It is assumed that now, under any circumstances, Michael's body is forbidden to anyone other than his queen. Reeina has said it a million times. The fen don't even look at him directly. Well, no servants look. Even the tzauri look down on him as he passes. That means I shouldn't have opened my legs and my sacred parts to him. And I did that. Worse; I want to do it again, as it's barely gone before my discomfort returns.The relief was only momentary.I'm even more restless than Arina, who only had cold baths and tea.The baths are closed. All the ice water is gone again. So I alleviate part of my suffering with so much tea that at dinner time I'm not hungry. I'm full and irritated because my sacred parts ache in waves now, like a pulse.I glance at Arina, who seems relaxed reading in the armchair, sitting on her legs.— Has your discomfort gone?It takes her a moment to look up from the book, distracted.- Well, yes. I feel better.Is this due to the cold shower... or is heat like an
It's better to speak quickly and end the matter.— I couldn't allow you or your wolves to kill me — I begin. — The Goddess only allows her Daughters to go to her white fields if they die by her own hands or by the hands of another Daughter. When our island was invaded by your-... — I bite my lip, wondering if I should continue blaming him for this. — When wolves invaded our island, my Sisters ate poisonous seeds to prevent our power from falling back into the hands of men. I thought only I was left. I had to take my own life to join them. I couldn't allow you or anyone else to kill me. That's why I didn't tell him I didn't have powers. If I told you, you would kill me.— No — Miguel says simply.His eyes never leave mine as he speaks.— You had saved my life. I would never hurt her. If I had known she had no powers, I would have found some way to reward and protect her. I kept it because I needed its power. Without that there would be no reason to arrest you, Kim.My face falls. I fee
A happiness full of peace overflows from my chest, even though my heart is beating so hard that I can barely think.The discomfort and pain passed.I can feel myself smiling, even if it's not voluntary. My entire body covered in a layer of comfortable warmth.I could sleep now...I feel Miguel moving and look down, and even that takes a lot of effort.He is back on his feet, and looks at me with intensity. Not my almost naked body, but my face.The wolf is really looking at me.I have a feeling he's going to say something important and I sit down.— Mig? What-...— I want to serve you until the end of the erben — he says without even a hesitation, as if he had already thought about it before. — Three or four more days, right? I'll stay in the fortress. Come find me. Here. I will wait for you. I will ease your pain. No tea or cold showers for you, Kim. Just me. It doesn't matter how many times a day you need it. I want you to come. Curse! I wouldn't let her go. I could chain you to my
With the end of the erben, things return to normal in the Tarus fortress. The next day, very early in the morning, I see through my window the wolves returning.They are legion.I never thought there were so many.Even Arina seems happy with the normality of things, but the first thing she says to me is:— When can we leave?I don't have a concrete answer to give you and I promise I will talk to Miguel about it.The problem is: I don't want to talk to him.As much as I miss him and the pleasure he gave me, I also resent our last conversation and the proposal he made to me.I've only thought about that since I left you in your throne room.Tzauri.What an idiot.All the pleasure of being under his mouth would never make up for the humiliation I would feel whenever he was gone and I knew he would be doing the same to his queen. It's not like he could promise me he'd never be with her like that. It is something that is expected of him; let him have children with her. For this to happen,
I invent a million things to do so I don't have to ask for an audience with Mig, however, at night I notice Arina's restlessness and convince myself to leave my childishness for another time.I wait for Reeina to come out with the plates and cutlery from our last meal before straightening her tunic and heading for the door.I give Arina an uncertain look, but she encourages me with a smile.I'll go ahead.The guard soldiers are at their posts and don't move as I pass them, yet I feel their eyes on me as I walk down the corridor.Over the last few days I've made the journey to the Wolf King's throne room so many times that it's no surprise that my legs carry me there without me thinking too much. But this time I won't be going to open my legs for him. It's a more important question. A question on which my freedom and that of Arina depend.I stop in front of the wooden door and hesitate.The guard in the hallway looks at me but doesn't move.I take a deep breath and knock once, then onc
It's Azerai.The news comes to us through Reeina.Fen is elated—and a little worried—to say that His Superior Majesty, Wolf King Mig, has allowed Arina and I to take self-defense classes, and sent his brother to teach us.— His Superior Majesty could not have chosen anyone better. Prince Azerai is the leader of the military division. No other officer can hold a candle to him. They say he's been taking weapons lessons since he could walk.I have to admit, at least to myself, that the idea of learning something from this wolf while he holds a gun doesn't make me feel very calm, but I swallow it.It is also Reeina who informs us that the classes will be held in one of the lower halls that are empty at this time of year, and where the other fen do not usually go, so we will be protected from curious and possibly upset looks.She escorts us there two days later, saying that His Highness awaits us.Arina is much happier than I am with this arrangement. My mind remains scattered. I think a
— You're distracted, female — Azerai thunders at me for the second time, and makes a move to take the iron cylinder from my hand, but I hold it tighter.- I am fine. I just didn't sleep much. Proceed.He closes his eyes, irritated, but goes on.We are outside the fortress, in a kind of garden.A table with weapons was arranged in a corner. There are several types of them, with different sizes and models.Azerai puts a smaller one in Arina's hand.— Use this one — he recommends. - It is lighter. Spits projectiles instead of lead.He shows her some straw dolls shaped like men.There are three of them, placed at good distances from each other so we can shoot.I stand back and watch him give recommendations to my Sister in a low voice.Arina is a good student. She always was.He finds no difficulty in listening without questioning, getting into position and raising his right arm at shoulder height, holding the gun.Azerai takes a step back.Arina aims at one of the dolls — the first one o
— Lyn Nakari is so beautiful — Reeina says for the third or fourth time as she serves us our morning meal at the low table.Arina invites her to sit and eat with us — as always — but Fen refuses — as always — however that doesn't stop her from blabbering on and on, even though neither I nor my Sister have asked any questions about the fortress's new guests.—And there are other lyns too, of course. All very beautiful. The Princes spent many hours with them in the pools and outside, showing them the property — Reeina continues, ignoring our silence.I glance at Arina and notice that she is far away, looking at the window. Suddenly she gets up and goes there, moving away from us.— Okay, Reeina — I interrupt Fen when she takes a long breath to continue speaking. — It all seems very interesting, but Arina and I are a little tired. It was a difficult night. Can you ask if Prince Azerai will continue to teach us while there are guests in Tarus'dei?— Yes, Lyn Kim. It is clear. I'll do it.