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)
His pants were loose too, and that meant nothing to the large bulge between his legs. If I wanted to know why I still had a slight limp, it reminded me.
Alisdair lifted his head and I was already flicking away, narrowing in on a map of Lyrica before our eyes could meet.
“What is all of this?” A smile rose unbidden to my lips. “Seems you lied to me once again. Lyrica and its silly, old fool of a king are more of a threat to you than you let on.” I motioned to the walls. “Why else do you and your spies keep such a close eye on all of Elva and beyond?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, woman.” The same cold dismissal. “This room isn’t for defense. It’s for planning. The time draws near for the first strike that begins our conquering of Elva. We, and therefore you, must be ready.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, beast,” I breezed just as cooly. “We, and therefore you, will be doing no such thing.”
I couldn’t be certain, but I thought I saw the barest quirk of his lips. Ah, so the king found his pet amusing. He wouldn’t be laughing for long.
“Besides, you won’t get far until you hire a new mapmaker.” I pointed to a map of the Stella Darna Sea. “There’s no island there.”
“There is, but it moves. That’s where it was as of a month ago,” he replied, as if he wasn’t speaking total nonsense. “I sent my flying infantry to stake our claim, but it moved again.”
“Oookkkkaaaay,” I drew out. It’s so sad when a mind starts to go. “So why am I here? And don’t say it’s for an invasion that will never happen.”
He crooked a finger. “Come.”
I planted my feet. “Why don’t you try that again with a please, then—”
Alisdair snapped his fingers and I flew to his side, yelping as I collided with a wall of muscle. He put his arm around me instinctively, stopping me from falling. I swatted him for the magic-handling, but it was like hitting an actual wall. He didn’t give my hit a lick of attention.
“This is why you’re here.”
I glanced down at the map before us. This one, I’d never seen before. Or more to say, I have, but all the times I did, it was nothing but a black, blighted spot on our great nation.
“The kingdom of Wind and Wild,” he confirmed. “Its capital, its villages, its outer-lying territories. Familiarize yourself with it all.”
“Why must I?” I asked, though I brought the map closer.
I couldn’t help myself. I loved learning new things. If university wasn’t wholly off-limits to the likes of me, it’s where I’d be right then.
“Why are you teaching me any of this? You’re using me for my position and power.” I was nothing if not blunt. “Surely a little bird doesn’t need to be taught to run a kingdom.”
“You’re correct, you don’t,” he bit back, glaring.
I rose a little higher, glaring right back. It was then I noticed his arm was still around me, and my chest still pressed to his.
We broke apart in a blink, staring down each other from opposite ends of the table.
“All things being what they should’ve been, you wouldn’t need to know these things,” he repeated. “Because you’d be dead. But since our plans have changed—”
I hated that he kept saying our—casually including me in his treason.
“—someone will have to remain here in Lumenfell, ruling our people and raising our children while I lead the conquer.”
A roaring sounded in my ears. What did he say? “Excuse me? Children? Whose children?”
“Our children.”
He repeated it, and it still didn’t make sense.
“We are not having children.”
“We will have so many children, they will outnumber all the basks in all the seas in all the world.”
I choked, flinging away. “What!”
Face changing, Alisdair laughed. “You’re so amusing when you squawk, little bird. Calm yourself. Two or three will more than suffice. You will stay here to raise them, and teach our heirs all that I’m teaching you,” he said. “So pay attention.”
Shock fled, and rage flooded in fast. “I’m the one who must stay behind and raise the imaginary children? Is that what you think a woman’s place is? Having your beast-babies, raising your beast-babies, then putting my head down and ass up, so you can impregnate me with some more?”
“No, dear,” he ground out. “I would happily stay and rear our heirs, but then you’d have to lead our armies against Elva. You’ve made such a tantrum of being against it, I assumed that wasn’t an option for you.” Alisdair raised a brow. “Or would you prefer we wage war together, side by side, and abandon our children here with nursemaids and servants?” He tsked, looking genuinely disgusted. “Very cold, my queen. You hate our beast-babies that much, and they’re not even born.”