SV Fic: Of Gods and Butterflies, Chapter Eleven (AU!Chlark, NC-17)

[carcassi]

With all the upsetting news in SV fandom lately, I thought we could use a good dose of fanfic. :) I'm happy to say that I have, at long last, finished a proper update to my fairytale!Chlark fic, Of Gods and Butterflies.

Thanks and credit to the talented worias for the lovely banner!

I posted the first few pages of Chapter Eleven last week, but in case anyone who's following this fic missed it, I'll post it here again. The second part of the chapter is the new stuff, and it's rated adult.



Chapter Eleven

Part One

The twinkle in his daughter’s hazel eyes was still on Gabriel’s mind as he threaded his way down the crowded palace corridor toward the courtyard and the royal kitchens to start preparations for the upcoming banquet. More than anything else, he’d missed seeing Chloe’s smile. It warmed his heart better than sunshine; even in his darkest moments, it had never failed to raise his spirits, just as it did now.

With a twinge of jealousy, he wondered if her new husband appreciated that smile as much as he did. He hoped so.

Reluctantly, he pushed aside his joy at his daughter’s return and forced himself to concentrate on his duties as Prince Alexander’s steward. This last-minute banquet was just one more headache on top of his regular tasks, and Gabriel knew from experience that the prince would be satisfied only with perfection.

Gabriel was very anxious not to incur his son-in-law’s displeasure twice in the same month. Only last week, he’d forgotten to deliver the dinner that Alexander had ordered to be prepared for his ailing father, King Leo, and had frantically persuaded the chief cook to prepare something else in the vain hope that the prince would never find out his mistake.

Shortly thereafter, Alexander was pinning Gabriel with the same look of steely disapproval that so often struck terror in the hearts of even the most arrogant nobles. The ex-shepherd had squirmed uncomfortably and wished he were anywhere else in the kingdom but apologizing to the future father of his grandchildren. He had felt like a complete failure.

For the hundredth time, he wondered why Alexander hadn’t just sent him back to the stables, where he belonged. When His Highness had first approached him, Gabriel had pointed out that there were at least a dozen nobles with far more experience in running royal households, but the prince had insisted, softly, that he valued trustworthiness over experience.

It was hard to believe that the prince would actually want a chief steward who knew nothing about palace protocol, and less than nothing about palace politics, but there it was. Even Gabriel had known better than to argue against a royal command, and, to be honest, he’d secretly been a little flattered that Alexander had such confidence in him.

And that, Gabriel decided, must be why Alexander had seemed so annoyed with him today, when he’d foolishly brought up the sensitive subject of King Leo to Chloe. It wasn’t only that the prince disliked any public discussion of the king’s illness; he also probably hadn’t liked the reminder of Gabriel’s recent blunder. No man, Gabriel thought guiltily, liked to feel that his trust had been misplaced. He’d deserved that sharp look from Alexander, and from now on, it would be doubly important to watch his words, and his actions, much more carefully.

Especially since he was considering breaching that trust one more time. For the king’s sake.

The kingdom’s least-experienced Lord Chief Steward chewed his lip thoughtfully as he began to descend the marble steps leading to the main courtyard, and mentally reviewed, for the hundredth time, how much better His Majesty had seemed the morning after he’d eaten Gabriel’s makeshift dinner last week. The king had actually looked Gabriel in the eye when he’d come in to serve him his breakfast, and when a servant lifted a cup of the honeyed mead brewed by Alexander himself to the king’s lips, Gabriel had been overjoyed to hear Leo mutter something that sounded like his son’s name.

Sadly, by the time he’d summoned Alexander’s hand-picked court physician to relay this exciting news, the king had already relapsed, and Gabriel decided he must’ve been mistaken. Still, he couldn’t help wondering if there might have been a connection between his substitute dinner and the king’s apparent recovery.

Not that he suspected Prince Alexander of any wrongdoing. That would be unthinkable. It was no secret that King Leo and his son were not on the best of terms, but that was hardly unusual between a ruler and his heir. Alexander was bright, capable, and a devoted husband to his elder daughter. Since he’d taken charge, he’d lightened the oppressive taxes on the people, and the kingdom was in better shape than anytime since the curse had fallen. Gabriel refused to believe that he could have had anything to do with Leo’s illness.

But what if the prince’s treatment, whatever it was, wasn’t as helpful as planned? What if-Gabriel hardly dared even consider the idea-what if it were doing the king more harm than good? Could the prince’s loyal steward really stand back and do nothing?

Too lost in thought to watch where he was going, he yelped in surprise as his foot stumbled over an unexpected crack in the worn steps. He scrambled frantically to regain his footing, but it was too late. The flagstones of the courtyard pavement were rising rapidly to meet him when he was gripped from behind by fingers as strong as steel.

Courtiers and commoners alike stopped and stared as his unseen helper steadied him at the foot of the stairs. Drawing a deep breath, Gabriel looked around and far, far up, into the friendly hazel eyes of the tall peasant boy he’d pointed out earlier to his daughter.

“Are you alright?”

The boy’s grin was almost as dazzling as his own daughter’s, and, like hers, it made his spirits rise. In spite of his shaky knees and his worries, Gabriel suddenly felt certain that everything would be all right.

“Thank you.” He smiled back and nodded to the boy, who released him with a small, respectful bow. Gabriel caught the intelligent sparkle in those eyes, and wondered why he’d never seen this boy at the palace before. He was sure he could never have forgotten such a good-looking, charismatic youth; everything about him seemed to glow with an inner radiance. It reminded him again, just a bit, of Chloe.

But where Chloe’s brilliance was captivating, this boy’s was almost overwhelming. Underneath his mild-mannered glance, the youth seemed to explode with limitless power, throwing off sparks like a Chinese firecracker, and Gabriel, with a surprised jolt, found himself imagining that the boy, like those airborne Oriental inventions, might take flight at any moment.

Shaking his head to clear it, the older man scolded himself for daydreaming, and turned back to the youth, intending to ask his name. But the boy was already racing up the stairs, taking them three at a time with an ease and grace that suggested that he could have moved much faster if he’d wanted to.

Gabriel watched him as he disappeared through the columns at the head of the stairs on his way into the palace, and stood motionless for another long moment, peering after him. In spite of his recent worries, he felt a strange sense of reassurance, and he continued towards the palace kitchens with a new spring in his step. His doubts had evaporated; he knew, now, what he had to do.

While he was planning the banquet menu, he’d also make a few adjustments to King Leo’s prescribed dinner. No one else would need to know, if he was careful. With luck, the king’s health might even improve a little, and he’d win the gratitude of a no-doubt relieved prince.

When he reached the kitchens, Gabriel was whistling.



Chapter Eleven

Part Two

From the balcony of her palace apartments, Chloe saw her father stride purposefully toward the threshold of the royal kitchens on the far side of the courtyard. Nearby servants, carrying baskets laden with ingredients for the upcoming banquet-produce, unbaked loaves of bread, newly-plucked chickens, jars of honey-scurried away to make room for him, some even curtsying or bowing deferentially as he passed. Among them, Chloe thought she recognized the elderly woman who’d gotten an eyeful of Kal earlier in the palace pantry, before he’d put on clothes.

Chloe sighed in affectionate disbelief. Past the kitchens, against the palace wall, she glimpsed the red-tiled roof of the prince’s stables, and wondered, in amusement, if these were the same servants who’d ordered Gabriel around when he’d been a lowly undergroom.

Clearly, the Fortress wasn’t the only place that miracles could happen. But whatever had caused her father’s sudden rise in status during the year she’d been gone, she hoped that Gabriel wasn’t in over his head. He wasn’t cut out for royal intrigue.

At the slight breeze which stirred the folds of her silken robe, Chloe’s head popped up immediately. Sensing Kal’s towering presence behind her, she’d already begun to grin even before two strong hands took hold of her shoulders.

“What took you so long?” she murmured without turning around.

In response, one long arm curled around her waist, gathering her closer, and she leaned back against his chest to soak up his comforting warmth. His fingers fondled the sensitive skin around her ear as she purred softly, like a kitten on a sunny windowsill.

On the wrist of his encircling arm, her chain of golden butterflies danced in the sunlight, looking strangely out-of-place against the faded blue sleeve of Kal’s peasant outfit. She smiled down at it as if it were an old friend.

His head dropped closer to hers, and he whispered into the ear he was massaging. “I wanted to surprise you.”

After a cautious glance downward to make sure Kal’s sudden appearance hadn’t been noticed by anyone in the courtyard, Chloe stepped out of his arms and pulled him away from the balcony. “After all that time in the dark? You can’t surprise me, Kal,” she replied. “Even if I can’t see you, I can feel you.”

Kal’s arms closed around her again the minute they came inside her bedchamber, as if they’d been apart for years instead of only an hour. When Chloe stared up at him, there was an ominous gleam in his eye. “Mind if I try again?”

Without waiting for an answer, he bent down quickly, and the tip of his tongue flicked over her earlobe. Then, quick as lightning, it darted inside her ear, teasing the opening with a back-and-forth motion that set every one of Chloe’s nerve endings on fire. Meanwhile, he rocked against her, his rhythm matching the movements of his tongue.

Torn between desire and dismay, Chloe tried to stop the motion, reminding herself that they couldn’t afford to be sidetracked from the quest Jor-El had set for them.

“Kal, I need to talk to you,” she breathed, her reply punctuated by little gasps at his quick, insistent thrusts. Twisting in his arms, she struggled to free her hand to close up the front of her robe, which had pulled apart enough to give him a very revealing bird’s-eye view underneath the gem-studded neckline.

A low rumble rose in Kal’s throat, and his large hands closed around her hips, gently but firmly holding her in place while, with expert strokes, he worked against her resistance. Through the rough homespun of his tunic, she could feel him harden, and her whole body shivered in pleasure at the touch.

His whisper warmed her ear as the rocking continued. “Later.”

“Not now,” she insisted, trying to sound firm. “We don’t have….”

The world blurred around her, and the next instant she and Kal were naked atop the massive four-poster featherbed. “….time,” she finished weakly.

The look in Kal’s eyes as he leaned over her melted her last ounce of self-control. “Yes, we do,” he said, and reached down to stroke the inside of her thighs, his touch light, but as searing as fire. He aimed each stroke higher until, with a small shuddering sigh, Chloe let her legs fall open.

Kal’s answering growl was low and possessive. Sliding down until his head hovered between her thighs, he flicked his tongue across the delicate folds of skin, teasing them with licks and small jabs, while Chloe, lost in a haze of pure bliss, barely heard her own appreciative sighs.

Without warning, his finger replaced his tongue, pushing inside her and working up and down rapidly. Chloe let out a surprised yell at an unexpectedly deep jab, and Kal stopped at once. Face flushed and breathing hard, he started the motion again more slowly, with gentle, short strokes. His touch melted her insides; eagerly, Chloe grabbed his hand and guided his strokes inside her moist, hot opening.

Kal’s look of hungry adoration as he bent over her was nearly enough to drive her over the edge, all by itself. Staring up at him, Chloe realized how much she’d been missing when they’d made love in the dark. Impulsively, she clutched his wrist, halting the motion. “I want you inside me,” she whispered roughly, between uneven breaths. “I want to see you when you’re inside me.”

Kal, by now too far gone to answer with words, pushed himself up on his knees, treating Chloe to a very interesting close-up view. For the first time, she could feast her eyes on the full length of his shaft, swollen with blood and curving upward to a tip that was already dripping. Her stomach gave an excited flip.

Clearly, when it came to some things, seeing really was believing.

Hesitantly, she reached out to stroke it, and watched him shudder as an expression of dazed delight spread across his face. Encouraged, she picked up the pace.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” she confessed, throatily. “Do you like it?”

Kal’s eyes glowed like emerald fire. As he shivered again, his large palm wrapped over her hand, gently stilling its motion. Once Chloe had let go, he stretched his long body over hers, positioned himself, and pushed.

Inch by inch, he filled her slowly, while she arched her hips against his impatiently. Kal grinned and began to rock them deeper into the featherbed, Chloe’s eyes locked on his. Crimson flecks sparked in his pupils as she urged him on, and she saw his face twist with incredible effort as his thrusts quickened. She realized, with a jolt, how hard Kal had to work to restrain himself, to keep his enormous strength in check so that he didn’t hurt her. She could feel the power surging through his muscles, and her respect for his self-control, already high, shot up even further.

To make up for Kal’s self-imposed restraint, Chloe pressed upwards harder, hooking her legs around him to push him in deeper. Her encouragement sent Kal into a frenzy; muttering incoherently, he drove into her until the world exploded and Chloe heard them both scream at the same time.

Afterwards, their bodies lay tangled for a few minutes in exhausted contentment. Chloe buried her fingers in Kal’s sweat-dampened dark curls as his warm weight covered her, and wished they could stay this way forever.

It was too bad they couldn’t. They had a job to do.

She heard Kal’s voice, soft against her shoulder. “Now we’re together in both worlds, here and the Fortress,” he whispered. “No matter what Jor-El does.”

For once, she was glad that Kal hadn’t forgotten Jor-El. “He won’t do anything, if we can find your mother’s bracelet in time,” she replied briskly, nudging his big arm as a hint to move. Reluctantly, he complied, and she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, reaching to the floor for her discarded robe. “We’ve only got a week. I have an idea, but we’ll have to move fast.”

She darted a worried glance at the elaborately inlaid double doors of her apartments. “You’d better get dressed, Kal. I don’t want anyone to catch us together.”

“Why not?” Kal demanded, scooping up his own clothes and shaking them out.

As if in answer to his question, Chloe saw a pair of steely eyes flash in her mind, and a sudden uneasy feeling rose at the pit of her stomach. Her hands froze over the sash of her robe; with an effort, she finished tying it and looked up at his expectant face. “I don’t trust Prince Alexander,” she confessed slowly. “He’s all but taken over the kingdom, and his father’s illness is a little too convenient. Alexander’s dangerous, Kal; if he found out what you can do, there’s no telling what might happen.”

Kal frowned thoughtfully and nodded. Satisfied that her warning had hit home, Chloe brightened slightly. “Besides,” she went on in a lighter tone, “if I introduced you, you couldn’t go undercover tonight.”

Pausing in the middle of shrugging into his stained blue woolen overshirt, her lover raised his brows inquisitively.

“I want you to pose as a server at the banquet tonight, and keep an eye on the guests,” she explained quickly. “That bracelet’s got to be somewhere, and one of them might be wearing it.”

Kal’s face lit up like a delighted ten-year-old’s. “Should I wear a disguise?”

Chloe stifled a chuckle. “Aren’t you already?” she asked, running an amused eye over his ragged outfit.

He shot her a reproachful look. “This isn’t a disguise. It’s Kent.” Inspecting a frayed sleeve, he amended ruefully, “Plus a little wear-and-tear.”

Chloe smiled nostalgically, thinking of their first meeting in the woods. “OK, whatever. But you will need a disguise tonight, because all the servants wear the royal livery. Go check the Servants’ Hall, they should have a few extra sets handy. Then go to the kitchen and tell the cook that my father sent you to help out. He said they were short-handed.”

Kal, who was still dressing, nodded as he bent down to squeeze his enormous feet into worn sandals that were at least two sizes too small. “I hope they’ve got bigger shoes,” he remarked, grimacing.

Chloe watched the painful process with a grin. “I wouldn’t count on it. Where’d you find these clothes, anyway?”

“I, uh, borrowed them from a farmer.” As he straightened, he picked up the piece of old rope that served as his belt, from which a large sheepskin pouch dangled. “Don’t worry, I paid for them.”

Chloe eyed the heavy pouch curiously. “What’s in there?”

He shot her a look, and smiled. “Just something I found in a coal scuttle.”

Untying the pouch from his belt, he spilled the contents over the featherbed, and Chloe gasped. A stream of gleaming pebbles bounced across the crumpled white coverlet, settling in the folds and winking up at her in the sunlight like crystal flowers blooming through the snow. Most were clear, but some were tinged with shades of ice-blue, honey, and amber.

As a rule, Chloe barely noticed jewelry, but this magical garden entranced her. She let out a low whistle of appreciation as she fingered the smooth gems, some of which were almost as large as a hen’s egg. “These look like diamonds.”

Kal nodded in confirmation. “I made them and left a few for the farmer,” he replied, beaming proudly at her awestruck reaction.

Sobering, he added, sounding genuinely concerned, “I hope he thinks it’s a fair exchange.”

Chloe tore her eyes away from the glittering display and stared at him, scarcely able to believe her ears. “Are you kidding? One of these would probably buy that man a whole new farm.”

“I don’t like taking things without asking,” Kal replied curtly, dismissing his latest miracle with a shrug, as if it were hardly worth mentioning. “I don’t want to steal from people; I want to help them.”

Watching the mightiest being in the world shuffle his feet guiltily, Chloe felt herself fall in love all over again. “You will,” she promised softly, smiling. “Kal, you’re amazing. With or without your powers.”

As their eyes met, Kal’s began to glow with renewed interest. Watching him come closer, Chloe shivered with pleasure, wondering what it might feel like to make love in a bed of diamonds.

Just before they touched, Kal’s head whirled towards the double doors that led to the outside hallway. Squinting at them, he murmured, “Your sister’s here.”

Chloe stiffened as she heard the gentle rapping on the door. “Get out of here!” she urged him. “We’ll talk later.”

Kal raised plaintive brows, managing to look disappointed and hopeful at the same time. “Can’t I meet the rest of the family?”

Even though he looked only slightly less adorable than a puppy, Chloe refused to be swayed. “GO!” she whispered through gritted teeth. “And take those”-she nodded at the diamond-studded coverlet-“with you.”

She waited for Kal’s breeze to die down before smoothing her windswept hair and heading for the door, touching her cheek where she’d felt the soft imprint of his goodbye kiss.

“Coming, Lana!” she singsonged.

The door opened to reveal her sister’s perfect face, which was marred only by a puzzled crease across her forehead. “How did you know it was me?”

Chloe gave her an innocent look. “I recognized your knock.” She changed the subject as she stepped aside to let her sister in. “Where’s His Highness?”

Lana swept into the center of the chamber, her elegant dark velvet riding-cloak billowing behind her, and surveyed the rumpled bedsheets curiously. “Meeting with his counselors.”

Chloe shot a brief look at the petite brunette. “You mean His Majesty’s counselors, don’t you?”

Lana’s luminous eyes radiated guilt. “Oh! Yes, of course.” Her head bobbed violently as a faint pink tinge bloomed on her cheeks.

Chloe mentally rolled her eyes. She was a little disappointed that an entire year spent at court hadn’t made Lana a better liar. From her reaction, it was clear that the king was her least important consideration-and probably Alexander’s, too.

Seeing her sister’s discomfort, Chloe took pity on her and let the matter drop. “What brings you here?”

Lana was only too happy to talk about something else. “I’m on my way to the stables, so I thought I’d stop by and check to see if you needed anything before I get back.” For the second time that day, she inspected Chloe’s attire, but her scrutiny now was cool and critical, rather than adoring. “Did you bring a gown?”

Chloe cast a rueful glance at her outfit, which, in spite of its richly embroidered silk and countless gems, was still only a robe. “My visit came up pretty suddenly,” she said, coming as close to the truth as she dared. “I didn’t have a chance to pack.”

Lana’s smile remained in place, but her eyes narrowed. “Oh. Well, I’ll be happy to loan you some of my clothes. Will your husband be joining us later? We’d love to meet him.” She darted a hopeful look at Chloe. “Can you tell us more about him?”

So, Chloe thought, deflecting the look with a polite smile, I was right.

She’d wondered why Alexander hadn’t asked her any direct questions about her husband earlier, even though he was obviously curious about Kal. He must have decided that Lana would have better luck prying out the information he wanted. Her sister wasn’t here on a visit; she was here on a fact-finding mission.

The prince was nothing if not resourceful. Chloe’s respect for him grew.

Shaking her head at her sister regretfully, she replied, “Maybe later.”

Lana’s face fell. “It’s too bad he can’t come. I guess he has…..more important things to do.” She paused, gave Chloe a sideways glance, and let out a sigh heavy with sympathy. “I’m sure it never occurred to him that he was leaving you here with nothing.”

Chloe endured Lana’s honey-coated jab with the ease of long practice. She understood her sister’s resentment; Lana had spent her whole life being the center of attention, and now, thanks to Chloe, she wasn’t. It couldn’t be easy for her to accept that.

“My lady,” a third, all-too-familiar voice chimed in from the direction of the open door, “your husband sent a gift for you.”

She jumped, startled, but even before she turned, she knew who it was. Kal’s tall figure filled the doorway, clad from top to toe in tight-fitting jet black livery that transformed him completely from poor peasant to royal page. The only things that hadn’t changed were the golden bracelet on his wrist, and his sunny grin.

Chloe sighed inwardly. Apparently she’d been wrong; Kal could still surprise her.

He was carrying a carved wooden chest, which was shut and latched. She glanced at it, then up at Kal, with a carefully neutral face, wondering what in the world he was up to. “So I see,” she replied, barricading herself against the mischievous twinkle in his eyes with as much cold dignity as she could muster.

She’d asked Kal to stay away, and he’d ignored her.

Honestly, he was the most stubborn demi-god she had ever met.

She was, she reminded herself as she stared into those dancing eyes, very annoyed with him.

His grin widened, as if he guessed her thoughts, and with a sinking heart, she felt her resolve crumble. Kal’s greatest power, she decided, was his charm, and resistance was useless.

She saw, to her amusement, that she wasn’t the only one affected. From the other side of the chamber, Lana was eying Kal with undisguised interest. It was obvious that, married or not, she hadn’t quite given up her old habit of acquiring spare boyfriends.

“You must be new,” Lana murmured, looking him over and flashing him an admiring smile. “I don’t remember seeing you before.”

Barely glancing at her, Kal turned back to Chloe and offered her the chest. “They’re for you to wear tonight, if you want. He…er…left a message.”

Chin held high and lips pressed together tightly, Chloe barely managed to keep her face straight as she unlatched the chest, still in Kal’s outstretched hands, and opened it. Blinking a little, she stared at a dazzling pile of gems in shades of blue, gold, and crystal. They were, she realized, the same ones that had decorated her bed a few minutes earlier, only now they’d been cut, so that they blazed in the sunlight like fallen stars. Before, they’d been beautiful; now, they were jewels fit for a queen.

“In the message,” Kal was saying quietly, “he said these are a token of his love.”

Tears blurred Chloe’s vision. “They’re…unbelievable,” she said, not daring to meet his gaze, and felt his unspoken pleasure.

She heard a small, soft gasp at the far end of the room and raised her head to peer past Kal to where her sister stood, staring at the gems in open-mouthed amazement.

Then, without warning, Lana did a double-take. She shifted her gaze downwards, towards Kal’s hands, and began to move closer, her eyes riveted on something that Chloe couldn’t see.

To Chloe’s horror, Kal paled and staggered back, letting the chest thud heavily on the thick carpet while its glittering contents bounced and scattered.

Completely forgetting her sister’s strange behavior, Chloe rushed forward to support him and nervously examined his face, which had taken on the same sickly tinge she’d last seen on Kent as a boy, years ago in the forest. She nudged him a few steps toward the door, hoping to put some distance between him and whatever it was in the room that was affecting him. To her endless relief, his color improved almost at once.

“What’s wrong?” her sister asked from behind her.

Chloe’s head whirled to look at Lana, who was standing only a few feet away, and caught her breath. A telltale greenish glow shone from a pendant that had, until now, been hidden under the collar of Lana’s riding cloak.

Lana had noticed it, too. Her brows knit as she stared down at it, watching the glow slowly fade as Chloe moved Kal further away. “That’s odd,” her sister said, as if to herself. “It’s never done that before.”

Chloe turned back to Kal and bit her lip to keep it from trembling. “You’d better go see a doctor,” she told him coolly. “And….if you get a chance, tell my husband thank you for the gift.”

Their eyes locked briefly, and then he left, leaving Chloe alone with her sister, who stood motionless, clutching her pendant, and following Kal’s exit with a glint of fascination in her wide eyes. “Who was that?”

Chloe was very glad that Lana had no idea. Even in the best of circumstances, it would have been risky to reveal Kal’s identity; now that she’d seen his reaction to the green rocks, it would have been disastrous.

“How should I know?” she countered, shrugging. Eager to redirect her sister’s attention, she pointed at the small teardrop-shaped pendant, now darkened and nearly invisible near the edge of Lana’s cloak. “Isn’t wearing cursed rocks a little beneath your standards, Lana?”

She’d expected the remark to annoy her sister, but Lana, looking at the place where Kal had been standing, only smiled. “Alexander-I mean, His Highness-says the rocks aren’t a curse; they’re a gift. He’s even started to study them.”

Chloe stared. “He’s collecting them? That could be dangerous.”

Especially for Kal, she thought.

Her sister’s musical laughter filled the room. “Alexander knows what he’s doing,” she said.

That, Chloe thought grimly, was what she was afraid of, silently making a note to warn Kal of the prince’s new hobby at the first opportunity.

Meanwhile, it was time to change the subject. “Speaking of rocks,” she said, nodding towards the multicolored diamonds littering her carpet. “I could use a necklace and so forth for the banquet tonight. Is there time to get these strung?”

Instantly distracted by the fabulous display, Lana scooped up a handful of the huge gems and examined them with envious eyes. Suddenly her face went blank, as if the sight had given her an idea. “Of course,” she said absently, “I’ll speak to the court jeweler right away.”

When she looked up at Chloe, her expression was as friendly as ever. “It will make your husband happy.”

After she’d left, Chloe wondered why Lana’s last comment stuck in her mind. It had, for some reason, sounded like a threat.

Sighing, she finished gathering up the jewels, returned them to their chest, and headed to her bath. It was going to be an eventful night.

Chapter 12 is here