Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
And to think, I was having such a pleasant morning. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He’ll recover... in several months.”
“Full recovery?” my guilt asked hopefully.
“I didn’t say that.”
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “I can’t apologize enough. I should’ve known Alisdair would not take kindly to my giving attention to another man—whether I touched him or not.”
“No, it’s my fault. I didn’t realize you were completely new to the ways of love, sex, and seduction. I mean...” She waved a hand over me. “Look at you. How could so beautiful a woman be so naïve.”
“You’re cramming a lot of insults into this apology,” I gritted, then sighed. “But it’s true. I don’t know what I’m doing. I actually already planned to use this walk to ask you for help. How do I do this, Eadaoin? How do I get him to open up and allow himself to feel for me, while keeping my own heart out of it?”
“Is your heart in it?”
“No.” I didn’t hesitate. “It can’t be.”
“All right, I understand,” she said easily, surprising me. “I do have another idea for you. One that will not get anyone else thrown out of a window. Today, you’ll finish lunch early and then I’m taking you somewhere. Somewhere you’ll learn all about the ways of seduction.”
Several hours later, I was standing in an impossible place.
“It’s... It’s hot...” I got out, then my voice failed me.
“Mhh hhh.” Eadaoin peeled off her shawl and coat. “It’s the only room in the castle that is, because it’s right on top of an underground hot spring.”
“Hot spring.” Palm fronds tickled my cheek, the first to welcome me when I stepped through the door. My gaze darted everywhere at once, trying to take it all in. Palms, lilies, violets, orchids, birds of paradise, and the stunning, painted faeriken stretched out among them—basking in an eden of summer and flowers. “That explains it.”
I stepped down into a sunken living room and all eyes turned to me. The room wasn’t unlike my bathroom with its chaises and marble. The only thing it was missing was the bathing pool. My bathing chamber also didn’t have a dozen faeriken women who were so gorgeous, their duck, fox, leopard, and bird faces did nothing to diminish it.
“Welcome, my queen.” Eadaoin swept out her hand, beaming. “It is my pleasure to introduce you to the royal companions.”
“Royal companions?” I repeated. “Royal as in—”
“Our lord’s companions,” finished a white fox faeriken. She was draped across a chaise and basking under the shade of a potted palm tree. She laughed. “You needn’t make that face. He hasn’t laid a finger on us since he brought you to the castle. We’re all quite bored as a result.” She shuddered. “The orgies used to go on for days.”
I hadn’t realized I made a face until I relaxed at her assurance Alisdair wasn’t cheating on me, then scowled again full force at orgies.
“Why have you brought me here?” I snapped at Eadaoin. Emiana’s lips parted, and her true voice came out. “Explain yourself.”
She patted my hand. My lip curled at the servant for daring to touch me. “You said you wanted to learn how to tempt our lord without falling in love with him.” She flicked from companion to companion. “Who else to ask but the experts?”
Understanding dawned, and chased away the ghost of Emiana. “Eadaoin, you’re a genius.”
She grinned, whiskers twitching. “Ladies,” she called, clapping. “Work your magic.”
Eadaoin trumpeted the horn for war, and they descended on me. Six pair of hands led me around the indoor garden to a standing mirror.
“First, we have to get rid of these clothes.” She tore my dress off faster than Alisdair did. “Honestly, Lady Ana, Aeris terrifies me too, but you are allowed to choose your own wardrobe.”
I would’ve responded if my jaw wasn’t firmly clamped in the hand of the fox girl. She wiped off my subtle lip stain, and replaced it with a deep, plumish purple that I never would’ve had the bravery to try even if I was born a princess.
My elegant gown was torn to shreds. In its place, they covered my body with a forest-green gown that was tighter and thinner with a neckline plunging to my belly button. My nails were painted. My braids were unwound, leaving my hair falling in soft waves around my shoulders, and then, the lesson started.
“No, no, no,” cried Honora, the fox woman. “You have to drop your hip, then roll. Drop, then roll, and twist.” She demonstrated—wining her body in a slow, sultry dance that made me blush to see.
“Um, I don’t think my body was meant to move that way.” No, I knew I wasn’t. Both my and Emiana’s memories confirmed, neither of us knew how to dance. “Is there possibly a beginner’s seduction dance?”