Page 4 of A House of Fangs & Deceit

Happiness was something I could seek later.

At least, that’s why I told myself these past few mornings when Demetri gave me a dutiful kiss and a charming smile before disappearing for his various House responsibilities.

It was what I repeated throughout the day as I sought out knowledge of what was happening outside these fortified walls.

“Do you need anything, my lady?”

I tore my gaze away from the painting of some distant relative of Demetri’s great uncle, perhaps, and looked at the girl before me.

Despite my attempts to befriend the household staff—because as a good friend had taught me, the servants always held the best gossip—they treated me the same as all the Laurent family.

I wasn’t used to failing at anything, so I kept at it, hoping I would one day win them over.

The servant girl’s blonde hair was neatly tucked away in a braid, and her eyes were firmly fixed on the tips of my toes, her expression submissive, albeit slightly nervous. The latter struck me as odd, something I’d noticed around the premises on occasion.

“I’m fine, Rose. Thank you,” I said kindly. Her pretty green eyes peeked at me before hastily looking away. “My mind is just a little adrift this morning. Perhaps I’ll swing by the kitchen for a second cup of tea.”

“I can bring you some,” she said quickly. “Black tea with honey.”

“That would be lovely,” I lied.

While the tea sounded fantastic, I’d really been wanting to get it myself as I so often did in the morning.

The kitchen was one of the few places the staff relaxed enough to talk, and I’d been hoping to maybe overhear some gossip, but it was probably for the best. I should be preparing for the meeting later today anyway.

“Would you mind bringing it to the study on the third floor?” I asked. “I have some paperwork I’d like to review.”

She nodded once and hurried away.

I frowned after her departure. Demetri and Marvina, hismother, had always treated the staff fairly. They may not be kind in their orders, but I’d never seen anything to explain why there was such an undercurrent of fear amongst them.

Shaking my head, I continued on to the study that I had taken over as an office of sorts.

I hadn’t been lying about feeling off-kilter today. Rynn’s simple question had hit me when I was already in a weird mental state, and I hadn’t been able to snap out of it since.

After years of being shoved to the sidelines and playing the role of the smiling bride, I was finally making headway in getting involved in House politics. Demetri’s mother ruled House Laurent with an iron fist and was pleased that her son held zero interest in taking over one day. She was less pleased about my interests in ruling, or at least co-ruling.

Though, for the last six months, she had allowed me to sit in on meetings with her advisors. I wasn’t entirely sure why she had offered this, but I suspected it was my Aunt Carmilla's doing.

Being that she oversaw House Harker and was close friends with the Sovereigns who ruled over all the Moroi, she wasn’t shy about flexing her political power when she needed to. If she had stepped in on my behalf, I was grateful… but also a little annoyed that I’d needed her help, which was probably why she hadn’t told me about her interference.

I’d been working on a trade proposal for the last week with some of the Velesian packs, mostly of the Narchis Order. It wouldn’t bring us in any great riches, but it would help the tension that had been growing between the Moroi and Velesians for the last decade.

I just had to present it in the right way. It had taken some time, but I was beginning to learn how to manage Marvina. Now, if only I could figure out the same with my dear husband.

Maybe then I could get a damn orgasm once in a while.

I didn’t count the one I gave myself every morning before I rose from bed after Demetri had already gotten up and left.

I laughed softly to myself, earning a few wayward glances from a servant girl as she hurried by. Cali had quickly pointed out my rather lackluster sex life after Rynn had asked about my happiness, which summed up my two besties rather accurately.

We might come from different species and backgrounds, but we each knew each other well. Far better than anyone else could claim.

“Give her a break, Rynn,” Cali had said.“Her husband might be easy on the eyes, but he’s clearly as boring in bed as he is in conversation.”

“He really doesn’t have a lot going on upstairs.”Rynn’s golden eyes sparked with the mischief that she hid from everyone but us.

“Not a lot going on downstairs either,”I’d drawled wryly, prompting a laugh out of them.

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