Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Things were ramping up with work. I had an appointment for tea with Queen Calisa the next afternoon (if my quarantine was lifted, which it didn’t seem it would be, my beast was taking her sweet time). And Aleksei had decided to double that up, since I’d be at the Palace, with he and King Fillion meeting with my parents (and that was the only thing that would make me not want my wee beast back, using it as an opportunity to postpone that nightmare).
I had yet to decide if I would attend that meeting, but it was scheduled after the tea.
There was also the Masque on my mind, of course. And Aleksei wanted to take me to Spikeback Castle (and I couldn’t wait to go). Not to mention, the next photo op was looming, during which I’d be wearing my engagement ring, something I didn’t have yet, and something that I worried about because, well…I was me.
That being picky when it came to stuff like that.
The entire collection of royal jewels was available to pull up on a digi-pane. I’d located the purple topaz set Queen Calisa referred to, and the ring was a cushion-cut topaz, surrounded by unusually large round diamonds intermingled with perfectly same-sized pearls. The coronet was narrow, but lovely, and the matching necklace and earrings the same.
It was from the Revivalist Era of the 1700s, when the style was to be compact, but the gems selected were sizable in an effort to pack a punch that screamed how much money you had.
It was pretty, but I didn’t love it.
No, I’d stumbled on a pleasantly not too big, and definitely not too small octagon aquamarine stacked side to side with four long (though the outer ones were shorter) diamond baguettes. The matching coronet was more like a priceless aquamarine and diamond headband, and it came with no other pieces, just those two.
The design was from the Insouciant Riche era, one of my favorites, where the look was cleaner, geometric, but opulent and, for the time, very (even shockingly) modern.
The realms then had been moving away from horses and carriages and into automobiles and technology, and art moved with it.
To me, it said things didn’t have to be formal, overly worked and ornamented to denote luxury and class.
So, to me, it made a statement, and not just about my taste.
Of course, I’d happily wear whatever Aleksei gave me.
But I wished I’d never seen that ring (just in case he didn’t pick that one).
I focused on my costume and entering textiles.
“Is your comm done?” Aleksei asked.
“He disconnected me, yes,” I answered.
“Do you want me to get started on dinner?” he asked.
I kept my attention on what I was doing on my tablet, but answered, “I have two more costumes to enter into the program. Then I’ll get to it. It’s my turn.”
“Darling, work. I can cook.”
At that, I looked down at him.
And dang.
Prince Aleksei, my heart’s desire, was lounged on a couch with his head on my leg.
I am so totally and completely and limitlessly and enormously falling in love with you.
This thought warmed me, toes to tendrils, as I gazed down at his male beauty, consumed by all I was feeling.
“I thought I’d make creamy garlic pasta,” I said softly.
A glow came from his dusky gaze.
He heard the words I spoke.
And the ones left unspoken.
Before I could react to that, my body jerked violently, and I rasped out a coarse breath.
Nova took a dash as Aleksei shot up to sitting.
My body caught fire.
“Alek—” I started.
He grabbed my hand, pulled me out of the couch and dragged me to the steps to the sunken room.
“Clothing, love,” he warned.
He let me go, and still moving, I whipped off my top.
He yanked off his shirt.
We were racing to the steps to the landing pad.
“Doors open!” he barked.
I pulled down my lounge pants, just as all that was happening became too much, thus I nearly fell over.
Aleksei swung me up in his arms and sprinted up the stairs.
I felt the night air coming in through the doorway above, but it was happening, and I couldn’t stop it.
Panic coursed through me.
There wasn’t going to be enough room.
“Aleksei,” I whispered urgently.
Two steps from the top, he hurled me bodily through the door.
My world burst in pearlescent pink stars.
And I landed on her clawed feet.
Her long neck turned just in time to see the ferocious black dragon explode from the stairwell, immediately taking flight.
He made a half circle and banked, coming back in.
Seeing him right there, with the excess of energy bounding through her, she hunched, then took to the skies.
He glided to her side.
He soared.
She rolled, spun and dipped.
When she dipped, he zoomed under her, his wingspan wide, his body powerful, guiding her to the airspace above the courses of crafts zipping around the city.