Page 76 of Star Prince

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to whisper in her ear. Blast it; his warm breath still gave her tingles. “But you can’t go home in this…condition.”

“You mean independent? Free?Happy?Yes, you’re quite right.”

“I gave my promise to you. I intend to follow through. We’ll…work out the details. After Earth.”

She had no doubt that the by-the-books, do-right crown prince would fulfill any promise he had made outof principle and his driving sense of accountability. But the last thing she would let herself do was to become another one of Ian’s “obligations.”

“No,” she said sharply under her breath. “I’ll not ruin your chances for the throne. You need a marriage chosen by your stepfather. And you have to convince Earth to stay in the Federation. Those are the only ways you’ll end the Great Council’s doubts about you once and for all.”

“A promise is a promise.”

“It wasn’t binding, Ian.”

Either relief or hurt crossed his face. She wasn’t sure. But both were equally painful to contemplate. She yanked her arm free, cringing inside. “I want my freedom,” she whispered fervently. Marrying her was the honorable choice, and Ian was an honorable man. She had expected nothing less from him. Only she hadn’t expected that her refusal would hurt so much. Or his rightfully choosing duty over her.

“The message is for the princess,” Lara announced. “It’s her father.” Tee’ah’s stomach muscles cramped. The cold-eyed woman pointed to a console at the far end of the cockpit. “If you wish, you can use that chair for privacy.”

Tee’ah’s throat was so tight, she could hardly breathe, much less talk. “I would,” she managed to squeeze out. “Thank you.”

Alone at the comm station she opened a view-screen. “Greetings, Father.”

Joren Dar’s golden eyes reflected both sharp reliefand angry disapproval. Tee’ah fought a watery feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Daughter...” It seemed her appearance had momentarily stolen his ability to speak. The last time he saw her, her hair was coppery dark blond and reached past her hips.

He recovered quickly, unfortunately. “The crew of theQuilliewill accompany you home.”

She squeezed her clasped hands together until blood throbbed in her fingertips. “I can’t come home.”

His expression sharpened.

“I’ve…changed,” she said and glanced away. She felt an echoing twinge in the part of her anatomy in question.

He slammed his hand down. “Who was it? Who were you with? Ian Hamilton? I thought he was a man of honor! If he thinks this is the way to become the—”

Hastily, she lowered the volume on the view-screen. “Heisa man of honor.” More than anyone imagined.

“You were with him for weeks without chaperones.”

“I was with a number of his crewmembers.”

He sputtered in shock.

“Not in that way, father,” she put in before he choked to death.

He exhaled. “I am relieved to hear it.”

Clearly, he thought she meant that she hadn’t been with Ian in “that way,” either. She didn’tcorrect him. More than any other prince, Ian needed an unsullied reputation. He would admit to sleeping with her if he thought it would protect her, but she wouldn’t give him that chance. She loved him; she would not ruin him.

“Everything’s at stake, Tee’ah. I have no choice but to publicly state that you’ve undergone the test of purity.”

The blood drained from her head. The rite was an ancient, rarely used determination of virginity. Appalled, she stared at her father. If she refused to go through with the test, it would cast doubt on Ian.

“I won’t actually have you checked,” her father assured her. “That would be too barbaric. But we must go through the motions to appease the Great Council. And the Vedlas.”

“Yes, father.” Sweet heaven. The Vedla family knew. What would stop Ché—or Klark—from demanding that their physicians perform the actual examination?

She touched trembling fingers to the viewscreen.

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