The Serpent King's Human Consort

er Bel

g ordered around by someone who refused to explain himself. Unfortunately,

ay from

Aldric," I muttered again. "Don't go to the eastern wing. Don't leave the palace. Don't breat

rror offered no helpful

e that. You're the on

But blaming my father required remembering that I

y conversation with m

a tray of tea. I immed

his consort to stay away from a particular pe

wn. "That depends o

spends his nights

ranging the teacups. "I am not qualified t

rse you

y." I dropped into a chair. "Perhaps I should start charging people whenever I

mont has requested your compan

opped my cu

our Hig

stared at the door. Th

cifically r

ou would like to jo

"Oh, this is go

"Your Highness, I w

told me to stay

rarely gives warnin

His Majesty should learn to co

High

g to the

I smiled mo

u like to

our Hi

deci

across his chest. Sunlight caught his blond hair, making him look like a prince from one of those ridiculous fairy tales wh

rning, L

g. I hope yo

, than

o is a suitable substitute for a conversation, so I thought I'd spen

he laughed. "You truly hav

ly well. I simply refus

hought you might enjoy seeing

nge glowing flowers. The fact that the royal kitchen apparently considered roasted serpent a perf

f the garden where white roses grew

has changed

. "Have you bee

y ti

h Sy

sion softe

nize it. Whenever Aldric spoke about the past, he seem

hing, and you can either answer honest

nerous

t you like you've personall

ough the roses. For several seconds, he

in a way

faint smile, but it

I were very

clo

eve that we would spe

ot the answer I had expected. Aldri

rpent King's heir, and I was a human prince. Our kingdoms had a

d t

quiet. "He entered a political marriage that would secure his claim to the ki

carefully. "Di

, humorless laugh.

e love

tilled against

so quickly tha

But loving someone and choosing t

ons about your life without considering what you wanted. I understood what it meant to be treate

such a confession from the man

d you come b

e there are things between u

ather long time to leave a

emed sadder now. "Some wounds do n

hite roses. "And

moment. Then he said,

oward him.

my gaze

r. Then I shook my head

hy

t making decisions that invo

ftly. "You may be

ret affair. Instead, I had found the remains of a love story that had lasted longer than m

e lack of decent reading material in my chambers when I noticed the guards standing outsi

nt. He also looked like he was considering having someone buried benea

have yo

looked behind me. T

ernoon to

san

yl

ned. Aldric st

him to th

aking to m

ering your ques

ment, I wondered whether the floor would cra

ed to

able. "Of course." He glanced at

Thank you f

. I watched him disappear around the

plain why you look as thou

ored my

ve me a

deliberatel

've identified the di

rkened. "Do you f

you care so much about whom I speak to when you clearl

guards suddenly became fascinated

e my co

nake on my collar rem

esent thi

d stop treating me like

man. He was the ruler of an ancient kingdom, an immortal being whose power was woven into the

us. I simply refused to pretend tha

allenge every decisi

unreason

self qualified to judg

qualified to judg

g different. Perhaps he had expected me to bow. Perhaps he had expected me to apologize. Perhaps he had expected a frightened

your chambe

at him.

ast him. Th

and S

ned hi

h Aldric, you should probably stop givi

g. My palms were damp. And I had the unpleasant suspicion that I had just

my husband. He had a talent for making an alre

window when Mara ente

sty be joining

lieve His Majesty ha

aside. "Of c

fer to dine in

urprised, so I stood. "What? I'm married to the

mpty when I arrived. A table

ed it, and placed a plate before me. I was halfway through the meal when I heard foot

wn. Her dark hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, and a necklace of b

uietly to her as they approached the table. Then his gaze settled on me, and he stopped.

san

my glass.

en us. "Your Majesty," she

band. Not even Lysander.

rative human attac

. Sylas's expressio

san

introduci

ment before offering a polite

lov

oward Sylas.

were going. I didn't ask why she was here. I didn't ask whe

nough. Sylas rema

g to ask why I'm

quire permission to ent

arrowed. "

arefully. "All right. W

ought he might actually answer. Ins

I laughed. I c

Go wherever you need to go, Your Majesty. I promise

if my husband wanted to parade his private affairs in front of me, he could do so wi

Serap

hey had stood. Then I took another bite of dinner. It tasted wonderful. Absolutely wond

ed to myself. "

d certainly not allow myself to develop feelings for a man who ha

my collar and placed it on the dressing table. For a long time, I stared at it. Then I whispered, "

ep when I heard a

is

a, Your H

ed. "Co

carrying a small gl

is t

om the royal

the bottle.

our Hi

one keep bringing me

e table. "It's inten

Then why are you b

d me to leave it

threads swirling through it. It looked less like medicine and more like som

is i

. "His Majesty

faded. "Wha

e door. "I am not per

yes. "Of cour

ords echoed in my mind. I remembered the servants carrying a dark bottle into the

suddenly, the pieces began to form a picture I didn't understand. Perhaps the king wasn't simply keeping lovers

merely because my husband had left it in my room. I had survived this long through a c

he bottle inside a

y to learn the truth. Not b

ause I was tired of living in a palace wher

the eastern wing, a door closed. And for the first time since arriving in Nagae