Page 99 of Healer to the Ash King
For a moment, her eyes take on a steely, calculating look. Or perhaps I imagined it, because the next moment the expression is gone, replaced by her usual soft sweetness. “It was you, wasn’t it? You said something that made him send Teagan and Sabre away.”
“Teagan and Sabre were sent away because of secrets they kept from the King,” I say. “I don’t want the same thing to happen to you. If you’re honest with him, he might keep you here. But if he finds out some other way, he’ll be furious.”
She skims the floral pattern of the upholstery with a fingernail. “I should think you’d want me gone. Everyone knows you want him for yourself. I didn’t believe it of you at first—I thought the other girls were simply being cruel. But now I think they were right to be jealous.”
I purse my lips, unsure what to say.
“I’m not jealous, though,” she adds. “I’ve thought it through, and I believe I have the perfect solution. The King needs a high-born bride to pacify the nobility. But who’s to say he couldn’t take a second bride, one favored by the people?”
A dreadful thrill runs through my heart. “The monarchs of Bolcan have only ever had one spouse.”
“But triads and groups are normal throughout the kingdom,” she says. “This could be a first among the royals. It would make everyone happy. You and I like each other, and we both like him. We could take turns with him—or perhaps enjoy pleasure all together.” Leaning forward, she touches the back of my hand. “I know you find me pretty and pleasant, and I think you’re beautiful. We could have such fun. Promise me you’ll consider it, and that you’ll suggest it to him. Trust me, it is the best possible resolution to all this.”
I swallow hard. “I will tell the King about your idea, if you promise to tell him about the baby.”
“I will,” she says. “We have a week without challenges, to allow him time to bed the five Favored. And during the day he’ll be spending extra private time with each of us. I’m sure I’ll have a chance to tell him.”
My gut curdles, soured by what I’ve agreed to suggest to the King. I know he desires to be faithful to his spouse—no mistresses or trysts. But would he consider a triad marriage? WouldIconsider it, if it’s the only way I can have him? I could be both healer and queen. And I would have the freedom to travel home sometimes, to see my parents and spend time in my village.
I rise from the chair, forcing a smile. “I should go.”
“Oh, before you do—” Khloe sets aside the book and leaps up. “I was saving this for my night with His Majesty, but I want you to have it, as a promise from me that I’m invested in this—in us.” She cups my cheek briefly before hurrying to her dressing table. After a moment she returns with a tiny enameled pot. “This is a pleasure-enhancing lip stain,” she says. “It tastes delicious, and it has these lovely tingly properties. Spread it on your mouth and his, and whatever body part you kiss will be titillated even more. I hope to enjoy it with you two someday.”
She bounces onto her tiptoes and gives me a delicate kiss on the lips. It’s sweet, and she’s charming, but I don’t feel excited or hopeful. The thought of sharing the Ash King’s love with anyone else opens a hollow wound inside me. Maybe I could learn to like it. But as I leave Khloe’s rooms with the pot of lip stain, my heart feels sore and heavy.
In the evening, I’m invited to dine with the King and the Favored. It’s a smaller group than the previous banquets. The Ash King—or whoever plans the seating for these affairs—placed me near the foot of the great table, and I soon discover that I’m surrounded, not by nobles, but by skilled artisans and well-known merchants. My interest perks as they discuss their art and their businesses, and I nearly forget about Khloe’s proposal.
This time, I notice the servant who brings the Ash King’s portion to the table. The system of food delivery seems safe enough, though I wonder about the food in the upstairs pantry, near the royal chambers. That food is only protected by the hidden door behind the painting, and the presence of the guards in the hallway. Who brings the stores up to the pantry from the kitchen? I hope they test all the edibles and drinks before stocking them on the shelves.
Soon the Undoing will approach me again, either through Rince or someone else. The Calling is drawing to a close, and a Queen must be selected. If the rebels want to make a move against the King, they’ll need the information I’ve gathered, especially if their ally among the Favored has already been sent home.
I don’t plan to give them any information that would help them kill Perish. And if they attack him, I’ll protect him with every bit of power I have in me. But I can’t help remembering Rince’s words:There’s more here at stake than you know, and I have powerful people on my side too, people to whom I must answer. They won’t be pleased with either of us if you prove untrustworthy.
As much as I want to protect the Ash King, and as much as I’d like to purge every last secret between us, I don’t want Rince and Brayda to be arrested, tortured, or imprisoned. I know how deeply the King hates the Undoing. When it comes to rebels, invaders, and potential risk to his kingdom, he can be terribly cruel.
How will he react if he finds out I was in league with them, even if it was a temporary, half-hearted alliance?
What will the anarchist leaders do to me when they realize I’m not going to help them?
After the banquet, the King dances with the Favored in the adjoining ballroom. It’s a merry dance, one that allows for the frequent switching of partners, so none of the five women feel neglected. I can’t help but smile watching them, though a dark, possessive part of me wishes I could send them all away and make him mine alone.
The Ash King seems more buoyant than usual, and he glances at me frequently, with a sparkle in his eyes as if he’s sharing unspoken secrets. It’s enough to salve my jealousy until later that evening, when the dinner party has ended and everyone retires to their quarters.
I’ve barely had time to freshen up in the privy when Perish breezes into my room, shirtless, with his hair unbound. He smells like royal incense and wood smoke, and when he kisses me, he tastes both savory and sweet, like the gravy we had at dinner and the sugared cakes we enjoyed afterward.
“Tonight I am going to fuck you properly,” he says, his voice husky with desire. “In a bed, with both of us naked.”
“First I have two things to tell you.” He’s already trying to peel off my clothes, so I wriggle away, holding out both hands to fend him off. “One of the Favored will come to you tomorrow, or the next day, with a secret to share. I know of it already, but it isn’t mine to speak, and I would ask that you show her mercy.”
His face sobers, but his eyes are still alight. “If it’s about Khloe’s baby, I already know.”
“What?” My jaw drops. “You know? How?”
“I’ve known for a while. I was hugging her once, and beyond her own heartbeat I could hear another fainter one.”
“And you didn’t send her away?”
“Why should I?”
