Page 65 of Crown of Draga

Chapter Nineteen

Adelina

Adelina’s Rooms

Draga Royal Palace

Planet Draga Terra

Adelina wokeup curled into Nash’s side, naked and feeling sated for the first time in a long while. His warm, cinnamon scent filled her nose and she sighed with contentment. In his arms she was safe and protected. She was cherished and appreciated. Adelina made small circles on the black band across his chest as she watched the prince breathe deeply and evenly while he slept.

The dark night sky glittered through her windows. They’d missed the midnight dinner from what she could tell from the position of the three moons. Adelina decided to ignore her simulcast. Nadyah knew where she was and no doubt would field any requests or questions as to her location.

The marks on Nash were beautiful and told a story she couldn’t read. While he slept she was able to study his face and body more closely. The way his muscles felt under her hand and the scars covering his gorgeously warm skin were all a mystery to her. Adelina wanted to know everything she could about him, like what the tattoo between his thumb and index finger meant. Was it ornamental or was it functional, like her own?

“How long have you been awake?” Nash grumbled, rolling over so they were face to face. His eyes were still closed but he smiled.

It made the moment less uncomfortable for Adelina as she wasn’t sure how he would act after sex. The fact that he seemed to be making himself comfortable with no move to leave eased some of her nerves. “Not long,” she assured him. The sheet was over her body and Adelina still felt self-conscious. She had no idea how to proceed.

Nash took care of the problem for her. “Tell me why you chose to learn of the Drakesthai.”

It made her blush that the prince would want to know, or even care why. She ducked her head, hiding under his chin. “I hoped one day I would be able to convince them to open trade with Draga, maybe set up an embassy…I also heard some of the Unchanged Humans live with them. I’d love to know more. It is strange how isolated we are from different factions of our own people.”

The prince said nothing as he let her hide. His hand trailed up and down her spine in a soothing motion. “We aren’t really the same people anymore though are we? My genetic makeup is completely different from yours, as much as it differs from the Unchanged I assume.”

“It’s not that different,” Adelina murmured. Her lips brushed against his skin and she felt him shiver. They all still had the basic Human biology and gene pattern. They could reproduce with each other safely and the slight differences were just that, miniscule in comparison to the other living specimens in the universe.

Nash nuzzled against her hair and she could feel his smile. “Not in the ways that matter,” he agreed. “I forgot to ask, how do your people prevent pregnancy?”

There were three black bands on his bicep and Adelina traced the thinnest. A child with him now would be disastrous, but she couldn’t help thinking fondly of what the babe might look like. “I choose when I conceive, nothing before that can impregnate me.” Until Adelina was ready her body would keep the eggs instead of releasing them for fertilization every month. That was one of the best changes from what she’d read. Not having that choice sounded like a prison to her.

For a moment she wondered if Nash had fallen asleep again, but then he made a noise as he considered her words. “Doctors have to activate the fertility in our females. We have difficulties still with conceiving.”

Adelina pulled back and arched an eyebrow at him. “Your mother had four children; I would say there was no difficulty there.” Did he feel nervous about that little quirk from the formula?

Those gems of red, green, and yellow sparkled at her when Nash finally opened his eyes. He inspected the lines of her naked form under the thin sheet and then reached for her jaw, trailing a finger softly until he tapped her full, bottom lip. “My mother was lucky. Most are not.”

“I’m not worried, if that’s what you are thinking,” Adelina said. It was silly to be talking about such a thing when the possibility would never occur, but she wanted to erase the sad look from his eyes.

“If you never had children you would not mind?” he asked. The sad look turned bitter when he tried to play off the question as a joke.

Adelina took his face in both hands and kissed his lips. “There are many ways to have children. Plus I’ve read that when two races are crossed they are very fertile.”

Adelina would be devastated if she never had her own children, but it was not something she even wanted for a long while. She was still very young and the possibility would be decades in the future if she had her way.

“Tell me about these marks,” she said, changing the subject. Offspring was a heavy matter and she did not wish such a thing to mar their short time together.

Nash looked where her fingers traced the bands from his arm and over his chest. Symbols were tucked in between a few of them and the work was exquisite. “The marks are the story of my past and my family’s history,” he told her, tapping the symbols that she recognized. It was very old Kharan and difficult for her to read. “It tells how many times my family has ruled, how we’ve fought through the centuries, my rank among my people as prince, and my Destiny,” he said, indicating each mark and band as he told her.

Adelina was intrigued. “Your destiny?” she asked. “How does that work?”

Nash kissed her cheek and rolled out of the massive bed. He was utterly naked and Adelina licked her lips as she studied him from head to toe. Goddess, he was a gorgeous male. The mark she’d made with her teeth on his shoulder had her blood boiling. She planned to make a few more of those before he left.

Adelina grinned when Nash glanced back at her with a roguish smile. He had no idea she knew exactly what she was doing. If the Corinthian princess saw the mark she’d back off and give Adelina the time to try and make this work. It would be months if she ever saw him again, but she wasn’t ready to let him go.

He disappeared first into the washroom and she heard water splashing. Then he came out with a clean, wet cloth for her. “As I’m sure you know my people do not believe in gods or goddesses per se. We believe in the Light and the Dark. We believe in the balance and Fate, or Destiny. Every single one of us has a path we are supposed to follow. Even if that path isn’t clear, we will keep pushing forward trying to find our place in history.”

Nash leaned forward and nipped her thigh hard enough Adelina gasped before he went into her sitting room. When he came back he was laden with plates of food, two glasses, and a pitcher of water. She laughed as she took the glasses and water from him. The sheet was carefully knotted around her for modesty. Normally she wasn’t so shy, but this felt so new and the bubble of time they had together was so small and fragile.

---