Page 13 of The Emperor's Concubine

“You’re getting very poetic here. Are you telling me you have feelings for one of your harem girls? Have you even had a conversation with her beyond trying to get her into your bed? Perhaps you may be thinking of making her more than just a concubine?”

“Well, no, but do you really have to talk to someone to know you really want them? I’m not saying I’m in love with her. When I take a Queen, I can’t allow matters of the heart to influence my decision. I’ll choose my mate based on their breeding and ability to handle the people.”

“Don’t let what happened to your father harden you. I don’t know much about matters of the heart, but I know that you shouldn’t live your life based on what happened to someone else.”

Blaze’s lips tightened as he thought of King Tayler and Queen Maige, his parents. He’d loved them both very much, but theirs had been a self-absorbed kind of love that had excluded all others. They were good parents and loved him the best they could, but when the two of them were together, they gave the impression that no one else existed.

During the Great Thorzak Lunar War, a chemical agent had been dropped on their planet and poisoned several thousand inhabitants, his mother included. It had saddened him when she died, but it had destroyed his father. Day by day, Blaze took on more of the royal duties while his father pined away for his lost mate. King Tayler slept very little and ate even less until he wasted away to nothing. Some people said it was the effects of the chemicals, but Blaze knew his father had died of a broken heart. He couldn’t subject himself to that for the sake of a woman.

It wasn’t as though he had a problem with the fairer sex, but he couldn’t let anyone make him feel an emotion so strong that it could kill. No, he preferred his harem. When he chose his Queen, he’d get rid of them out of respect for her, but he wouldn’t let his heart become involved.

“I won’t let that happen to me,” he finally said.

“Sometimes those things sneak up on you before you know it. When the time comes, it might not be your choice.”

“As if you’d know.”

Radien shrugged. “Perhaps I’m no expert, but I do have eyes. I warn you, my friend, you’d better get your act together and do something about this reluctant concubine of yours because if you don’t, you’ll have a full-fledged rebellion on your hands. I’ll leave you alone while I go calm down Tuk.”

Blaze only nodded as he watched his friend exit the room. He knew what Radien had said made sense. He had to do something about Calliope, but he couldn’t beg her. How would that look, having to beg for a night with a member of his own harem? Damn, but she was frustrating. What if she never came to him willingly? Could he deal with this? Something told him he’d have a rough time trying.

Callie wipedbeads of sweat from her forehead. It had to be at least a hundred degrees in this oven they called a kitchen. Scrubbing pots, however, was preferable to spending a night with the King. It wasn’t that she found him repulsive. On the contrary, she found herself drawn to him, and therein lay the problem. She didn’t want to be attracted to her ‘owner.’

God, she hated that word. The thought of someone owning another person as if they were cattle didn’t sit very well withher. Yet the way he’d looked at her sent shivers down her spine. When he’d touched her, she nearly burst into flames. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Callie took another swipe at her brow and pulled the sack-like dress she’d been given to wear. In the past five days, she’d lost weight. She was given meals like the rest of the servants, but Tuk worked her so hard, she’d been too exhausted to think of food.

The best thing about living in the servants’ quarters was seeing more of London. Each morning before she was put to work, she visited her daughter’s room where she slept with a kindly older maid who treated London like a much loved granddaughter.

Those were the only moments she could escape without Tuk breathing down her neck. That woman had it out for her in the worst way, making Callie scrub floors, walls, windows, even if they were already clean. She suspected that the King’s servant was trying to break her, but she’d be damned if she let that woman see her crumble.

Putting away the final pot to dry, she breathed a sigh of relief to be finished.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook, human. Those pots are still dirty,” Tuk’s voice said behind her, making Callie jump.

The woman had the most unsettling ability to sneak up on her without making a sound. “I finished them all.”

“I said they are still dirty.”

Callie picked up one of the pots she’d just scoured. It gleamed against the light, spotless. She was quite sure that one of the worker robots couldn’t have done a better job. “This looks fine to me.”

To her surprise, Tuk grabbed it from her hands and tossed it on the floor. Then she slid her arms along the counter and dumped all of Callie’s hard work back on the floor. “This is whatyou get for your impertinence. Now pick that up!” the woman screamed, rage turning her face bright red.

Callie was two seconds away from whuppin’ that bitch’s ass, her fist balled and ready to strike, and then she saw the malicious gleam in Tuk’s pale green eyes. She stopped herself. Striking her tormenter would only harm her in the end. She lived for her time spent with London. She wasn’t about to give her tormenter a reason to take that particular privilege away.

Instead of doing what she really wanted, Callie bent over and picked up the mess Tuk had made.

“It’s all your fault!” the woman screamed.

Callie chose to ignore this statement, instead concentrating on the task at hand.

The other woman would not be ignored however. Grabbing one of her long dreadlocks, Tuk yanked, forcing Callie to look up at her. “You think you’re something special, don’t you?”

What had she done this time to earn such rage? “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’d appreciate it if you let go of my hair.”

“You have no idea what you’ve caused do you?”

“Again, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve done everything you asked me to do, without complaint, I might add. I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve this.”

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