure of the dance. I appreciate your assurance that our treaty is still in effect and that we can count on you for support. I also have the authority to assure you we are your strongest ally and if you are ever in need, please come to us for anything.”

  I allowed him to take my hand as he led me from the dance floor. I only stood still for a moment before a representative from Oshan appeared.

  Lord Mercan was stiff and formal, not speaking except to comment on the size of the room or the number of couples on the dance floor. When I tried to open the conversation to ask how things were faring on Oshan, he shook his head and spoke. “That can be discussed in our official meeting. Let us just dance.”

  I smiled and allowed myself to enjoy the silence with Lord Mercan.

  The assistant to the dignitary from Kas was suffering from a blister on his toe and refused to dance with me, but did talk my ear off while we took a breather by the great glass windows overlooking the ornamental garden.

  “I can call a Healer to assist you,” I said as Mr. Kalson tugged at his shoe in a brief moment of silence. He blanched and shook his head.

  “No thank you. I don’t agree with the use of your magic.”

  I smiled politely. “It is not magic. Some of my people are born with a Talent for healing. By encouraging your own body to regenerate cells, and sharing a small amount of strength or wellness from the Healer, you could be walking in comfort again immediately.”

  Mr. Kalson shook his head. “No. I thank you for the offer, but I will not tempt fate. Who knows whether the shift in balance in my body would throw me into a fit of shock? I do not want to end up with a heart attack in exchange for a happy toe.”

  “As you wish, but if you change your mind, my Healers are more than willing.”

  He continued on for several minutes about the many different ways it could go wrong, then without a connection I could follow, began telling me of the history of his planet when their ancestors first discovered fire.

  I listened halfheartedly and wished I could be dancing with Marcus again.

  Whether by chance, or if he could feel something from the oath bond, he turned to me and smiled. He was engaged in a conversation with three members of the Oshan party. I felt the tickle on my mind before his words broke through. How are you faring?

  I smiled. I’m learning some fascinating facts of Kas’s history. Did you know they thought fire was a sign from heaven that they were going to be banished to the underworld? Apparently they didn’t like the volcanoes covering their surface.

  Marcus’s thoughts sounded amused. I can only imagine how frightening that would be. It’s a good thing they got over it. He couldn’t continue talking to me because he soon became engrossed in the conversation before him.

  Though I couldn’t spend all of my focus on Marcus like part of me wanted to, I still managed to have a few private conversations with him through telepathy. He coached me on ways to relax and appear more sociable, and I instructed him on some of the lesser known rules of interacting with the various dignitaries. By the end of the night, I realized there was less political discussion and more genuine building of relationships among all the dignitaries than I had ever seen at a banquet of this sort.

  And the wedding gift from Dempka had been a huge success. I smiled as I remembered the way Lady Berkum blinked in pleased surprise when we brought it out. Each guest was able to have a tiny sample of it after Marcus and I were given our regular portion. The silkiness of the dessert melted on my tongue and each person who tried it raved about it, pressing Lady Berkum to have some sent to them.

  Each other planet’s gifts were displayed and gushed over, allowing them all to show their values and contributions. Deals were made, alliances were strengthened, and it felt like peace was definitely a result of the evening. If only my own heart could feel calm.

  Marcus escorted me, surrounded by our entourage of guards, back to my rooms. He didn’t speak, either verbally, or telepathically, but that didn’t stop me from having a full conversation with him on my own. I rambled on about the evening and how much fun it had been. How it turned out better than I had expected, how I wished it wasn’t over and that we could return to dancing after the dinner and on and on. When we reached my doors, he took my hand off his arm, raised it to his lips, and pressed a soft, warm kiss on my knuckles.

  The emotion that flared across our oath bond stopped my voice and I stared at him as he left with his guards. Only the clearing of Ryad’s throat brought me to my senses.

  I blushed, completely embarrassed I’d been caught mooning over Marcus. Ryad didn’t say a word, just motioned for me to enter my rooms since he had already examined them for any danger. As he walked out, I felt a brief flash of something. But the emotion was too confusing for me to understand. I lay back on my bed, still in my gown and closed my eyes.

  How was it possible I had fallen in love with my husband? This wasn’t supposed to happen. We were supposed to rule the people of Rommader together. I didn’t want the added stress of working on a marriage at the same time.

  I pressed my hands to my face, blocking out the light from above me. What was I going to do?

  ****

  The door to my father’s office opened the morning after the banquet and I looked up to see Marcus enter the room. My heart hammered in my chest, shaking loose the butterflies to fill my stomach. Marcus smiled at me, working his way deeper into my heart, and headed straight for his couch. I wished I could go sit with him, but I’d made such a display of using my father’s desk, I couldn’t justify moving over to the couch. Instead I focused on the books he held, most of them looking older than both of us. I caught the title of one, written in gold lettering on the leather spine. A History
of Rommader. I looked closer at the other ones and knew he was planning on brushing up on the laws of our land.

  “I thought you had a photographic memory?”

  He shrugged. “I do. It’s just easier to recall what I need to if I have it actually in front of me.” He set all the books but one to the side and opened it up, glanced at a few pages, then flipped through them until he reached the one he wanted.

  I smiled and turned back to my own paperwork as he immersed himself in the book. I found myself so thoroughly distracted by him being in the room I finally closed the files and watched him instead. He didn’t seem to realize he was being observed, so I allowed myself a moment to catalog all the things about him I should or shouldn’t like. Reasons for me to stay with my original plan to keep our marriage as strictly a business relationship.

  Knowing I should at least pretend to be busy, I pulled out my tablet and opened a document. I labeled two columns, one pro, one con, and started making my list. Every reason I listed for it to stay just business made complete sense. Logically, it was the best choice all around. But as I looked at the side for it to actually be a marriage in more than the law, I couldn’t bring myself to write down the desires of my heart.

  I groaned at my stupidity and deleted the list. I would not allow myself to think of this now. There would be time to examine it later, after our visitors had gone.

  I looked over my schedule, wishing I had the luxury of canceling half of the appointments on my list, and just go shopping like I’d done on Earth. I doubted Lady Berkum would be interested in getting a mani-pedi. At least I had fewer things on my to-do list now that I was giving responsibilities to Marcus.

  Knowing I had to suck it up and get to work, I addressed the few things I could do in the office, then closed my tablet and moved to the door. Marcus stood and joined me, offering his arm. I debated on taking it, knowing it was done as a courtesy of our station, but unsure if there was any other meaning attached to it. I pressed those thoughts to the back of my mind and instead asked, “What is on your schedule today?”