Page 61 of Crown of Draga

Chapter Eighteen

Nash

East Wing

Draga Royal Palace

Planet Draga Terra

Nash stoodoutside Adelina’s doors and hesitated. He had never expected her to forgive his rash stupidity, let alone take the risk to invite him to her sitting room so they could spend some uninterrupted time together. Having a real conversation with Adelina, where she would focus the entirety of her attention on him made his palms sweat.

What was he, an untested warrior who had never seen the sight of blood before? Nash shook his head in disgust and phased through the wall into Adelina’s sitting room. Nash kept his sight shield up. Until Adelina was there to give him the go ahead it made sense to be cautious.

He took in the surroundings with a keen eye. The last time he’d been in her rooms they’d been pressed for time. A person’s private space always gave so much insight into their mind, and Adelina had clearly decorated the space. It was simple, but elegant. The true luxury was in the details. The balcony and the carved archway, the gold lattice shutters, and the spidersilk drapes all cost a small fortune on their own.

Nash wasn’t all that interested in the sitting room though. He walked silently towards her bedroom. It felt very much like spying, but Adelina had sent him here and she must have known he’d be curious. The massive bed in the center of her sleeping space made his mouth water. Nash shoved thoughts of what Adelina would look like naked and waiting for him to the back of his mind.

Just because she said she’d like to give him a chance did not mean he would have the right to seduce her. The last time they’d gotten close it had made her pull back from him and Nash wasn’t sure they’d make it through a second retreat.

Something glittered and Nash stepped closer to her massive closet. The space didn’t have a door which was strange. Jewels shimmered on her vanity like forgotten toys. He toed the line, but he didn’t cross into that space. It felt too personal.

His eyes did skim over the dresses, the shoes, and the tools of her trade. The items she needed to uphold her role as princess. It was rather sterile of her personality even if the items did say something about her. Nash craved to know more, to find out what he could about Adelina.

Marrying her had been a whim, a means to an end, and a half-formed thought. The attraction to Adelina was real, but the marriage was a promise of salvation. Better him than some awful male she didn’t know, right? Nash smirked. He was such a fool. Now he wanted that marriage more than he’d ever thought possible, or rather the chance to find out if they could have a good one.

He closed his eyes as a thought of her in the traditional Corinthian wedding gown came to mind. Blessed Fate was trying to ruin him. His control was tenuous already when it came to her. His nature was fierce, protective, and possessive whenever he caught her scent and her rooms were saturated with it. It wasn’t something he’d ever been able to help around her. Adelina triggered his instincts hard.

A soft noise caught his attention and he turned to inspect the room. The washroom was empty, but there was another door and it was open. He caught movement in the adjoining room before the door in Adelina’s sitting room opened. Nash moved to get a better look and then froze.

A small, sweet maid backed into the sitting room and the hov-cart of tea and snacks made him smile. Adelina could be adorable in ways he could never anticipate.

Steps sounded behind him and Nash leapt into the sitting room, whirling around but his nose caught the scent first and he barely kept himself from snarling. Nadyah walked past him, her skirt brushed against the toe of his boot and Nash froze in alarm. Did she know he was there?

Nadyah didn’t appear to notice and she thanked the maid before escorting her out of the room. Adelina’s delicious scent started to disappear under the stink of courtesan and he bared his teeth even if she couldn’t see him.

The courtesan started to set up the tea at the low table in front of a couch and chaise. The dining table was the smarter choice as there would be more room. Nash cocked his head as he watched her and wondered what thoughts went through her crafty mind.

Once the maid’s footsteps disappeared Nadyah’s nostrils flared and her shoulders stiffened. “I can smell you, Corinthian,” she snapped. “Take the damn shield off. No one but Adelina and I know you are here and it will stay that way.” She paused when he did no such thing. “You have my word,” Nadyah said, narrowing her eyes in his general direction.

Her sense of smell and warrior’s instincts impressed him enough he deactivated his tech and studied her. “How long have you known I was here?” he asked. Nash ran a hand through his hair and shrugged like her answer didn’t matter.

“I can smell your arousal from across the palace,” she snorted, bending to arrange the plates to her liking. “So the moment you stepped into my Mistress’s rooms.”

He grunted in annoyance. “Is this a courtesan thing?” Nash crossed his arms. He refused to sit and make small talk with the female who clearly disliked him as much as he disliked her. Perhaps if her scent wasn’t so offensive he wouldn’t mind her obvious sexuality.

“Yes,” she admitted. “Adelina cannot tell by your scent when or how much you desire her.” The glittering look in her dark blue eyes unsettled him.

“And you disapprove?”

Nadyah finished and wiped her hands on her dress. She shook her head and gave him a crooked smile. “Not anymore.”

Strange, but she didn’t bother to elaborate and he refused to ask for clarification.

The awkwardness was alleviated when Adelina entered the room. His position allowed none to see him from the hall which had been a strategic decision, but now he wasn’t sure what to do. Suddenly he was nervous and Nash felt sick, like the first time he’d gone into the fighting pits. He had thought he would piss himself or vomit before he stepped onto the hot sand. This was nearly as bad.

Nadyah cleared her throat when neither Adelina nor Nash said anything. The two of them simply stared at each other. “Do you need me for anything?” she asked her Mistress.

Adelina clutched tattered books to her chest and shook her head without breaking Nash’s gaze. “No thank you Nadyah, you are dismissed.”

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