Page 3 of Crown of Draga

Adelina looked up into the sky, absorbing her courtesan’s words as she focused on Mala. The moon would only be in the sky for a little while longer, a week or two at the most. Then she breathed in, filling her lungs with air until her entire chest and belly expanded. She held it, and then slowly let out the breath as she felt the tingling across her entire body abate a fraction.

It took a while until her heart rate decreased and the painful ache eased to something more bearable. Without pain to ground her it took longer and was more difficult. This type of training was mental rather than physical. Adelina would have to create a good foundation and only use pain as a last resort.

Nash tempted her in ways she’d never anticipated.

His ability to heal was something she’d never heard the Corinthian humans could do. That could explain their general lack of medicinal knowledge and exploration in the field of medical science. Draga prided their ability to cure and heal. Those last five diseases were a black mark they’d spent so much time and energy trying to eradicate.

Feeling calmer and the tingling sensation gone, she rolled over and slipped on her shirt. Adelina needed a shower and something to eat before she started the final preparations for her coming-of-age party.

She was still annoyed with Nadyah. The woman was walking sex, and the frustration was starting to become a real problem. It was vital Adelina see Ian as soon as possible. The sooner she knew the truth, the sooner she could look into a real solution. Adelina felt if she were sated it would be easier to control the desire that lived under her skin.

Suddenly she had clarity. The courtesans did their job not only because they liked it, but because they needed it. The more work the happier they were because they weren’t constantly on edge. The entire system at each House was set up to scan their client’s DNA. Each client signed a waiver allowing such a thing and they never thought to look twice at it.

Jael must have scanned Nadyah’s DNA against hers. So then Adelina was not Nadyah’s mate…but she could be Adelina’s because of her own courtesan DNA. It was all so confusing.

Adelina took the stone steps two at a time, the molten heat soaking into the bottom of her feet. She moved quickly from the private courtyard to the family wing. No one but a royal and their private staff had access to the various courtyards or the east wing. So no courtier could ever see her before she was ready, and thank the goddess Nash wasn’t situated in their wing any longer. No, when he’d been given his official rooms they were as far from the family wing as possible.

The halls were empty except for a few servants bustling back and forth. She nodded at her mother’s lady-in-waiting. Getting the royal family ready for the day was a feat, and now that the king was ill it required a lot more staff. It seemed an entire army of servants had been recently vetted and checked to serve in the royal wing, including the physicians and scientists working on hypomalarya.

Adelina waved her hand over the standing pad before her door. The lattice windows facing the ocean cast beautiful shadows across the marble floor of the hall. It was getting warmer and the day would soon be sweltering. She stepped into her sitting room and began to strip as she made her way to the washroom. Her rooms were empty and Nadyah’s connecting door to Adelina’s bedroom was closed. It was for the best. Adelina was still irritated with her courtesan.

Nadyah had set a dress out on the back of her vanity chair with the accompanying accessories. She’d considered the weather as it was one of Adelina’s lightest gowns recently commissioned. The gold sandals sat on the floor next to the chair.

Adelina tossed her dirty workout gear in the laundry chute and stepped into her washroom. The cool air felt wonderful on her sun-heated skin. The cold water was even better. It soothed her skin and settled her senses with the shock of it.

It didn’t take Adelina long to finish up and get ready. The mundane tasks allowed her thoughts to settle into nothing, a relaxation technique she’d worked on with Nadyah. The lightly scented oil on her skin sealed in the much needed moisture, and the breezy dress purposefully trailed the floor. The wrap-style covered her assets while allowing air to flow. Her leg peeked through the opening in the skirt and the back was low enough to help her body regulate its core temperature. The Draga heat seeped into everything and even the climate control in the palace could only do so much.

She piled her hair on top of her head and slipped on the gold belt, the gold headband, and the different pieces of jewelry Nadyah had selected. The gold collar necklace was plain, but beautifully cast. It matched the bracelet she slipped on.

A massive, black opal ring went on her other hand. It sat against the pinky ring on her right hand. A simple gold band her father had given her. He’d given one to each of his daughters and she hadn’t taken it off since she’d received it on her tenth celebration of birth. Adelina considered putting on her signet ring and tapped the black onyx thoughtfully.

A sacred wolf howled at the goddess moons with roses around him. Her initials were etched into the stone and tiny black opals covered the band. She wouldn’t need it after she received her tattoo, but it was a symbol of power, and it was the day of her coming-of-age party, afterward she would be seen differently.

All the games would have to be played differently after the party.

She slipped the signet ring onto her left pointer finger. Satisfied with her darker makeup and general appearance she slipped her sandals on, tying up the gold laces to her knees. A quick breakfast in the dining room and she should still have time to spare.

It had taken months of planning and Nadyah’s help to put it all into motion, but Adelina had slowly taken steps to recreate her image for when she turned twenty cycles. She didn’t necessarily want a marriage right away, but she did want to be seen differently. Adelina was still the quiet and sweet princess, but she was ready to be seen as someone with cunning intelligence, someone who could contribute to Draga and the Crown in ways others could not.

Jael was her competition for the supply of information, but a friendly one. Adelina did not share her intelligence with the Spider, but she used what she gathered to make plans and give advice. One day Raena would take her seriously and she could make a real difference in the way their galaxy was run.

Adelina sat in the quiet dining room. Breakfast was a rather informal affair, as was lunch. She took what she wanted from the options on the table and ate with Asher and Giselle. The three of them had a companionable silence, feeling no need to chatter about inane topics. They all enjoyed the reprieve when they could.

As Asher left the dining room, he came around the massive, carved black-wood table. He walked by Adelina and bent to brush a kiss against her cheek. “Lina, I hope you enjoy your party tonight.”

She smiled at her brother and rested her hand on his cheek in thanks. Then he was gone, off to some lesson or other.

Her plate was only half-finished when she set aside her utensils and delicately set her napkin next to the gold plate. “Please excuse me,” Adelina said to Giselle. She stood and took a final sip from her juice. She wanted to get out of there before Raena arrived.

Adelina headed to the lift. There was one thing she wanted to get a start on before anything else. She pulled out her simulcast and tapped a quick message to Ian. It chirped with a response before the lift doors even opened. Good, she could get her DNA samples taken and finally get some answers.

The palace was quiet in the early morning. Most nobles and courtiers weren’t up before the ninth hour of the day. Adelina liked waking early and completing most tasks, and then enjoying her exercise before it was too hot to do much other than study or read.

She nodded her thanks to the footman when the lift doors opened and made her way down into the deepest parts of the palace. The A.I. allowed her access and the filtered air assaulted her senses. Adelina shivered in the cool, climate controlled labs. Only a few scientists and physicians were at their tables. Adelina checked her schedule on her simulcast and sighed.

No lessons until after Raena’s coronation and the few weeks after that were blocked out as well. It didn’t seem like anything would be normal ever again. Her foreign languages were getting rusty, and now she had to avoid Nash so practicing the Corinthian language with him was not an option. Adelina would have to grab a few books to stay sharp next time she was in the library.

Her hand on Ian’s door activated the scanner. A few seconds of whirring as it processed the data and then the door slid open once it identified her prints and DNA. “Welcome, Princess Adelina,” the A.I. intoned.

---